Taipei

:Alternative meaning: Taipei County

Pronunciation note

The spelling Taipei derives from the Wade-Giles romanization T'ai-pei, in which "p" is pronounced more like an English "b". Thus "Taipei" should accurately be pronounced like the English words Tie-Bay, rather than Tie-Pay, its common English pronunciation.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Both Hanyu Pinyin, which is used both in the PRC and in Taipei City itself, and Tongyong Pinyin, which is mandated by the central government, reflect this pronunciation, romanizing Taipei as Taibei, a spelling that is closer to the Mandarin pronunciation. However, this romanization is very rarely seen.

Related Topics:
Hanyu Pinyin - Tongyong Pinyin

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Though Taipei City has converted all its street signs to Hanyu Pinyin, it has retained the original spelling of "Taipei" as an exception.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~