Language/Malecite-passamaquoddy/Pronunciation/Alphabet

Passamaquoddy-Maliseet is not a difficult language for English speakers. All of its sounds are similar to sounds that exist in English.

• Note: Passamaquoddy-Maliseet was not originally a written language, and there have been multiple different alphabets used to write Passamaquoddy and Maliseet words.

Vowels

Character	IPA symbol	English approximant
a		Like the a in father.
e	ε	Like the e in red.
eh	æ	Like the a in hat.
i	i ~ I	Like the ea in heat. Sometimes it sounds more like the i in hit.
o	ə	Schwa sound like the e in roses.
u	u ~ o	Like the u in tune. Sometimes it sounds more like the o in tone.

Consonants

Character	IPA	English approximant
c	t~d	Like ch in char or j in jar (see Voicing, below).
h	h	Like h in English heart.
k	k ~ g	Like k in skate or g in gate (see Voicing, below).
l	l	Like l in English light.
m	m	Like m in English moon.
n	n	Like n in English night.
p	p ~ b	Like p in spill or b in bill (see Voicing, below).
q	kw~kw	Usually it is pronounced like qu in English queen, but at the end of a word, it is pronounced more like a k with a puff of air after it. Between vowels it is pronounced more like gw in Gwen (see Voicing, below).
s	s ~ z	Like s in Sue or z in zoo (see Voicing, below).
t	t ~ d	Like t in sty or d in die (see Voicing, below).
w	w	Like w in English way.
y	j	Like y in English yes.

Diphthongs

Character	IPA	English approximant
ai	aj	Like English eye.
aw	aw	Like ou in out.
ew	εw	This sound doesn't really exist in English. If you mimic an exaggerated stereotype of a "Southern belle" saying "how," you will be close to it.
ei	ej	Like ay in way.
iw	iw	Like a child saying ew!

Sources

• http://www.native-languages.org/mali_guide.htm