Phonology
Consonants
| labial | dental | palatal | velar | glottal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| stop | p b | t d | k g | ||
| affricate | tɕ < c > dʑ < j > | ||||
| nasal | m | n | ɲ < nn > | ŋ < q > | |
| lateral | l | ʎ < ll > | |||
| trill | r | ||||
| sibilant | s | ɕ < x > | |||
| fricative | f v | ð < dd > | ç < hh > | h | |
| approximant | w | j < y > |
stops:
- labial: p
- dental: t
- velar: k
- voiced:
- labial: b
- alveolar: d
- velar: g
affricates:
- voiceless palatal: tɕ < c >
- voiced palatal: dʑ < j >
nasals:
- labial: m
- alveolar: n
- palatal: ɲ < nn >
- velar: ŋ < q >
liquids:
- alveolar lateral: l
- alveolar trill: r
sibilants:
- alveolar: s
- palatal: ɕ < x >
non-sibilant fricatives:
- voiceless labial: f
- voiced labial: v
- dental: ð < dd >
- palatal: ç < hh>
- glottal: h
approximants:
- labio-velar: w
- palatal: j < y >
This table shows the consonants phonemically, using the International Phonetic Alphabet. Where it differs from IPA, the transliteration is given in < triangular brackets >.
A middot (·) is placed between geminate d, n, l and h to distinguish them from the palatalised letters listed above.
bannu /bæɲə/
ban·nu /bænːə/
Vowels
| front | central | back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| close | i y < ü > | u | |
| mid | e (ø < ö >) | (ə) | (o) |
| open | æ |
Allophony
Unstressed vowels are realised as ə.
Rounded vowels are lowered, i.e.: u → o and y → ø, before peripheral consonants (labial and velar sounds). This is reflected in the transliteration.
Dental t, d, n, l, s, and glottal h are palatalised before i.