Temanean Language

Phonology

Consonants

	Bilabial	Labio-dental	Alveolar	Palato-alveolar	Palatal	Velar	Glottal
Stops	p / b		t / d			g
Affricatives				ch / jh
Fricatives		v*	s	x / j			h
Approximants			r		yy
Nasals	m		n			ng
Lateral Approximants			l

Unvoiced sounds are on the left of the "/", while voiced sounds are on the right.

• The palato-alveolar affricative "jh" is pronounced as the "j" in jog or jab.
• The palato-alveolar fricatve "x" is pronounced as the "sh" in shy or show.
• The palato-alveolar fricative "j" is pronounced as the "s" in vision or delusion.
• The alveolar approximant "r" is never trilled, but is usually tapped behind the teeth.
• The palatal approximant "yy" is pronounced as the "y" in yes or yellow.
• * The labio-dental fricative "v" is used primarily by people from the island kingdoms. Mainland speakers might substitute this sound with a "b".

Vowels

	Front	Middle	Back
High	y
Mid-High	i	uo	u
Mid	e	eu
Mid-Low	ae	o
Low		a

• The high front vowel sound "y" is pronounced as the "ee" in feet or reed.

• The mid-high front vowel sound "i" is pronounced as the "i" in pit and fit.
• The mid-high middle vowel sound "uo" is pronounced as the "i" in bargin or margin.
• The mid-high back sound "u" is pronounced as the "u" in put and the "oo" in wood.

• The middle front sound "e" is pronounced as the "e" in pet or get.
• The middle vowel sound "eu" is pronounced as the "u" in furl or hurt.

• The mid-low front vowel sound "ae" is pronounced as the "a" in bat or rag.
• The mid-low back sound "o" is pronounced as the "o" in pot or wrong.

• The middle low sound "a" is pronounced as the "u" in but or the "a" in far.