Pinyin pronunciation: w, y

[Bilbo Baggins]

Hi everyone,
I'm new to this corner of the universe, and I have a question. Some syllable tables list w and y as initials and some do not. What gives? Are they initials?
Thanks.

 

[laluso]

Sorry, I don't understand what you mean. Can you explain what you are trying to ask? Then, I may be able to help.

 

[kepulauan]

I guess it has to do with how the creators of the Pinyin system viewed things. Theoretically, w and y are merely "imaginary" consonantal versions of u and i, and they only appear in syllables without initials. But according to a recent thread http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=1962945, the way it works in reality is subject to the whims of each speaker. Consequently, table authors are bound to have different opinions on what is "correct" and what is "real", and in turn, whether the table should represent "correct" or "real".