Engineering / Open-source practice
Cantonese–Mandarin Cross-Ref
Compare pronunciation with Jyutping and audio.
01The project
A lightweight learning tool for comparing Cantonese and Mandarin readings side by side. It turns HKEdU correspondence data into a learner-facing lookup path with Jyutping, recorded audio, and a mobile-friendly interface.
02The problem
Cantonese learners often have to jump between dense correspondence tables, romanization notes, and audio sources to understand how a Mandarin reading maps to Cantonese.
03Key decisions
I turned the correspondence data into a fast learner-facing lookup path with character search, Mandarin-to-Cantonese mapping, Jyutping, recorded audio, simplified/traditional switching, and mobile support.
04Design in practice
What it does
The tool cross-references Cantonese and Mandarin readings in a fast lookup UI. The underlying initials/finals/tones correspondence comes from Hong Kong Education University; I added Jyutping conversion, recorded audio, and the mobile interface. The educational value is practical: a learner can move from a Mandarin reading to Cantonese sound structure without getting lost in a reference table.
05Outcome and current stage
Open-source learner tool · Cantonese-Mandarin lookup · Jyutping and recorded audio
Technical details & evidence
Role · Sole builder and learning-tool designer
- Vanilla JavaScript web tool built on HKEdU's correspondence table, with my own Jyutping conversion, recorded audio, and a fast mobile-friendly lookup UI for learners
- JavaScript
- Jyutping
- Language Education