The Chinese zodiac, also known as the Sheng Xiao, is a twelve-year cycle of animal symbols that represent different personality traits and characteristics in Chinese culture, astrology, and mythology. Each year is associated with a zodiac animal, and each animal corresponds to one of the twelve signs in the Western astrological system. Many people are curious about how to pronounce the names of the zodiac animals in English, especially when they are used for horoscopes or astrological readings. In this article, we will explore how to read the names of the Chinese zodiac signs in English.

Rat (鼠)

The first animal in the zodiac is the Rat. The word is pronounced like "rat" in English, but with a short "a" sound. It is important to note that the pronunciations of the animals' names are based on Mandarin Chinese, which may differ from other Chinese dialects or variations.

Ox (牛)

The second animal of the zodiac is the Ox or Cow. The word is pronounced like "ox" in English, but with a slightly sharp and aspirated "x" sound at the end.

Tiger (虎)

The third animal is the Tiger. The word is pronounced as "tie-grr" with a short "i" vowel sound and a hard "g" at the end.

Rabbit (兔)

The fourth animal is the Rabbit or Hare. The word is pronounced like "rah-bit" in English, but with a soft and nasal "r" sound.

Dragon (龍)

The fifth animal of the zodiac is the Dragon. The word is pronounced as "draa-guhn" with a long "a" sound and a soft "g" at the end.

Snake (蛇)

The sixth animal is the Snake. The word is pronounced like "snay-k" in English, but with a slight emphasis on the first syllable.

Horse (馬)

The seventh animal of the zodiac is the Horse. The word is pronounced as "hors" in English, but with a shorter "o" vowel sound and a soft and short "s" at the end.

Goat (羊)

The eighth animal is the Goat or Sheep. The word is pronounced like "goht" in English, but with a very short "o" vowel sound and a hard and aspirated "t" at the end.

Monkey (猴)

The ninth animal of the zodiac is the Monkey. The word is pronounced like "muhng-kee" in English, with the emphasis on the second syllable.

Rooster (雞)

The tenth animal is the Rooster or Chicken. The word is pronounced like "roos-tur" in English, but with a long "oo" vowel sound and a slightly emphasized and aspirated "t" at the end.

Dog (狗)

The eleventh animal is the Dog. The word is pronounced like "dawg" in English, but with a short and sharp "a" vowel sound and a hard "g" at the end.

Pig (豬)

The twelfth and final animal of the zodiac is the Pig or Boar. The word is pronounced as "pig" in English, but with a shorter and softer "i" vowel sound and a slightly aspirated and hard "g" at the end.

In summary, the names of the Chinese zodiac animals can be read aloud in English by following the Mandarin pronunciation patterns. The English pronunciations may differ slightly from the original Chinese sounds due to language and cultural variations. Nevertheless, understanding the pronunciations of the zodiac animals can be helpful for worldwide readers who are interested in exploring the Chinese horoscopes or astrological systems.