American Indian languages American Indian tribes What's new on our site today!

Waorani Pronunciation and Spelling Guide

The following charts show the pronunciation for the Waorani orthography we have used on our site, as well as some alternate spellings that you may find in other books and websites.

˜Vowels

Character We Use:	Sometimes Also Used:	IPA symbol:	How To Pronounce It:
a		a	Like the a in father.
ae	æ	æ	Like the a in cat.
e		e ~ ε	Like Spanish e, similar to the a in gate. Sometimes it sounds more like the e in get.
i		i	Like the i in police.
o		o ~	Like the o in note. Sometimes it sounds more like the oo in book.

˜Nasal Vowels

Nasal vowels don't exist in English, but you may be familiar with them from French (or from hearing people speak English with a French accent.) They are pronounced just like oral ("regular") vowels, only using your nose as well as your mouth. To English speakers, a nasal vowel often sounds like a vowel with a half-pronounced "n" at the end of it. You can hear examples of nasal vowels at the end of the French words "bon" and "Jean," or in the middle of the word "Français."

Character We Use:	Sometimes Also Used:	IPA symbol:
ã	ą, ä	ã
ãẽ	ąę, äë
ẽ	ę, ë	ẽ
ĩ	į, ï	ĩ
õ	, ö	õ

˜Consonants

Character We Use:	Sometimes Also Used:	IPA symbol:	How To Pronounce It:
b		b	Like b in boy.
d		d	Like d in day.
g	gu	g	Like g in girl.
k	c, qu	k	Like k in king.
m		m	Like m in moon.
n		n	Like n in night.
ñ	ny	n^y	Like ny in canyon.
ng		ŋ	Like the ng in sing.
p		p	Like p in pine.
r	d		Like the r in Spanish pero, somewhat like the tt in American English butter.
t		t	Like t in time.
w	hu	w	Like w in way.
y		j	Like y in yes.

Back to the Native American People homepage
Back to Indian Words
Back to Ecuador Indians

Native American beadwork design Lumbee Cherokee tigers Feathered headdresses

Would you like to help support our organization's work with endangered American Indian languages?