(similar to the "a" in about)
a |
wood |
|
a |
six |
|
a |
mother |
|
a |
seven |
|
a |
hot (to the touch) |
(like the "a" in father)
aa |
head |
|
aa |
leaf |
|
aa |
milk |
|
aa |
bowl |
|
aa |
heart |
|
aa |
but ; except for ; on the other hand; however |
|
aa |
boy |
|
aa |
sticking upright |
|
aa |
people |
(no equivalent in English)
ea |
intermittent |
|
ea |
clear |
|
ea |
water glass |
(like the "e" in cafe)
ee |
forest |
|
ee |
belly |
|
ee |
healthy |
|
ee |
free, no cost |
(like the "i" in bit)
i |
to talk |
|
i |
good |
|
i |
to see |
|
i |
water |
(like the "ia" in cafeteria)
ia |
stomach; tripe; first stomach of an animal |
|
ia |
woman |
|
ia |
white |
|
ia |
doctor |
|
ia |
bright |
|
ia |
to show |
(like the "i" in machine)
ii |
horse |
|
ii |
sunset |
|
ii |
to walk |
|
ii |
bad |
|
ii |
yellow |
|
ii |
tail |
|
ii |
mountain lion |
|
ii |
to pray |
|
ii |
to circle, get around something |
|
ii |
to walk |
("o" can appear as a shortened sound before an "hp", "hk", hch,
o(h) |
loose |
|
o(h) |
short, or stubby |
|
o(h) |
basin |
|
o(h) |
dive, or go under water |
(like the "o" in soda)
oo |
night |
|
oo |
gray, or faded |
|
oo |
four |
|
oo |
thank you |
|
oo |
orange |
|
oo |
spider |
|
oo |
corn |
|
oo |
scientist, sage |
(like the "u" in tuba, sometimes like the "oo in book)
u |
south; upstream region |
|
u |
the taste of something |
|
u |
gloves |
|
u |
pear |
|
u |
to hold |
(no equivalent in English)
ua |
fish |
|
ua |
wounded |
|
ua |
muskrat |
|
ua |
blue |
|
ua |
scar |
|
ua |
bread |
|
ua |
animal |
(like the "u" in tuba, sometimes like the "oo in book)
uu |
to be dry |
|
uu |
arrow |
|
uu |
two |
|
uu |
head |
|
uu |
to eat |
|
uu |
younger brother |
|
uu |
prophet |
|
uu |
carnival, or festival |
Similar to the "a" in was. Usually this is spelled "e", but also sometimes as "ee".
The pronounciation of final "ee" can change from citation to sentence form. For instance words like daxpitchée {bear} when cited as "word only" are occasionally pronounced closer to the sound of the "a" in cat, but when the word appears in a sentence always has the final shorter "e" sound.
e |
one |
|
e |
eight |
|
e |
bird |
|
e |
six |
|
ee |
boat |
|
ee |
bear |
|
ee |
man |
|
ee |
coyote |
("o" can appear as a shortened sound when it is word final)
o |
five |
|
o |
many |
|
o |
previously |
|
o |
above |
|
o |
snapping turtle |
|
o |
saddle |
(no equivalent in English)
x |
flat |
|
x |
it is raining |
|
x |
all, or entire |
|
x |
snake |
|
x |
flag |
|
x |
drum |
|
x |
raincoat |
|
x |
gray |
|
x |
grandfather |
|
x |
jacket |
|
x |
corn |
|
x |
deer antlers |
(no equivalent in English, compare the differences between geminate "xx" below and "x" above when they occur inbetween vowels)
xx |
sun |
|
xx |
five |
|
xx |
warrior |
|
xx |
paddle |
|
xx |
skinny |
|
xx |
sorrel pinto |
(like the "h" in hat)
h |
this |
|
h |
red |
|
h |
clean |
|
h |
last one |
|
h |
spring water |
(Between vowels "s" often has a "z" sound. No equivalent in English)
s |
elder; adult |
|
s |
house |
|
s |
tail |
|
s |
late afternoon |
|
s(k) |
tailbone |
|
s(k) |
finger |
|
s(p) |
elbow |
|
s(t) |
bulldog |
|
s(t) |
truthful |
|
s(t) |
key |
|
s(t) |
belly button |
(Similar to the "s" in salt)
ks |
ground meat |
|
ks |
parent |
|
ps |
plentiful |
|
ps |
Crow |
|
ts |
book |
(Similar to the "ss" in hissing)
ss |
towards dawn |
|
ss |
dance |
|
ss |
watch |
|
ss |
hoe |
(pronounced as ship, between vowels sounds like the second "g" in garage)
sh |
four |
|
sh |
dirty |
|
sh |
sticking out; protruding |
|
sh |
river |
(pronounced as sh but spelled ssh)
ssh |
light; match |
|
ssh |
red |
|
ssh |
afternoon |
|
ssh |
raccoon |
|
ssh |
chest |
|
ssh |
wild peppermint |
(can be pronounced as "sh" or "s" there is variation between speakers)
ssb |
courtroom |
|
ssch |
inheritance |
|
ssd |
go to |
|
ssk |
inflate |
|
ssp |
push down; oppress |
(pronounced closer to the combination of English "sh and ch" than "sch")
sch |
tree lichen |
|
sch |
tie down, pound |
|
sch |
to buy |
|
sch |
hand |
|
sch |
take off, open |
(like "k" in kite)
k |
old woman |
|
k |
to keep or hold |
|
k |
like that |
(similar to "gy" as in bigyard or "g" in girl)
k |
to see |
|
k |
six |
|
k |
bird; chicken |
(similar to "k-k" in tackle)
kk |
rainbow |
|
kk |
grass |
|
kk |
to hear, listen |
|
kk |
male singers, drummers |
|
kk |
early morning |
(like "p" in pat)
p |
spill, or pour |
|
p |
raven |
|
p |
ten |
|
p |
owl |
|
p |
striped, multicolored |
(similar to "b" in but)
p |
leaf |
|
p |
bowl |
|
p |
scissors |
|
p |
jaw |
|
p |
four |
|
p |
mosquito |
|
p |
area between nose and upper lip |
(similar to "p-p" in apple)
pp |
square |
|
pp |
fringe |
|
pp |
rubber |
|
pp |
offer smoke in prayer |
(like "t" in tap)
t |
butter |
|
t |
hot (to the touch) |
|
t |
straight, exact |
(similar to "d" in side)
t |
girl |
|
t |
finger |
|
t |
walker |
|
t |
hot water |
|
t |
arrow |
(similar to "t-t" in tattle)
tt |
coyote |
|
tt |
good looking |
|
tt |
around that time |
|
tt |
weasel |
(like "ch" in chew)
ch |
wolf |
|
ch |
white |
|
ch |
faded; grey, pale |
(similar "j" in jaw)
ch |
game |
|
ch |
pear |
|
ch |
heel |
|
ch |
in front of |
(similar to "k" in kite, "p" in pat, and "t" in tap)
The "h" is represented by a slight aspirated breath before the consonant
(h)k |
war bonnet, basin |
|
(h)k |
inner ear |
|
(h)k |
saddle |
|
(h)k |
fox |
|
(h)p |
hat |
|
(h)p |
belly button |
|
(h)p |
eight |
|
(h)p |
hollow ground |
|
(h)t |
fork |
|
(h)t |
right there |
|
(h)t |
where |
|
(h)t |
but |
(no equivalent in English, pronounced as a slight aspiration (or slight fricative "sh") before the sound "ch" as in chew)
(h)ch |
to know |
|
(h)ch |
intelligent |
|
(h)ch |
reminisce |
|
(h)ch |
to jump |
|
(h)ch |
to touch |
|
(h)ch |
bighorn sheep |
|
(h)ch |
to kiss |
"m" is never phrase or word initial and always appears as a "geminate" or double letter "mm" except when followed by "n"
mm |
plain, prarie |
|
mm |
birthday |
|
mm |
further |
|
mm |
to count |
|
mm |
watermelon |
|
mm |
locoweed |
|
mm |
braid, or twist |
"n" is never phrase or word initial and always appears as a "geminate" or double letter "nn" except when preceded by "m"
nn |
pillow |
|
nn |
road or path |
|
nn |
healthy, free from disease of sickness |
|
nn |
ride (a horse), or straddle |
|
nn |
hole |
|
nn |
idle |
|
nn |
blood pudding |
|
nn |
forearm |
|
nn |
continuous bleeding, or hemorrhage |
mn |
plow |
|
mn |
cliff or bank |
|
mn |
none, zero |
|
mn |
tears |
|
mn |
foothills |
|
mn |
truck |
|
mn |
wrench, or screwdriver |
"m" can be thought of as an underlying phoneme that is realized in the sounds "b" and "w"
(like the "b" in bat)
The sounds "b" and "w" are sometimes interchangeable, "b" typically is phrase or word initial and "w" is heard between vowels. This varies among speakers and the speed of their speech. For example, hinne báape {today, or this day} is frequently heard as hinne wáape.
b |
book |
|
b |
money |
|
b |
turtle |
|
b |
above |
|
b |
summer |
|
b |
buffalo |
|
b |
to swim |
|
b |
scissors |
|
b |
water |
(like the "w" in wag)
w |
inside (a building) |
|
w |
Crow Agency, MT |
|
w |
book |
|
w |
upper lip |
|
w |
milk |
|
w |
all summer long |
|
w |
to read |
|
w |
bad |
"b" can be found within words when its phrase or word initial form has a prefix ending in "k", "s", "ss", or "t" added to it.
For example, ashí {house} + báakko {upstairs} = ashbáakko {upstairs of house}
b |
student |
|
b |
worker |
|
b |
son |
|
b |
elbow |
|
b |
sister or cousin |
|
b |
to run around |
|
b |
ox |
|
b |
bible |
|
b |
windy |
"n" can be thought of as an underlying phoneme that is realized in the sounds "d" and "l"
(like the "d in dog)
This varies among speakers and the speed of their speech. For example, hinne dáake {this child} is frequently heard as hinne láake.
d |
heart |
|
d |
go ahead |
|
d |
three |
|
d |
go |
|
d |
hit, or strike |
|
d |
walk |
|
d |
chest |
|
d |
two |
|
d |
to eat |
(Similar to the "l in leg, with older speakers the "l" is sometimes more of a tap "r".)
"d" and "l" can be interchangeable, "d" typically is phrase or word initial and "l" is heard between vowels. This varies among speakers and the speed of their speech. For example, hinne dáake {this child} is frequently heard as hinne láake.
l |
kind |
|
l |
fly (as a bird) |
|
l |
third |
|
l |
leather |
|
l |
car |
|
l |
drumstick |
|
l |
walker |
|
l |
second |
|
l |
rat |
"d" can be found within words when its phrase or word initial form has a prefix ending in "k", "s", "ss", or "t" added to it.
For example, ak {someone who} + disshí {dance} = akdisshé {dancer}
d |
airplane |
|
d |
warrior |
|
d |
to descend |
|
d |
to go up (bird or airplane) |
|
d |
to go around |
|
d |
re-establish a home |
|
d |
to go hunting |
|
d |
God |
|
d |
water glass |
|
d |
wolf pup |