Vowels
There are three phonemic vowels, with two main allophones for each. The vowels are distinguished by closeness and frontness.
| front | central | back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| close | i | (ɨ) (ʉ) | u |
| mid | (ə) | ||
| open | a |
There are three phonemic vowels: two close vowels and one open. These are given in the above chart, with the variant allophones in (round brackets). The central and mid vowels are considered the lax variants.
Front
The front close vowel is unrounded. It is realised as /i/ or /ɨ/.
Open
The open vowel is unrounded. It can be realised as /a/ or /ə/.
Back
The back close vowel is rounded. It can be realised as /u/ or /ʉ/.