Irvy Goossen
VOWELS
1. There are basically four vowels in the Navajo alphabet. The vowels are as follows, the first example being a Navajo word; the last, the closest approximation in an English word.
| a | gad - juniper | art |
| e | e´e´ahh - west | met |
| i | sis - belt | sit |
| o | hosh - cactus | note |
2. Vowels may be either long or short in duration, the long vowels being indicated by a doubling of the letter. Actually, there are three regular vowel lengths, a short, a long and an extra long. The latter occurs regularly in syllables closed by a stop consonant, usually "d" or "´" (glottal stop). The length does not affect the quality of the vowel, except that "ii" is always pronounced as "i" in machine.
| sis - belt | the vowel is short |
| siziiz - my belt | the second vowel is long |
3. Vowels with hooks under them are nasalized. Some of the breath passes through the nose in their production.
tsinaabaas - wagon
naadáá´ - corn
bizees - his warts
háádéé´ - from where
ashiih - salt
shilíí´ - my horse
so´ - star
dlóó - prairie dog
4. When there is a tone mark on a letter, raise your voice in pitch on that syllable. Say the first words of the examples given below, and then the one across from it, after hearing a Navajo say them.
| ni - you | ní - he says |
| azee´ - medicine | azéé´ mouth |
| nilí - he is | nílí - you are |
| doo - not | dóó - and |
Notice the difference in the meanings of the words in the two columns. The tone alone indicates the difference.
5. The diphthongs are as follows: ai; aai; ao; aoo; ei; eii; oi; ooi.
| ai | hai - winter | something like kite |
| ei | éí - that one | day |
| oi | deesdoi - it is warm | buoy |
6. When only the first element of a vowel or a diphthong has a mark above it, the tone is falling. When the last element is marked, the tone is rising.
bilasáana - apple
deídíiltah - we will read it
dóola - bull
litsxooí - orange
CONSONANTS
7. (´) This is the most common consonantal sound in Navajo. It is called a glottal stop and sounds like the break between the two elements of the English expression "oh, oh." The difference between "Johnny yearns" and "Johnny earns" is that the latter has a glottal closure between the two words.
e´e´ahh - west
a´áán - a hole
8. Following are the rest of the consonants and their English equivalents, as much as they can be given.
| b | bááh | bread | like p in spot |
| ch | chizh | firewood | like ch in church |
| ch´ | ch´ah | hat | ---- |
| d | dibé | sheep | like t in stop |
| dl | dlóó´ | prairie dog | like dl in paddling |
| dz | dzil | mountain | like dz in adze |
| g | gah | rabbit | something like k in sky |
| gh | hooghan | hogan | ---- |
| h | háadi | where | ---- |
| hw | bil hweeshne´ | I told him | like wh in when |
| j | jádí | antelope | like j in jug |
| k | ké | shoe | like k in kitten |
| k´ | k´ad | now | ---- |
| kw | kwe´é | right here | like qu in quick |
| l | lájish | glove | like l in lazy |
| l | lid | smoke | ---- |
| m | mósí | cat | like m in mosquito |
| n | naadáá´ | corn | like n in new |
| s | sin | song | like s in soon |
| sh | shash | bear | like sh in shoe |
| t | tin | ice | ---- |
| t´ | t´eesh | charcoal | ---- |
| tl | tlah | ointment | ---- |
| tl´ | tl´ízí | goat | ---- |
| ts | tash | needle | like ts in hats |
| ts´ | ts´ah | sagebrush | ---- |
| w | Wááshindoon | Washington, D.C. | like w in wash |
| y | yá | sky | like y in yes |
| z | zas | snow | like z in zero |
| zh | bízhi´ | his name | like z in azure |
As printed in Larry Evers, ed. The South Corner of Time. Tucson, Ariz.: The University of Arizona Press, ©1980, p. 48.