Introducing the Junior Script
A Quick Reference Guide for the Phonetic Characters Component of Hwayih Woen
This reference guide is a reproduction of content originally published on the Hwayih Woen Project’s main website at: www.hwayihwoen.com
Everyone knows that English has 26 letters; however, hardly any native anglophone knows that the language itself contains 48 sounds, divided across 3 broad subcategories. Hwayih Woen assigns 48 unique Chinese characters to represent these 48 English sounds on a strict 1:1 sound-to-symbol ratio with no exceptions. These characters as a group form the majuscule (i.e. “upper case”) forms of the Hwayih Woen Phonetic Characters.
Additionally, Hwayih Woen also assigns a parallel set of 48 symbols adapted from the Jèw-yeān Foó-hòw (注音符号) system, which in turn form the minuscule (i.e. “lower case”) forms of the Hwayih Woen Phonetic Characters. This enables the user to phonetically represent on paper any English word, and—by logical extension—any English sentence. As was already previously mentioned above, this practice of writing out English words and sentences on the basis of sound instead of spelling is called the “Junior Script,” and is the natural starting place to begin learning the Hwayih Woen system.
The following is a listing of all 48 phonetic characters grouped within their respective subcategories to facilitate easily repeatable reference look-up.
Caveat Lector: the following entries encapsulate majuscule and minuscule forms in【black brackets】and〖clear brackets〗respectively.
Update (April 28th, 2026): each listing now also includes its Tsāhng-jyéh input code (仓颉输入法编码). For more information regarding touch typing in Chinese, please «click here».
Short Vowels
a as in ax【嵓】〖ㄚﾟ〗
(山)u00(口)r00(口)r00(口)r00e as in etch【埜】〖ㄝ〗
(木)d00(木)d00(土)g00i as in ill【佀】〖イ〗
(人)o02(口)r00(中)l01(口)r00o as in ox【仴】〖ㄛﾟ〗
(人)o02(月)b00u as in upper【嚜】〖ㄜﾟ〗
(口)r00(田)w03(土)g00(土)g00
Long Vowels
a as in aches【盃】〖ㄟ〗
(一)m00(火)f03(月)b06(廿)t05e as in each【籴】〖ㄧ〗
(人)o01(火)f04(木)d00i as in isle【溰】〖ㄞ〗
(水)e02(山)u00(一)m00(廿)t06o as in oaks【吘】〖ㄡ〗
(口)r00(人)o06(十)j00u as in Uber【汙】〖ㄨ〗
(水)e02(一)m00(木)d03
Vowel Isolates
oo as in book【歮】〖ㄩﾟ〗
(卜)y01(一)m00(卜)y01(一)m00(一)m00a as in coup d’etat【厑】〖ㄚ〗
(一)m03(口)r00(心)p03
Paired Consonants
Unvoiced
p as in pear【苩】〖ㄆ〗
(廿)t02(竹)h01(日)a00f as in fan【佱】〖ㄈ〗
(難)x00(人)o00(一)m00(一)00(一)00t as in ton【涾】〖ㄊ〗
(水)e02(水)e00(日)a00k as in kiddie【偘】〖ㄎ〗
(人)o02(口)r00(口)r00(口)r00s as in sap【卅】〖ㄙ〗
(廿)t03(十)j00ch as in cheer【虿】〖ㄔ〗
(一)m00(尸)s05(中)l00(一)m00(戈)i01c as in confucian【唼】〖ㄕ〗
(口)r00(卜)y02(廿)t06(女)v00th as in thigh【濇】〖ㄓﾞ〗
(水)e02(土)g00(人)o00(田)w01
Voiced
b as in bear【茇】〖ㄅ〗
(廿)t02(戈)i01(大)k01(大)k02v as in van【甶】〖ㄈﾞ〗
(竹)h01(田)w00d as in done【迚】〖ㄉ〗
(卜)y03(中)l00g as in giddy【玍】〖ㄍ〗
(人)o06(土)g00z as in zap【拶】〖ㄗﾟ〗
(手)q01(女)v01(女)v01(弓)n08j as in jeer【抯】〖ㄓ〗
(手)q00(月)b04(一)m00s as in confusion【峕】〖ㄕﾞ〗
(山)u00(卜)y02(日)a00th as in thy【芔】〖ㄓﾞ〗
(山)u03(山)u03(山)u03
Single Consonants
h as in hotel【奤】〖ㄏ〗
(大)k00(一)m05(田)w01(中)l01m as in money【閁】〖ㄇ〗
(日)a00(弓)n02(竹)h02n as in nest【笝】〖ㄋ〗
(竹)h04(田)w01(水)e03l as in leaf【旯】〖ㄌ〗
(日)a00(大)k01(弓)n07r as in rock【邚】〖ㄖ〗
(女)v00(弓)n10(中)l01w as in west【屲】〖ㄨﾟ〗
(竹)h02(山)u00y as in yurt【襾】〖ㄧﾟ〗
(一)m00(山)u01(月)b06
Glottal Stop Consonants
t as in batman【夳】〖ㄊﾟ〗
(大)k00(一)m00(一)m00ck as in backgammon【峇】〖ㄎﾟ〗
(山)u00(人)o00(一)m00(口)r00
Blends
ou as in out【岙】〖ㄠﾟ〗
(竹)h02(大)k00(山)u00oy as in oyster【囦】〖ㄡﾟ〗
(田)w01(水)e00ir as in irk【荋】〖ㄦﾟ〗
(廿)t02(一)m05(月)b05(中)l01le as in crackle【泐】〖ㄌﾟ〗
(水)e02(弓)n10(中)l01(尸)s05or as in order【或】〖ヰ〗
(戈)i00(口)r00(一)m00ar as in arm【児】〖ㄦ〗
(中)l01(日)a00(竹)h02(山)u00ear as in hear【聑】〖ヱ〗
(尸)s03(十)j00(尸)s03(十)j00ing as in sing【仒】〖ミ〗
(人)o00(卜)y04ang as in sang【卬】〖ㄢﾟ〗
(竹)h02(女)v04(尸)s05(中)l01ong as in song【昘】〖ㄤﾟ〗
(日)a00(卜)y02(竹)h02(尸)s05ung as in sung【凬】〖ㄥ〗
(竹)h02(弓)n06(一)m00(日)a00
For individuals who have zero prior experience with Chinese characters and/or find the complexity of the 48 Phonetic Characters to be too overwhelming, the author wrote and published Mastering the Junior Script: A Hwayih Woen Component Worktext as a comprehensive self-study aid that demonstrates the tangibility of each Phonetic Character stroke-by-stroke in a way that ensures reliable retention.
