Difference between revisions of "Pronunciation"

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You will occasionaly see accents (eg ê) in written Setswana. š is regularly used, but the others are not.  
 
You will occasionaly see accents (eg ê) in written Setswana. š is regularly used, but the others are not.  
  
In Heinmann "Setswana ya Mophato" by Emang Butale, Mpho Mmopi, Dimakatso Mahlanza ISBN 0-7962-0156-0 circumflex accents are used on ô ê to indicate @???@
+
In some dictionaries and learning texts (such as Heinmann "Setswana ya Mophato" by Emang Butale, Mpho Mmopi, Dimakatso Mahlanza ISBN 0-7962-0156-0) circumflex accents are used on ô ê to indicate low toned o and e (????)
  
Because use of accents makes it difficult to search for words, (eg searching for "yone" will not produce a result for "yônê") in this wiki, no accents other than š should be used (unless a non accented form is also given).
+
Because use of accents makes it difficult to search for words, (eg searching for "yone" will not produce a result for "yônê") in this wiki, no accents other than š should be used (unless a non accented form is also given). However, both forms are used in the dictionary.
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=== Vowel Sounds===
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{| style="color:green;background-color:#ffffcc;" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" border="1"
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| Front<br>unrounded || || || || || || || Back<br>rounded
 +
|-
 +
| ''High'' || i || || || || || || u
 +
|-
 +
| ''Mid'' || || e|| || || || o||
 +
|-
 +
|  || || || &ecirc;|| || &ocirc;|| ||
 +
|-
 +
| ''Low'' || || || || a|| || ||
 +
|}

Revision as of 23:58, 2 June 2007

In Setswana, the vowels are pronounced as in the following English words:

  • 'a' as in 'car'
  • 'e' as in 'let'
  • 'i' as in 'meet'
  • 'o' as in 'go'
  • 'u' as in 'school'

There are also a few combinations of consonants which are pronounced very differently from English:

  • 'g' = an 'h' sound deep in your throat, like the end of "loch"
  • 'kg' = k + an 'h' sound deep in your throat
  • 'kh' = k + some air
  • 'ph' = p + some air
  • 'th' = t + some air (NOT like English "th")
  • 'ny' = think of isolating the 'ny' in 'canyon'
  • 'tl' = think of isolating the 'tl' in 'Atlanta'
  • 'tlh' = 'tl' + some air
  • 'ts' - think of isolating the 'ts' in 'itself'
  • 'tsh' = 'ts' + some air
  • 'nts' = n + 'ts' sound
  • '&#154;' = sh

Accents in written Setswana

You will occasionaly see accents (eg ê) in written Setswana. &#154; is regularly used, but the others are not.

In some dictionaries and learning texts (such as Heinmann "Setswana ya Mophato" by Emang Butale, Mpho Mmopi, Dimakatso Mahlanza ISBN 0-7962-0156-0) circumflex accents are used on ô ê to indicate low toned o and e (????)

Because use of accents makes it difficult to search for words, (eg searching for "yone" will not produce a result for "yônê") in this wiki, no accents other than &#154; should be used (unless a non accented form is also given). However, both forms are used in the dictionary.

Vowel Sounds

Front
unrounded
Back
rounded
High i u
Mid e o
ê ô
Low a