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Kalaallisut/Greenlandic Alphabet and Pronunciation Guide

Welcome to our Kalaallisut alphabet page! The following charts show the pronunciation for the Kalaallisut (Greenlandic Inuit) orthography we have used on our site, as well as some alternate spellings that you may find in other books and websites.

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Kalaallisut Vowels

Character We Use:	Sometimes Also Used:	IPA symbol:	Kalaallisut pronunciation:
a		a	Like the a in father.
aa		a	Like a in father, but held longer.
e		ɛ	Like the e in bet.
i		i	Like the i in police.
ii		i	Like the i in police, only held longer.
o		o ~ ɔ	Like the o in note. Sometimes it sounds more like the au in caught.
u		u	Like the u in flute.
uu		u	Like the u in flute, only held longer.

Kalaallisut Diphthongs

Character We Use:	Sometimes Also Used:	IPA symbol:	Kalaallisut pronunciation:
ai		aj	Like English eye.

Kalaallisut Consonants

Character We Use:	Sometimes Also Used:	IPA symbol:	Kalaallisut pronunciation:
f		f	Like f in fox.
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 Danish it is sometimes pronounced like g in girl.
gg		ç	This sound doesn't exist in English. It sounds a little like the sh in shoe pronounced at the same time as a y sound.
j	y	j	Like y in English yes.
k		k	Like k in kite.
l		l	Like l in light.
ll	ł, hl, lh	ł	This sound is a lateral fricative that doesn't really exist in English. The Kalaallisut 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.
m		m	Like m in moon.
n		n	Like n in night.
ng		ng	Like ng in sing.
p		p	Like p in pine.
q	k'	q	Like k in kite, only pronounced further back in the throat. The Kalaallisut pronunciation sounds the same as the q sound from Arabic.
r			A raspy sound in the back of your throat, like the French r in rouge.
rn	ng	N	This sound does not exist in English. It is like the ng in song only pronounced further back in the throat.
rr	x	X	Deep raspy sound a little like the ch in German ach.
s		s	Like s in sing.
t		t	Like t in time.
v		v	Like v in vine.

Kalaallisut Indian Pronunciation and Vocabulary Resources

   A Grammar of Kalaallisut (Amazon affiliate link)
   Kalaallisut words
   Greenlandic animals
   Eskimo Aleut languages
   Natives of Greenland
   Inuit stories