Standard Zhuang

Standard Zhuang (autonym: Vahcuengh, Zhuang pronunciation: [βa˧ɕuːŋ˧]; pre-1982 autonym: Vaƅcueŋƅ; Sawndip: 話壯; simplified Chinese: 壮语; traditional Chinese: 壯語; pinyin: Zhuàngyǔ) is the official standardized form of the Zhuang languages, which are a branch of the Northern Tai languages. Its pronunciation is based on that of the Yongbei Zhuang dialect of Shuangqiao Town in Wuming District, Guangxi with some influence from Fuliang, also in Wuming District, while its vocabulary is based mainly on northern dialects. The official standard covers both spoken and written Zhuang. It is the national standard of the Zhuang languages, though in Yunnan a local standard is used.

The following displays the phonological features of the Wuming and northern dialects of Zhuang:

Among other northern dialects of Zhuang, /w/ may be heard as a [β] or [v] sound. Absent consonant produces /ʔ/.

An unusual and rare feature is that Zhuang lacks /s/, which is the most common fricative across the world's languages. Other notable exceptions of languages without /s/ can be found among Australian languages, of which some lack fricatives altogether, yet Zhuang is different in that it has five fricatives.

[ə] only occurs in diphthong or triphthong sounds.

[ɤ] can occur in recent Chinese loanwords.

Among other northern Zhuang dialects, /e, o/ have shortened allophones of [ɛ, ɔ].

Standard Zhuang has six tones, reduced to two (numbered 3 and 6) in checked syllables: