pronunciation guide in English
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Tags
Examples are tagged with an English dialect. Any example that is not tagged is considered "General American" (GA).
Tags currently used:
- (AuE) = Australian English
- (ScE) = Scottish English
- (WaE) = Welsh English
Phonology for all dialects
Vowels (preferred)
lojban | IPA | Names | Examples |
---|---|---|---|
a | [a] | Open front unrounded vowel | a in hat (WaE) |
e | [ɛ] | Open-mid front unrounded vowel | e in bed, dress (GA) |
i | [i] | Close front unrounded vowel | ee in free, beam (GA) |
o | [o] | Close-mid back rounded vowel | aw in yawn (AuE), o in go (ScE) |
u | [u] | Close back rounded vowel | oo in boot, true (GA) |
y | [ə] | Mid-central vowel | a in above |
Vowels (allowed)
lojban | IPA | Names | Examples | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
a | [ɑ] | Open back unrounded vowel | a in father (GA) | |
e | [e] | Close-mid front unrounded vowel | ay in play (ScE, not GA) | Be careful not to confuse with the diphthong ei! |
o | [ɔ] | Open-mid back rounded vowel | o in not (AuE, not GA) |
Diphthongs
A diphthong is a vowel sound that consists of two elements: a short vowel sound and a glide. A labial (IPA [w]) or palatal (IPA [j]) glide either precedes (an on-glide) or follows (an off-glide) the main vowel. Diphthongs always constitute a single syllable.
lojban | IPA | Examples |
---|---|---|
ai | [aj] | high, Taipei, prize (GA) |
ei | [ɛj] | weigh, Taipei |
oi | [oj] | boy |
au | [aw] | cow |
ia | [ja] | yard |
ie | [jɛ] | yell |
ii | [ji] | ye |
io | [jo] | yogurt |
iu | [ju] | beauty |
ua | [wa] |
wander |
ue | [wɛ] | well |
ui | [wi] | weak |
uo | [wo] | woe |
uu | [wu] | woo |
iy | [jə] | million |
uy | [wə] | was (unstressed) |
Sibilants
lojban | IPA | Names | Examples |
---|---|---|---|
c | [ʃ] | Voiceless palato-alveolar sibilant | sh in shape |
j | [ʒ] | Voiced palato-alveolar sibilant | s in measure, j in déjà vu |
s | [s] | Voiceless alveolar sibilant | s in soon |
z | [z] | Voiced alveolar sibilant | z in zinc |
Fricatives
lojban | IPA | Names | Examples |
---|---|---|---|
f | [f] | Voiceless labiodental fricative | f in fall |
v | [v] | Voiced labiodental fricative | v in voice |
x | [x] | Voiceless velar fricative | ch in loch (ScE) |
' | [h] | Voiceless glottal fricative | h in hose |
Affricates
lojban | IPA | Names | Examples |
---|---|---|---|
dj | [dʒ] | Voiced palato-alveolar affricate | j in joke |
tc | [tʃ] | Voiceless palato-alveolar affricate | ch in chat |
dz | [ʣ] | Voiced alveolar affricate | ds in pads |
ts | [ʦ] | Voiceless alveolar affricate | ts in cats |
Rhotics
lojban | IPA | Examples |
---|---|---|
r | [r], [ɹ], [ɾ], [ʀ], [r̩], [ɹ̩], [ɾ̩], [ʀ̩] | rock |
Nasals
lojban | IPA | Examples |
---|---|---|
n | [n], [n̩], [ŋ̍], [ŋ̩] | nose |
m | [m], [m̩] | move |
Approximants
lojban | IPA | Examples |
---|---|---|
l | [l], [l̩] | l in lake |
Stops
lojban | IPA | Examples |
---|---|---|
b | [b] | bottle |
d | [d] |
dance |
g | [g] | goose |
k | [k] | keen |
p | [p] | powder |
t | [t] | time |
Phonology for GA speakers
lojban | IPA | Examples |
---|---|---|
' | [h] | h in ham |
. | [ʔ] | the catch in your throat that sometimes occurs prior to the beginning of a word (and sometimes a syllable) which starts with a vowel.
In some kinds of American English, it is used between vowels instead of “t” : “bottle” [boʔl̩]. The English interjection “uh-oh!” almost always has it between the syllables. |
a | [ɑ] | a in father |
b | [b] | b in bottle |
c | [ʃ] | sh in shape |
d | [d] | d in dance |
e | [ɛ] | e in dress |
f | [f] | f in fall |
g | [g] | g in goose |
i | [i] | ea in beam |
j | [ʒ] | s in measure, j in déjà vu |
k | [k] | k in keen |
l | [l] | l in lake |
m | [m] | m in move |
n | [n] | n in nose |
o | [o] | au as in the French « haute » or o in the Spanish “como”. No exact GA equivalent |
p | [p] | p in powder |
r | [ɹ], [r̩] | r in right, r in bird |
s | [s] | s in soon |
t | [t] | t in time |
u | [u] | ou as in the French « boule » or u in the German „Stuhl“. No exact GA equivalent |
v | [v] | v in voice |
x | [x] | ch in the German „Ach-Laut“ |
y | [ə] | totally relaxed sound made with the tongue in the middle of the mouth |
z | [z] | z in zoo |
Diphthongs
lojban | IPA | Examples |
---|---|---|
ai | [aj] | i in bride |
ei | [ɛj] | ay in stay |
oi | [ɔj] | oy in boy |
au | [aw] | ow in now |
ia | [jɑ] | ya in yard |
ie | [jɛ] | ye in yes |
ii | [ji] | |
io | [jo] | |
iu | [ju] | |
ua | [wa] | |
ue | [wɛ] | |
ui | [wi] | |
uo | [wo] | |
uu | [wu] | |
iy | [jə] | |
uy | [wə] |