Tuvalu Languages: Difference between revisions

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==Alphabet and Pronunciation==
==Alphabet and Pronunciation==
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuvaluan_language#Phonology Tuvaluan Alphabet and Pronunciation]
The sound system of Tuvaluan consists of five vowels (/i/, /e/, /a/, /o/, /u/). All vowels come in short and long forms, which are contrastive.
{| class="wikitable"
|+Vowels
! rowspan="2" |
! colspan="2" |Short vowel
! colspan="2" |Long vowel
|- align="center"
!Front vowel
!Back vowel
!Front
!Back
|- align="center"
!Close vowel|Close
|i
|u
|i
|u
|- align="center"
!Mid vowel
|e
|o
|e
|o
|- align="center"
!Open vowel|Open
| colspan="2" |a
| colspan="2" |a
|}
There are no diphthongs so every vowel is sounded separately. Example: ''taeao'' ‘tomorrow’ is pronounced as four separate syllables (ta-e-a-o).


=== Consonants ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Consonants
!
!Labial consonant
!Alveolar consonant
!Velar consonant
!Glottal consonant
|- align="center"
!Nasal consonant
|m
|n
|
|- align="center"
!Stop consonant|Plosive
|p
|t
|k
|
|- align="center"
!Fricative consonant|Fricative
|f v
|s
|
|(h)
|- align="center"
!Lateral consonant|Lateral
|
|l
|
|
|}
/h/ is used only in limited circumstances in the Nukulaelae dialect.
The sound system of Tuvaluan consists of 10 or 11 consonants (/p/, /t/, /k/, /m/, /n/, /ŋ/, /f/, /v/, /s/, /h/, /l/), depending on the dialect. All consonants also come in short and long forms, which are contrastive.


==Language Aids and Dictionaries==
==Language Aids and Dictionaries==
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