How to read and pronounce the Cherokee language. (Simplified answer.)

Ꭰ (a), Ꭱ (e), Ꭲ (i), Ꭳ (o), Ꭴ (u), Ꭵ (v),

Ꭶ (ga), Ꭷ (ka), Ꭸ (ge), Ꭹ (gi), Ꭺ (go), Ꭻ (gu), Ꭼ (gv),

Ꭽ (ha), Ꭾ (he), Ꭿ (hi), Ꮀ (ho), Ꮁ (hu), Ꮂ (hv),

Ꮃ (la), Ꮄ (le), Ꮅ (li), Ꮆ (lo), Ꮇ (lu), Ꮈ (lv),

Ꮉ (ma), Ꮊ (me), Ꮋ (mi), Ꮌ (mo), Ꮍ (mu),

Ꮎ (na), Ꮏ (hna), Ꮐ (nah), Ꮑ (ne), Ꮒ (ni), Ꮓ (no), Ꮔ (nu), Ꮕ (nv),

Ꮖ (qua), Ꮗ (que), Ꮘ (qui), Ꮙ (quo), Ꮚ (quu), Ꮛ (quv),

Ꮜ (sa), Ꮝ (s), Ꮞ (se), Ꮟ (si), Ꮠ (so), Ꮡ (su), Ꮢ (sv),

Ꮣ (da), Ꮤ (ta), Ꮥ (de), Ꮦ (te), Ꮧ (di), Ꮨ (ti), Ꮩ (do), Ꮪ (du), Ꮫ (dv),

Ꮬ (dla), Ꮭ (tla), Ꮮ (tle), Ꮯ (tli), Ꮰ (tlo), Ꮱ (tlu), Ꮲ (tlv),

Ꮳ (tsa), Ꮴ (tse), Ꮵ (tsi), Ꮶ (tso), Ꮷ (tsu), Ꮸ (tsv),

Ꮹ (wa), Ꮺ (we), Ꮻ (wi), Ꮼ (wo), Ꮽ (wu), Ꮾ (wv),

Ꮿ (ya), Ᏸ (ye), Ᏹ (yi), Ᏺ (yo), Ᏻ (yu), Ᏼ (yv).

Vowels.
Cherokee has 6 main vowels. “a”, “e”, “i”, “o”, “u”, and “v”.

Normally pronounced as:
a: as (a) in father.
e: as (a) in bake.
i: as (e) in beet.
o: as (o) in hello.
u: as (u) in tube.
v: as (u) in rung.
Note different places have different dialect so answers may vary. Elati, Kituhwa, and Otali are what we know about.

Consonants.
g: as (g) in gaff or the (k) in kite. When in doubt, use the first.

qu: as (qu) in question or (gw) in Gwen. When in doubt, use the second.

s: as (s) in sight for Otali Cherokee or (sh) in shell for Kituhwa Cherokee.

tl: This is a non english sound combining t or h with the l sound. some hear it as (cl) like click but there is a difference between all 3.

ts: this sound can vary a lot. (j) in John, (ch) in chair, (ds) in buds, or (tz) in spritzer. In Otali the j and ch are more common. In Kituwah, the ds and tz are.

More pronounce things.
The h sound in Cherokee vs Engish. It isn't silent like it is in English, it's always sounded out.
Verbal sounding out: link is a great Cherokee channel.

Edit

Pub: 31 Jul 2023 04:10 UTC

Edit: 05 Jan 2024 02:20 UTC

Views: 239