Spoken Yucatec Maya

Pronunciation

• In the pronunciation exercises below it should be observed that there are various manifestations of the rising terminal contour, depending on which accent (neutral, glide, or level) is present in the preceding syllable.

Question Intonation Terminal Contour - Rising Terminal Contour

Pronunciation exercise number 1

• un túul pik
• un pʾéel bej
• un pʾéel bat
• un pʾéel chʾom
• un túul ukʾ

Pronunciation

• Note that when a neutral accent is on the next-to-last syllable before a rising terminal contour, the neutral accent is short and relatively lower in tone. The following syllable however, also relatively low in tone in the first column,

Question Intonation Terminal Contour - Rising Terminal Contour

Pronunciation exercise number 2

• k in pichik
• k in wenel
• k in janal
• k in w okol
• k in lukʾul
• le pikoʾ
• le bejoʾ
• le batoʾ
• le chʾomoʾ
• le ukʾoʾ

Pronunciation

• Note that when the glide-accent is on the last syllable before the rising terminal contour, the glide-accent begins higher than the highest pitch on the preceding glide-accent syllable--and glides sharply up with the rising intonation. Observe also that the glide-accent syllable before the high rising glide is notably longer than a neutral-accent syllable before the rising terminal contour (heard in the two previous exercises).

Question Intonation Terminal Contour - Rising Terminal Contour

Pronunciation exercise number 3

• un pʾéel míis
• un pʾéel chéel
• un túul máak
• un pʾéel póol
• un pʾéel xúul

Pronunciation

• Note that when a neutral accent is on the next-to-last syllable before a rising terminal contour, the glide-accent begins high and remains level or dips slightly, only the final syllable gliding sharply up from that level with the rising terminal contour.

Question Intonation Terminal Contour - Rising Terminal Contour

Pronunciation exercise number 4

• k u jíitʾil
• k u y éemel
• k u káajal
• k u xóotʾol
• k u púuchʾul
• le míisoʾ
• le chéeloʾ
• le máakoʾ
• le póoloʾ
• le póolo
• le xúuloʾ

Pronunciation

• Note that when the level-accent is on the last syllable before the rising terminal contour, it begins relatively low--lower than the glide-accent in the same position--and is carried sharply upward by the rising intonation.

Question Intonation Terminal Contour - Rising Terminal Contour

Pronunciation exercise number 5

• un túul j miis
• un pʾéel eekʾ
• un túul paal
• un túul chʾoom
• un pʾéel pʾuut

Pronunciation

• Note that when the level-accent is on the next to the last syllable before the rising terminal contour, it remains relatively low and level; the final syllable rising (to intonation level 3) in anticipation of the rising terminal contour.

Question Intonation Terminal Contour - Rising Terminal Contour

Pronunciation exercise number 6

• chan jiitʾil
• chan eemel
• chan kaajal
• chal xootʾol
• chan luubul
• le miisoʾ
• le eekoʾ
• le paaloʾ
• le chʾoomoʾ
• le puutoʾ

Pronunciation

• The following words all end in b. Note that such bʾs in syllable final position are unlike English b-sounds. Observe that, as the lips close, there is a momentary voicing (or hum) as for other "b" sounds. This voicing is then cut short by "catching the breath" in the middle of it. The breath is then released--through the nose. Sometimes a "squeeze" in the voice, related to this catching of the breath, maybe heard in the vowel preceding these bʾs.

Syllable-final b

Pronunciation exercise number 7

• píib
• iib
• kib
• táab
• laab
• kʾab
• séeb
• leeb
• xóob
• soob
• túub
• tsuub

Pronunciation

• The following words all end in b. Note that such bʾs in syllable final position are unlike English b-sounds. Observe that, as the lips close, there is a momentary voicing (or hum) as for other "b" sounds. This voicing is then cut short by "catching the breath" in the middle of it. The breath is then released--through the nose. Sometimes a "squeeze" in the voice, related to this catching of the breath, maybe heard in the vowel preceding these bʾs.

Syllable-final b

Pronunciation exercise number 8