According to the Tang Rhymes (Tangyun), it is pronounced yan (level tone). According to the Collection of Rhymes (Jiyun), it is pronounced yan (level tone). The pronunciation is the same as the character yan. Explaining the Writing and Analyzing Characters (Shuowen Jiezi) defines it as moaning. The Collection of Rhymes (Jiyun) notes that it is sometimes written in a variant form. Additionally, the Collection of Rhymes (Jiyun) provides an alternative pronunciation as lian (level tone), with the same pronunciation as the character lian. Furthermore, the Jade Compendium (Yupian) provides an alternative pronunciation as ni (falling tone), with the same pronunciation as the character ni. The meanings are the same in all cases.