Following conventions of Chinese syllable structure, Shanghainese syllables can be divided into initials and finals. The initial occupies the first part of the syllable. The final occupies the second part of the syllable and can be divided further into an optional medial and an obligatory rhymes.
Tone is also a feature of the syllable in Shanghainese. Syllabic tone, which is typical to the other Sinitic languages, has largely become verbal tone in Shanghainese.
Shanghainese has a set of voiced as well as voiceless aspirated and tenuis/unaspirated plosives. It also has fricatives, affricates Alveolo-palatal initials.

Finals

The following chart lists all possible finals (medials + rimes) in Shanghainese represented in IPA.

Phonetic Transcription of Riming Groups in Shanghainese

Open Long Nucleus			Nasal ending Short Nucleus + Nasal Ending			Checked Short Nucleus checked by a glottal stop
Rimes	Medials + Rimes		Rimes	Medials + Rimes		Rimes	Medials + Rimes
i			iɲ			jɪʔ
u
y			yɲ				ɥɪʔ
ɜ	jɜ		əɲ		wəɲ	əʔ	jəʔ	wəʔ
ʊ			ʊŋ	jʊŋ		ʊʔ	jʊʔ
ɔ	jɔ		ɑ̃	jɑ̃	wɑ̃
a	ja	wa	ã	jã	wã	aʔ	jaʔ	waʔ
ɛ̝	jɛ̝	wɛ̝
e		we
ø	ɥø	wø