Aleut Pronunciation and Spelling Guide

Vowels

Character We Use:	Sometimes Also Used:	IPA symbol:	How To Pronounce It:
a		ə ~ æ	Like the a in about or the a in cat.
aa	aw, au	a	Like the long a in father.
i		I ~ i	Like the i in sick or the i in seek, depending on dialect.
ii		i	Like the long ee in see.
u			Like the u in put.
uu		u	Like the long ue in blue.

Consonants

Character We Use:	Sometimes Also Used:	IPA symbol:	How To Pronounce It:
ch		t	Like ch in chair.
d		~ d	Normally this sound is pronounced like th in this. In words borrowed from other languages it is sometimes pronounced like d in day.
g		γ ~ g	Normally this sound is pronounced raspily, like the g in Spanish saguaro. It sounds like the ch in German ach, only voiced. In words borrowed from other languages it is sometimes pronounced like g in girl.
ĝ			Like g only pronounced further back in the throat.
h		h	Like h in English hay.
hl	ł, lh, /	ł	This sound is a lateral fricative that doesn't really exist in English. The Aleut pronunciation sounds like the "ll" in the Welsh name "Llewellyn." Some English speakers can pronounce it well if they try to pronounce the "breathy l" in the word clue without the c in front of it.
hm			This is a voiceless 'm' sound that does not exist in English. It sounds something like an m and h pronounced together.
hn			This is a voiceless 'n' sound that does not exist in English. It sounds something like an n and h pronounced together.
hng			This is a voiceless 'ng' sound that does not exist in English. It sounds something like an ng and h pronounced together.
hw			A whispery w. Some British people pronounce this sound at the beginning of words like which. To other English speakers, it sounds like the sound made by trying to blow out a candle.
hy			This is a voiceless 'y' sound that does not exist in English. It sounds something like an y and h pronounced together.
k		k	Like k in kite.
l		l	Like l in light.
m		m	Like m in moon.
n		n	Like n in night.
ng		ng	Like ng in sing.
q		q	Like k in kill, only pronounced further back in the throat. The Aleut pronunciation sounds the same as the q sound from Arabic.
s		s	Like s in sing.
t		t	Like t in time.
v		v	Like v in vine. Not all Aleut dialects have this sound.
w		w	Like w in way.
x		x	Like ch in German ach.
		X	Like ch in German ach, only pronounced further back in the throat.
y		j	Like y in yes.
z		z	Like z in zoo. Not all Aleut dialects have this sound.

Aleut Pronunciation and Vocabulary Resources

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