Qin, an alternative name for Guqin, is a monosyllable pronounced with a mid-tone. The Pinyin romanization system represents its pronunciation as “qín,” where the letter “q” is pronounced like the “ch” in the English word “church.” According to the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), the pronunciation of “qín” is [tɕʰín], with the “t” aspirated and the vowel “i” pronounced as a short “ee” sound. In Mandarin Chinese, the mid-tone is indicated by a straight horizontal line above the Pinyin vowel, as in “qīn.”