Letter
|
Context
|
IPA
|
Examples
|
Remarks
|
b
|
word-initial after a pause, or after ⟨m⟩ or ⟨n⟩
|
[b]
|
|
|
elsewhere (i.e. after a vowel, even across a word boundary, or after any consonant other than ⟨m⟩ or ⟨n⟩)
|
[β̞]
|
|
|
c
|
before ⟨e⟩ or ⟨i⟩
|
[tʃ] or [ʃ] (depending on the dialect)
|
|
|
elsewhere
|
[k]
|
|
|
before voiced consonants
|
[ɣ˕]
|
|
|
ch
|
everywhere
|
[tʃ] or [ʃ] (depending on the dialect)
|
|
|
ç
|
everywhere
|
[θ] or [s] (depending on the dialect)
|
|
|
d
|
word-initial after a pause, or after ⟨l⟩ or ⟨n⟩
|
[d̪]
|
|
|
after ⟨n⟩ word-finally
|
Ø
|
|
|
elsewhere
|
[ð̞]
|
|
|
f
|
everywhere
|
[f]
|
|
|
g
|
before ⟨e⟩ or ⟨i⟩ not before ⟨e⟩ or ⟨i⟩, and either word-initial after a pause, or after ⟨n⟩
|
[dʒ]
|
|
|
before ⟨e⟩ or ⟨i⟩, and not in the above contexts
|
[ʒ]
|
|
|
not before ⟨e⟩ or ⟨i⟩, and either word-initial after a pause, or after ⟨n⟩
|
[ɡ]
|
|
|
not before ⟨e⟩ or ⟨i⟩, and not in the above contexts
|
[ɣ˕]
|
|
|
gh
|
everywhere
|
[ʕ]
|
|
In Arabic loanwords
|
gu
|
before ⟨a⟩ or ⟨o⟩, and either word-initial after a pause, or after ⟨n⟩
|
[ɡw]
|
|
|
before ⟨a⟩ or ⟨o⟩, and not in the above contexts
|
[ɣ˕w]
|
|
|
before ⟨e⟩ or ⟨i⟩, and either word-initial after a pause, or after ⟨n⟩
|
[ɡ]
|
|
|
before ⟨e⟩ or ⟨i⟩, and not in the above contexts
|
[ɣ˕]
|
|
|
gü
|
before ⟨e⟩ or ⟨i⟩, and either word-initial after a pause, or after ⟨n⟩
|
[ɡw]
|
|
|
before ⟨e⟩ or ⟨i⟩, and not in the above contexts
|
[ɣ˕w]
|
|
|
h
|
everywhere
|
[h] or [ħ] or [x]
|
|
Generally occurs in loanwords.
|
everywhere (rare)
|
Ø
|
|
Occurs in loanwords where the letter is silent in the original language. May be pronounced [h] as a spelling pronunciation.
|
j
|
either word-initial after a pause, or after ⟨n⟩
|
[dʒ]
|
|
|
elsewhere
|
[ʒ]
|
|
|
k
|
rare; only occurs in a few loanwords and sensational spellings
|
[k]
|
|
|
l
|
everywhere
|
[l]
|
|
|
lh
|
everywhere
|
[ʎ]
|
|
|
m
|
everywhere except word-finally
|
[m]
|
|
|
word-final
|
[n] or [ŋ] (depending on the dialect)
|
|
|
n
|
everywhere but before other consonants and word-finally
|
[n]
|
|
|
before other consonants
|
[m]; [ɱ]; [n]; [n̪]; [ɲ]; [ŋ]
|
|
Assimilates to the following consonant’s place of articulation.
|
word-finally
|
[n] or [ŋ] (depending on the dialect)
|
|
|
nh
|
everywhere
|
[ɲ]
|
|
|
p
|
everywhere
|
[p]
|
|
|
in the consonant cluster ⟨pt⟩
|
[β̞]
|
|
|
qu
|
before ⟨e⟩ or ⟨i⟩
|
[k]
|
|
|
elsewhere
|
[kw]
|
|
|
qü
|
only occurs before ⟨e⟩ or ⟨i⟩
|
[kw]
|
|
|
r
|
word-initial, morpheme-initial,
or after ⟨l⟩, ⟨n⟩, ⟨s⟩, or ⟨z⟩; in emphatic speech may also be used instead of [ɾ] in syllable-final (especially before ⟨l⟩, ⟨m⟩, ⟨n⟩, ⟨s⟩, ⟨t⟩, or ⟨d⟩) and word-final positions (before pause or consonant-initial words only)
|
[r]
|
|
|
elsewhere
|
[ɾ]
|
|
|
rr
|
only occurs between vowels
|
[r]
|
|
|
s
|
before a voiced consonant (e.g. ⟨l⟩, ⟨m⟩, ⟨d⟩,⟨g⟩) or between vowels
|
[z]
|
|
|
everywhere else
|
[s]
|
|
|
ss
|
only occurs between vowels
|
[s]
|
|
|
t
|
everywhere
|
[t̪]
|
|
|
before voiced consonants
|
[ð̞]
|
|
|
v
|
everywhere
|
[v]
|
|
|
w
|
everywhere
|
[w]
|
|
|
x
|
everywhere
|
[ʃ]
|
|
|
between vowels and word-finally
|
[ks]
|
|
In words of Latin or Greek origin; may be replaced with ⟨cs⟩ or ⟨s⟩ (with the associated pronunciation change).
|
before a consonant
|
[ks] or [s]
|
|
In words of Latin or Greek origin; may be replaced with ⟨s⟩ (and pronounced accordingly).
|
in the prefix ex-
|
[z]; [s] before a plosive
|
|
|
y
|
as a semivowel (almost always in a diphthong)
|
[i] or [j]
|
|
|
as a consonant
|
[j]
|
|
|
z
|
everywhere except word-finally
|
[ð] or [z] (depending on the dialect)
|
|
|
word-finally
|
[θ] or [s] (depending on the dialect)
|
|
|