| Consonants
|
| Consonants |
Initial |
Final |
Intervocalic
|
| B
|
|
|
⁵
|
| C
|
¹, ²
|
-
|
¹, ²
|
| CH
|
|
³, ⁴, ⁵
|
³, ⁴
|
| CK
|
-
|
|
|
| D
|
|
|
~
|
| F
|
|
|
|
| G
|
|
|
⁶
|
| GH
|
-
|
³, ⁴, ⁵
|
³, ⁴
|
| H
|
|
|
|
| J
|
|
-
|
, ⁶
|
| K
|
, ⁷
|
|
|
| L
|
|
|
|
| M
|
|
|
|
| N
|
|
, ⁸
|
|
| NG
|
-
|
|
|
| P
|
, ⁷
|
|
|
| QU
|
~
|
-
|
~
|
| S
|
, ⁷
|
|
|
| SCH
|
|
|
|
| SK
|
~
|
~
|
~
|
| SP
|
|
|
|
| ST
|
|
~
|
~
|
| T
|
, ⁷
|
|
|
| TZ
|
-
|
|
|
| V
|
|
|
|
| W
|
|
-
|
|
| X
|
-
|
|
|
| Z
|
|
|
|
|
ª Even if it is preceded by a prefix. For example, a D is initial in both diene and ferdiene.
¹ Before consonants, A, O, U
² Before E, I
³ After A, O, U
⁴ After E, I
⁵ Before S in a few words
⁶ In some terms recently borrowed from Portuguese
⁷ When followed by another consonant
⁸ Before G or K
|
Letter R
| Letter R
|
| Case |
IPA
|
| Initialª and Intervocalic
|
|
| Before coronals
(D, L, N, R, S, SCH, SP, ST, T, TZ, Z)
|
mute
|
| Before other consonants
|
|
| Final after E or O tonics
|
|
| Final after A tonic
|
mute
|
| Final after unstressed E
|
|
Vowels
| Vowels
|
| Vowels |
Final or before single consonantª |
Before double consonant⁵ |
Before E unstressed |
Added to Final R |
Added to R before consonant
|
| A
|
|
|
-
|
|
², ³
|
| AA
|
~
|
~
|
~
|
~
|
~², ~³
|
| Ä
|
|
|
~
|
~
|
~², ³
|
| ÄÄ
|
|
|
~
|
~
|
~², ³
|
| AI
|
|
|
|
-
|
-
|
| AU
|
|
|
|
-
|
-
|
| E
|
, ¹
|
, ¹
|
~
|
~, ¹
|
~², ³, ¹
|
| Ë⁴
|
|
|
|
|
|
| EE
|
|
|
~
|
~
|
~
|
| ËE⁴
|
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
| EI
|
|
|
|
-
|
-
|
| EU
|
|
|
|
-
|
-
|
| ËU⁴
|
|
|
|
-
|
-
|
| I
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
| IE
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ÏE⁴
|
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
| O
|
|
|
~
|
~
|
~², ³
|
| OO
|
|
|
~
|
-
|
-
|
| U
|
|
|
|
|
|
| UU
|
|
|
|
-
|
-
|
|
NOTE: any sequence Vowel+H corresponds phonetically to that vowel written twice. E.g.: EH = EE
ª simple consonant corresponds to any single consonant in writing and to the sequence GH (=CH "simple")
¹ when unstressed
² before a coronal consonant (D,L,N,R,S,SCH,T,Z)
³ before other consonants
⁴ the umlaut over the letters E and I only has the function of indicating the pronunciation more precisely and can be ignored. Ë is used to indicate
that an unstressed E should be pronounced as /e/ and not as /ə/, as well as breaking digraphs, indicating that the two letters should be pronounced separately.
pronounced separately. Ï is only used before an E, making it clear that in this case the two vowels should be
pronounced separately and not as an /iː/.
⁵ double consonant corresponds to any combination of more than one consonant in writing and to the consonant W (=V "double")
|
See also
|
|
|
