Consonants[1] |
IPA | Examples | English approximation |
nci |
nhe |
nlv |
ʔ[2] |
h[3] |
tlahtōlli, ahki, ehēkatl, ihīya |
nci: uh-oh
nhe & nlv: ahead |
j |
yāōtl, yōllōtl, āmēyalli |
yellow |
k[4] |
h[5] |
k[6] |
tikchīwah, niknōtsas |
nci & nlv: scan
nhe: ahead |
k[7] |
kōlōtl, kalli, kēski, ātōyāk |
scan |
kʷ[8] |
k[9] |
tēkwtli, nekwtli |
nci: squall
nhe & nlv: scan |
kʷ[10] |
kwalli, mokwi, kwetlaxtli |
squall |
l[11] |
lichīnia, alaxox, pīwilia |
clear l as in leave |
ɬ[12] |
mātlālki, nokal, axkwallākatl |
Welsh llwyd |
m |
mistli, kōmitl, kwamekatl |
man |
n[13] |
nāntsin, nemi, kanah |
nose |
n̥[14] |
— |
ŋ[15] |
inōn, tlālpan, Āmatitlan |
nci: Welsh fy nhad
nlv: sing |
ŋ[16] |
kenke, tlanki, Tōllāntsinko |
sing |
p[17] |
pitsotl, nopa, wīptla |
span |
s̻ |
sōlin, tlasalōlli, mōstla |
sack |
ʃ |
xowitl, kaxitl, xāmitl, Xālīxko |
shoe |
t[18] |
tīsatl, tlākatki, moīxtēnno |
stand |
t͡ɬ[19] |
tlālli, tlitl, chīchīwalātl |
stop + Welsh llwyd (pronouncing both simultaneously will produce a clicking sound) |
t͡ʃ[20] |
chāntli, tōchin, chokolātl |
choo |
t͡s[21] |
tsahtsi, tsotso, wītsilin |
cats |
w[22] |
β[23] |
kichīwa, mēwa, kitlapōwia |
nci & nhe: witch
nlv: van |
ɸ[24] |
ihwitl, yehwān, ilwitl, nokalwan |
nci & nhe: witch
nlv: leaf |
ʍ[25] |
h[26] |
tōnatiw, kwāwtli, mochīwkeh |
nci: which (as "hwich")
nhe & nlv: ahead |
Marginal phonemes[27] |
IPA |
Examples |
English approximation |
b |
botōntik, bokol |
about |
β |
ēbofotōn, hoēbes |
about, but without lips completely closed |
d |
desfilāroa, dīskoh |
today |
ð |
presidēnteh |
this |
ɸ |
fōlsahyōtl, fiolin, fiērohtik |
leaf |
ɡ |
gayētah, teposgarrōteh |
again |
ɣ |
kikastigāroa, kigānchohwia |
again, but without the tongue touching the roof of the mouth |
ɲ |
kwamoñēkoh, piñātah |
canyon |
r |
wirrīni, rerrechoka |
trilled r |
ɾ |
rowēnteh, pohreāroh |
atom (with flapping) |
|
Vowels |
IPA | Examples | English approximation |
a |
astatl, kalli |
bra |
aː |
āmatl, siwātl |
(long a) |
ɛ[28] |
epatl, metl |
length |
ɛː |
ēli, mētstli |
mate |
i[29] |
itskwīntli, xilin |
city |
iː |
īpanpa, tomīn |
see |
o[30] |
nokka, tolōntik |
go[31] |
oː |
ōllama, mōlli |
go |
Stress |
ˈ |
Primary stress[32] Placed immediately before the stressed syllable. |
Diacritics |
◌ˀ |
wāki [ˈwaːkɪˀ] |
Glottal stop[33] |
◌̥ |
xālloh [ˈʃaːlːoo̥] |
Devoiced vowel[34] |
◌̃ |
Tōllān [ˈtoːlːãː] |
Nasal vowel[35] |
Other representations |
( ) |
tlahtoāni [t͡ɬahtu(w)aːnɪˀ] |
Optional sound[36] |
Orthography[37] |
INALI |
SEP |
ACK |
Jesuit |
tlahtohkeh |
tlajtojkej |
tlahtohqueh |
tlàtòquê |
teohkalli, kēmman |
teojkali, keman |
teohcalli, quēmman |
teòcalli, quēnman |
nekwtsin, mākkwawitl |
neuktsin, majkuauitl |
neuctzin, māccuahuitl |
neuctzin, mācquahuitl |
astēkah, ahso, sintli |
astekaj, ajso, sintli |
aztēcah, ahzo, cintli |
aztēcâ, àço, cintli |
Wītsilōpōchtli, xiwpōwalli |
Uitsilopochtli, xiujpouali |
Huītzilōpōchtli, xiuhpōhualli |
|