Pronunciation: Difference between revisions
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__NOTOC__
In the following tables, the second column uses the International Phonetic Alphabet ([[Wikipedia:IPA vowel chart with audio|IPA]]); click on the IPA letters for more information.
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| a || [[wikipedia:Open back unrounded vowel|ɑ]] || m'''a'''h (ok) || a as in father
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| e || [[wikipedia:Open-mid front unrounded vowel|ɛ]] || kunk'''e'''b (nose) || e as in pet
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| o || [[wikipedia:Open back rounded vowel|ɒ]] || kunw'''o'''k (language) || o as in not (UK, Australian) or thought (US)
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Sometimes, you may hear e pronounced [[wikipedia:Near-open front unrounded vowel|æ]] as in cat.
This can happen before ng or k, e.g. bebm'''e'''ng [bɛbmæŋ] (arrived), ngarrb'''e'''k [ŋɑrbæk] (echidna).
=== Consonants ===
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| aw || aw || y'''aw'''ky'''aw'''k (girl) || ou as in ouch
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| ey || ɛj || kunng'''ey''' (name) || a as in name (in Australian English)
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| ew || ɛw || kudj'''ew'''k (wet season) || like el in elk but with rounded lips instead of the l
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| oy || ɔj || d'''oy'''d'''oy''' (kin term) || pronounced like 'oy!'
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| ow || ow || r'''ow'''k (all) || ow as in row (for rowing a boat)
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| uy || uj || manng'''uy''' (flower) || pronounced like ooo-iii, but quickly
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=== Syllables ===
When pronouncing words, it is helpful to break them down into syllables.
This is a three step process:
# underline each vowel
# for each vowel, point (with a pen tip) just before the vowel, count one consonant to the left and move the pointer
# the syllable boundary is here ''unless putting it here would break up a digraph'' (dj, rd, rl, ng, nj, rn, rr), in which case, go one more consonant to the left
Examples:
* k<u>u</u>n.d<u>u</u>lk (name)
* k<u>u</u>n.ng<u>e</u>y (name)
* b<u>e</u>.rl<u>u</u>h (aunty)
* ng<u>u</u>d.d<u>a</u> (you)
* k<u>u</u>n.d<u>e</u>.ng<u>e</u> (foot)
* m<u>o</u>.dj<u>a</u>rrk.k<u>i</u> (freshwater crocodile)
* k<u>u</u>n.b<u>a</u>.rl<u>a</u>.nj<u>a</u> (Kunbarlanja = Gunbalanya)
* m<u>a</u>.m<u>a</u>.rd<u>a</u>.w<u>e</u>.rr<u>e</u> (Mamardawerre)
Some syllables look familiar to English speakers, but you need to be careful not to pronounce them as in English:
* ''yaw'' (English: movement of a boat) but in Kunwok it rhymes with the vowel in "ouch!", e.g. ''wurdyaw'' (child)
* ''bang'' (English: loud noise) but in Kunwok it sounds like how we pronounce "bung" (broken), e.g. ''bangkerreng'' (knock 'em down storm season)
* ''kang'' (English, start of kangaroo) but in Kunwok it might not even be a single syllable e.g. ''ka.ngi.men'' (it went inside)
Finally, pronounce each syllable in succession.
=== Notes ===
* Kunwok placenames sometimes have an English spelling that is distinct from the Kunwok spelling, e.g. Gunbalanya~
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