Difference between revisions of "Pronunciation"
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*'nts' = n + 'ts' sound | *'nts' = n + 'ts' sound | ||
*'š' = sh | *'š' = sh | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Examples=== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Check [[audio help]] if the audio doesn't work with your browser | ||
| + | {| style="color:green;background-color:#ffffcc;" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" border="1" | ||
| + | | kereke || church || test1 | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | terekere || tractor || test1 | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | tsela || road || test1 | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | go bona || to see/get || test1 | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | phologolo || animal || test1 | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | diphala || impalas || test1 | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | thata || very much/hard/difficult/brave || test1 | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | tlhapa || wash || test1 | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | tsala || friend || test1 | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | ga ka || test1 || test1 | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | sekgoa || English || test1 | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | mma || woman/mother || test1 | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | ntlo || house || test1 | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | ngaka || doctor || test1 | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | |} | ||
| + | |||
===Accents in written Setswana=== | ===Accents in written Setswana=== | ||
Revision as of 08:47, 21 May 2011
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
- 'š' = sh
Examples
Check audio help if the audio doesn't work with your browser
| kereke | church | test1 |
| terekere | tractor | test1 |
| tsela | road | test1 |
| go bona | to see/get | test1 |
| phologolo | animal | test1 |
| diphala | impalas | test1 |
| thata | very much/hard/difficult/brave | test1 |
| tlhapa | wash | test1 |
| tsala | friend | test1 |
| ga ka | test1 | test1 |
| sekgoa | English | test1 |
| mma | woman/mother | test1 |
| ntlo | house | test1 |
| ngaka | doctor | test1 |
Accents in written Setswana
You will occasionaly see accents (eg ê) in written Setswana. š 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 š 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 |
