Four types of apical vowels occur in the Chinese dialects: the unrounded and rounded alveolar apical vowels symbolized as [ɿ ʮ] and the unrounded and rounded post-alveolar or retroflex apical vowels symbolized as [ʅ ʯ ]. The [ɿ ʮ ʅ ʯ ] are widely used by dialectologists in China. Phonologically, the apical vowels occur only in CV syllables and function as syllable nucleus. In an overwhelmingly large number of the Chinese dialects, the apical vowel is obligatorily preceded by a homorganic sibilant. In a limited number of d…