The basic format of each Zihui character entry comprised first the pronunciations including variants, and then the definitions, giving the primary meaning followed by common and extended meanings. In addition to using the traditional fanqie spelling, Mei indicated pronunciation with a commonly used homophonous character, no doubt in recognition of the fact that it was "almost impossible for the average reader to derive correct current readings from Tang dynasty fanqie".
The format of each Zihui character entry consisted of first pronunciations including variations, followed by definitions, specifying primary meaning, common, and extended meanings. In addition to using the traditional fanqie spelling, Mei indicated pronunciation with a commonly used homophonous character, likely acknowledging the difficulty for average readers to derive correct current readings from Tang dynasty fanqie.