Lesson 5: Pronunciation
01
02
Pronunciation
- There are five vowel sounds in Maya, represented by the letters i e a o u. You have seen already that these letters may occur single or double, the difference being that the double letters indicate sounds which are longer in duration. Double vowels always bear either a glide-accent or a level-accent. Single vowels are most often neutral in accent. In the following pronunciation exercises listen carefully to the vowel sounds and imitate them as exactly as you can. The letter i stands for a sound like the ʾiʾ in police, but cut off short. Notice that this vowel is always closer to the one in police than the one in bit.
The vowels i e a o u
Pronunciation exercise number 2
- j pik
- k in pakʾik
- k a bin
- k u y ilik
- letiʾ
- ʾa w ich
- bixij
03
Pronunciation
- The Maya double letter ii is like the double English ʾeeʾ in meet, in quality like the Maya single i, but greater in length. It differs from the English ʾeeʾ, however, in that there is no change in the quality of the vowel throughout its entire duration.
The vowels i e a o u
Pronunciation exercise number 3
- k ʾíitsʾnoʾob
- kʾíiwik
- k u xíimal
- tsíimin
- k a míis
- a j mìis
- u tsìimin
04
Pronunciation
- The letter e stands for a sound something like the ʾaiʾ of gait but without the ʾiʾ sound, the up-glide after the ʾaʾ which we usually have in the pronouncing of gait. There should be no change in the quality of the vowel throughout its entire duration. Notice that this sounds is not quite the ʾeʾ sound of get; it is slightly more tense and higher.
The vowels i e a o u
Pronunciation exercise number 4
- ek
- manej
- bej
- míistej
- letiʾ
05
Pronunciation
- The Maya double letter ee is like the single ʾeʾ, only longer. It may be somewhat more tense, than the single ʾeʾ, but there should be no change in the quality of the sound throughout its entire duration.
The vowels i e a o u
Pronunciation exercise number 5
- t u bèel
- bèetej
- kux tèech
- chéen un péel
- chàambélil
- chéel
06
Pronunciation
- The Maya letter a stands for a sound like the ʾaʾ in father, but cut off short.
The vowels i e a o u
Pronunciation exercise number 6
- bat
- bakʾ
- nal
- naj
- manej
07
Pronunciation
- The Maya double letter aa is like the single ʾaʾ, only longer.
The vowels i e a o u
Pronunciation exercise number 7
- u nàal
- tʾàan
- màan
- jàaj
- báat
- máan
- táan
08
Pronunciation
- The Maya letter o stands for a sound like the ʾoʾ in tow, but cut off short, without the ʾwʾ sound, that is, without the extra rounding of the lips after the ʾoʾ. There should be no change in the quality of the vowel throughout its entire duration.
The vowels i e a o u
Pronunciation exercise number 8
- okol
- koj
- u y ojel
- josej
- tojol
09
Pronunciation
- The Maya double letter oo is like the Maya single ʾoʾ, but longer. There is no change in its quality even though here it is considerably longer.
The vowels i e a o u
Pronunciation exercise number 9
- máʾ u y òojliʾ
- òox
- u bòok
- kòol
- óox pʾéel
- tòoj in w óol
- k u tóokik
- a pʾòok
10
Pronunciation
- The Maya letter u stands for a sound like the ʾuʾ in flute or the ʾooʾ in boot, but cut off and without any extra rounding of the lips in the latter part of the vowel. There should be no change in the quality of the vowel throughout its entire duration.
The vowels i e a o u
Pronunciation exercise number 10
- ukʾ
- u meyjul kòol
- jatsʾuts
- kupul
11
Pronunciation
- The Maya double letter uu is like the single ʾuʾ, only longer.
The vowels i e a o u
Pronunciation exercise number 11
- chùuk
- lùubul
- tsʾùul
- xùul
- lúubul
- chúuk
- óox túul
12
Pronunciation
- The patterns of ups and downs of the voice which cover whole phrases and sentences are the intonation levels and the intonational terminal contours. In the following pronunciation exercises, note the variations in sequences of intonational levels in combination with particular accents on particular syllables and with particular intonational terminal contours final in such sequences. Note the variety of combinations here presented, listen carefully to each example, and imitate it as precisely as you can.
Common Maya Intonation Patterns
Pronunciation exercise number 12
- báʾax
- mix báʾal
- báʾax k a w áʾalik teech
- túʾux k a bin
- k u bin kíiwik
- táan in bin xíimbal
13
Pronunciation
- The patterns of ups and downs of the voice which cover whole phrases and sentences are the intonation levels and the intonational terminal contours. In the following pronunciation exercises, note the variations in sequences of intonational levels in combination with particular accents on particular syllables and with particular intonational terminal contours final in such sequences. Note the variety of combinations here presented, listen carefully to each example, and imitate it as precisely as you can.
Common Maya Intonation Patterns
Pronunciation exercise number 13
- mix túʾux
- chén beyaʾ
- chén mix báʾaj
- hasta sáamal
- óla sukúʾun
14
Pronunciation
- The patterns of ups and downs of the voice which cover whole phrases and sentences are the intonation levels and the intonational terminal contours. In the following pronunciation exercises, note the variations in sequences of intonational levels in combination with particular accents on particular syllables and with particular intonational terminal contours final in such sequences. Note the variety of combinations here presented, listen carefully to each example, and imitate it as precisely as you can.
Common Maya Intonation Patterns
Pronunciation exercise number 14
- tèen
- kux tèech
- bey xan tèen
- k u bin
- k in màan
- k u bèetik
15
Pronunciation
- The patterns of ups and downs of the voice which cover whole phrases and sentences are the intonation levels and the intonational terminal contours. In the following pronunciation exercises, note the variations in sequences of intonational levels in combination with particular accents on particular syllables and with particular intonational terminal contours final in such sequences. Note the variety of combinations here presented, listen carefully to each example, and imitate it as precisely as you can.
Common Maya Intonation Patterns
Pronunciation exercise number 15
- kux tèech bix a bèel
- bueno páaʾtik in bin
- jach kíimak in w óol in w ilikech
- hóla lwisa báʾax k a bèetik tèech
- letiʾ xaneʾ k u bin kʾíiwik
16
Pronunciation
- The patterns of ups and downs of the voice which cover whole phrases and sentences are the intonation levels and the intonational terminal contours. In the following pronunciation exercises, note the variations in sequences of intonational levels in combination with particular accents on particular syllables and with particular intonational terminal contours final in such sequences. Note the variety of combinations here presented, listen carefully to each example, and imitate it as precisely as you can.
Common Maya Intonation Patterns
Pronunciation exercise number 16
- ká xíʾik tech utsil
- túʾun k u bin letiʾ
- baʾan k u bèetik jùulyo