AÀÁCDEÈÉFGHIÌJKLŁM
NOÒÓPQRŔSTUÙVYZÐÞ
NOÒÓPQRŔSTUÙVYZÐÞ
Spelling rules:
- C, Ł, and Q cannot begin a word.
- An initial C or Q is always preceded by a lowercase N.
- C, Q, and Y cannot end a word.
- Consonants cannot doubled unless at the end of a one-syllable word (where the consonant must be doubled) or when belonging to separate syllables within a word. Vowels are never doubled.
- H, Ł, R, Ŕ, Ð, and Þ are never doubled.
- If an inflection would cause a letter to be doubled, A or Ì is added between them if they are consonants, or N if they are vowels.
- If Ł is followed by a vowel, the Ł is pronounced as L and is spoken as part of the following syllable.
- If U follows V, it must become Ù.
- The following must always be capitalized:
- The first word of a sentence
- Names and proper nouns
- Species names
- Nouns given the suffix -kvił
A a = a = father /ä/
À à = à = lack /æ/ Á á = á = saw /ɔ/ C c = ncì = dental click /ǀ/ D d = dì = dog /d/ E e = e = air /e/ È è = è = bed /ɛ/ É é = é = day /eɪ/ F f = fì = finish /f/ G g = gì = job /d͡ʒ/ H h = hì = loch* /x/ huge* /ç/ I i = i = see /i/ Ì ì = ì = bit /ɪ/ J j = jì = beige /ʒ/ K k = kì = kite /k/ L l = lì = leaf /l/ Ł ł = lì-lòtshìn = soul /ɫ/ M m = mì = man /m/ |
N n = nì = nine /n/
O o = o = core /o/ Ò ò = ò = comma /ə/ Ó ó = ó = rose /oʊ/ P p = pì = pen /p/ Q q = nqì = alveolar click /ǃ/ R r = rì = raus* /ʀ/ far* Ŕ ŕ = ŕì = perro* /r/ S s = sì = sing /s/ T t = tì = cat /t/ U u = u = food /u/ Ù ù = ù = look /ʊ/ V v = vì = five weeks /ʋ/ Y y = yì = yes /j/ Z z = zì = zoo /z/ Ð ð = ðì = they /ð̠/ Þ þ = þì = thing /θ̠/ |
Diphthongs
|
Digraphs, Trigraphs, Affricates
|
ai = sigh /aɪ/
au = how /aʊ̯/ ia = /ia/ ie = /ie/ iè = /iɛ/ iò = hear /iə/ iu = ew /ɪu/ oi = boy /ɔɪ/ |
hŕ = /r̥/
hv = whale /ʍ/ ks = ax /ks/ sh = sheet /ʃ/ ts = its /t͡s/ tsh = tree /t̠͡ɹ̠̊/ |
Note that some sounds do not have a direct equivalent in English and so the examples above (based on American English) gives only a rough estimate. For a more accurate pronunciation, refer to the IPA symbols.
- When preceding A, À, Á, O, Ò, Ó, R, or Ù at the beginning of a syllable or following A, Á, O, Ò, Ó, U, or Ù at the end of a syllable, H is pronounced /x/, like the hard ch in the Scottish or German word loch.
- When preceding E, È, É, I, Ì, Ŕ, or U at the beginning of a syllable or following À, E, È, É, I, Ì, at the end of a syllable, H is pronounced /ç/, like the soft ch in the German word ich, or the sound of the h in the English word huge.
- When preceding E, È, É, I, Ì, Ŕ, or U at the beginning of a syllable or following À, E, È, É, I, Ì, at the end of a syllable, H is pronounced /ç/, like the soft ch in the German word ich, or the sound of the h in the English word huge.
- D and Ð may become /ɾ/ in the middle of a word.
- A consonant followed by I may become palatalized.
- An R found at the end of a syllable serves primarily to lengthen the preceding vowel and in most dialects is not pronounced.
- When preceded by H at the beginning of a syllable, Ŕ becomes voiceless in most cases (exceptions are noted in the vocabulary lists).
- Ð becomes voiceless before a diphthong beginning with I and in such cases may be replaced by Þ as an alternative spelling.