Cree Pronunciation Guide PDF

Map 1 Map 2 3 A Standard Roman Orthography [SRO] writing system is currently used for all Cree dialects. The phonetic form of writing Cree is no longer used. Many different regional preferences and variations exist for some of the SRO sounds of the Y dialect spoken word. Fluent Cree spea...

Map 1 Map 2 3 A Standard Roman Orthography [SRO] writing system is currently used for all Cree dialects. The phonetic form of writing Cree is no longer used. Many different regional preferences and variations exist for some of the SRO sounds of the Y dialect spoken word. Fluent Cree speakers do not all speak the same way and do not use the same sounds in some cases. There are many instances where Cree speaking reserves/communities influence their neighboring communities. Another factor is the intermarriage ties within the neighboring communities, which in turn influence the mingling of the different dialects. Many Cree speaking people currently mix more than one dialect in their mother tongue. It is important to note that the stresses of Cree terminology will come naturally with the proper pronunciation of the letters and sounds particularly when speaking in sentences in an unhesitating flow. The intonation and inflection of the voice will contribute to the context of what is being said. Facial expressions, gestures and body language also contribute to the overall meaning of expression. SRO – Sound & Spelling System 14 letters of the English alphabet are utilized to create the Standard Roman Orthography [SRO] written form of Cree. There are 4 vowels, however 7 unique vowel sounds exist. The vowel sounds are very important in SRO pronunciation and in writing. There are 10 consonant sounds. A total of 17 main sounds affect the Plains - Y dialect. Some sounds differ in other dialects as previously mentioned. The 4 vowels are: a, e, i, o Although there are only 4 vowels in SRO, there are seven distinct vowel sounds. The 4 vowels accommodate the long sounds and 3 accommodate the short sounds. Special symbols, the first referred to as a macron/straight bar above the vowel, is applied to the 4 vowels to distinguish the long sounds [ā, ē, ī, ō] and they are pronounced slowly. Another accepted symbol used for the SRO long vowels is the caret/inverted v above the vowel [â, ê, î, ô]. The reading, writing, and speaking of Cree in SRO is very much guided by these symbols. Leaving the symbol out would cause a non-speaker of Cree to have a difficult time in distinguishing the long and short vowel sounds. The short vowels are unmarked [a, i, o] and they are pronounced quickly. 4 It is important to be accurate with the spelling and pronunciation of the 7 distinct vowel sounds because not only particular sounds will be affected, but the meaning of the word would also change i.e. minimal pairs and sets (refer to page 8). Long Vowels (marked with a macron/caret): ā → pronounced like the ‘a’ in ‘fa’ as when singing “do, re, me, fa, so, la, ti, do” Example: āhāsiw (a crow) ē → pronounced like the ‘e’ in ‘berry’ or the ‘ay’ in ‘hay’ *dialect variation Example: tēpwē (to yell/holler) ī → pronounced like the ‘i’ in ‘machine’ or the double ‘e’ in ‘bee’ Example: sīsīp (a duck) ō → pronounced like the ‘oo’ in ‘soon’ Example: ōhōw (an owl) *The ‘ē’ sound differs with regional preferences and dialect variation, particularly in Woodland and northern Plains Cree where the ‘ī’ sound is used in the place of the southern Plains Cree ‘ē’ sound. Short Vowels (unmarked): *There is no short ‘e’ sound in SRO! a → pronounced like the initial ‘a’ in ‘appeal’ or the ‘u’ in ‘up’ Example: awas (go away) i → pronounced like the ‘i’ in ‘if’ Example: mihti (firewood – singular) o → pronounced like the ‘oo’ in ‘soot’ or the ‘u’ in ‘put’ Example: mostos (a cow) 5 The 10 consonants are: *c, h, *k, m, n, *p, s, *t, w, y The consonant h, m, n, s, w, y is pronounced like your English counterpart. Pay special attention to the letters c, k, p, t due to their sound variations. The sounds are affected by dialect variation and preference. c→ is pronounced like the ‘ts’ in ‘cats’ [southern version] or the ‘ch’ in ‘catch’ [northern version]. Examples: cīki (near) wacask (a muskrat) anohc (today/now) Note: In SRO writing, the consonant ‘c’ is never used to represent the ‘k’ sound in ‘cook’ or the ‘s’ sound in ‘cent’. k→ is pronounced as a cross between the ‘g’ in ‘gill’ and the ‘k’ in ‘kill’. Typically, when a Cree word begins and ends in ‘k’, it is a ‘k’ sound as in ‘skill’, otherwise there will be a variation between the ‘k/g’ combination sound and the ‘g’ as in ‘gill’. Examples: kotak (another) mākwa (a loon) oyākan (a dish/plate) Note: Never pronounce the ‘k’ as hard as the ‘k’ sounds in ‘kick’. The letter ‘g’ is never used in SRO writing even though you may hear that sound. p→ is pronounced as a cross between the ‘p’ in ‘pit’ and the ‘b’ in ‘bit’. However, when a Cree word begins with ‘p’, it is a ‘p’ sound as in ‘spill’. When it is the last letter in a word, it has a softer aspirated sound. Examples: pēho (wait) api (sit) akohp (a blanket) t→ is pronounced like the ‘t’ in ‘stanza’. It is a cross between ‘t’ in ‘tin’ and the ‘d’ in ‘dim’ however when a Cree word begins with ‘t’, it is a ‘t’ sound as in ‘still’. When it is the last letter in a word, it has a softer aspirated sound. Examples: tāpwē (true/really) āta (although) mīpit (a tooth) 6