Difference between revisions of "User:Erimeyz/Beginners' Guide: Lesson Two - More Letters and Sounds"

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The Na'vi letter '''r''' is not pronounced like "r" is in English (as in "red", "car", or "forest").  The sound of Na'vi '''r''' is found in many common English words, although English doesn't have a specific letter for it.  It's the sound in the middle of the following words: ba'''tt'''er, gu'''tt'''er, ki'''dd'''ies, and mi'''dd'''le.  Linguists call this sound an ''alveolar flap''; it's made by tapping your tongue against the roof of your mouth near your teeth.
 
The Na'vi letter '''r''' is not pronounced like "r" is in English (as in "red", "car", or "forest").  The sound of Na'vi '''r''' is found in many common English words, although English doesn't have a specific letter for it.  It's the sound in the middle of the following words: ba'''tt'''er, gu'''tt'''er, ki'''dd'''ies, and mi'''dd'''le.  Linguists call this sound an ''alveolar flap''; it's made by tapping your tongue against the roof of your mouth near your teeth.
  
The Na'vi sound '''rr''' is similar to '''r''', but longer.  Instead of tapping the roof of your mouth once, you tap it multiple times.  This produces what linguists call an ''alveolar trill'', more commonly known as a "rolled R" or a "trilled R".  English doesn't have this sound, but many other languages do, including Spanish, Hindi, and some eastern European languages.  You may not use a rolled R in your own speech, but you're probably familiar with it through hearing foreign accents (either in person or on television).  Different languages and speakers may trill their Rs either lightly or strongly; in Na'vi, '''rr''' is strongly trilled.
+
The Na'vi sound '''rr''' is similar to '''r''', but longer.  Instead of tapping the roof of your mouth once, you tap it multiple times.  This produces what linguists call an ''alveolar trill'', more commonly known as a "rolled R" or a "trilled R".  English doesn't have this sound, but many other languages do, including Spanish, Hindi, and some eastern European languages.  You may not use a trilled R in your own speech, but you're probably familiar with it through hearing foreign accents (either in person or on television).  Different languages and speakers may trill their Rs either lightly or strongly; in Na'vi, '''rr''' is strongly trilled.
  
 
Because it's not native to their language, many English speakers have trouble pronouncing the Na'vi trilled '''rr'''.  Even the Na'vi '''r''' flap can be tough; although it's found in English words, most people don't think about it as a distinct sound and therefore have trouble producing it on demand.  For some people '''r''' and '''rr''' come naturally; others have to work at it.  If you need help pronouncing these sounds, here are two good resources to turn to:
 
Because it's not native to their language, many English speakers have trouble pronouncing the Na'vi trilled '''rr'''.  Even the Na'vi '''r''' flap can be tough; although it's found in English words, most people don't think about it as a distinct sound and therefore have trouble producing it on demand.  For some people '''r''' and '''rr''' come naturally; others have to work at it.  If you need help pronouncing these sounds, here are two good resources to turn to:
 
* Beduino from the Learn Na'vi forum has made [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Hsk3PeWnaM a YouTube video] demonstrating both the '''r''' alveolar flap and the '''rr''' alveolar trill that many forum members have found very helpful.
 
* Beduino from the Learn Na'vi forum has made [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Hsk3PeWnaM a YouTube video] demonstrating both the '''r''' alveolar flap and the '''rr''' alveolar trill that many forum members have found very helpful.
* [http://www.wikihow.com/Roll-Your-%22R%22s This WikiHow page] provides several suggestions to help with learning to roll your Rs.
+
* [http://www.wikihow.com/Roll-Your-%22R%22s This WikiHow page] provides several suggestions to help with learning to trill your Rs.
  
 
Listen to the following audio examples of Na'vi words with '''r''' and '''rr''' so that you get a sense of what they sound like in Na'vi.  Try saying them yourself.  If you're a natural at it, great!  If you need to work on it, don't worry.  For now, just get familiar with the correct pronunciation and keep it in mind as you go on from here.
 
Listen to the following audio examples of Na'vi words with '''r''' and '''rr''' so that you get a sense of what they sound like in Na'vi.  Try saying them yourself.  If you're a natural at it, great!  If you need to work on it, don't worry.  For now, just get familiar with the correct pronunciation and keep it in mind as you go on from here.

Revision as of 17:42, 24 January 2010

Consonants, Part IV

In this section, you'll learn to pronounce the following Na'vi sounds:

  • r
  • rr
  • ll

R and RR - The Flap and The Trill

The Na'vi letter r is not pronounced like "r" is in English (as in "red", "car", or "forest"). The sound of Na'vi r is found in many common English words, although English doesn't have a specific letter for it. It's the sound in the middle of the following words: batter, gutter, kiddies, and middle. Linguists call this sound an alveolar flap; it's made by tapping your tongue against the roof of your mouth near your teeth.

The Na'vi sound rr is similar to r, but longer. Instead of tapping the roof of your mouth once, you tap it multiple times. This produces what linguists call an alveolar trill, more commonly known as a "rolled R" or a "trilled R". English doesn't have this sound, but many other languages do, including Spanish, Hindi, and some eastern European languages. You may not use a trilled R in your own speech, but you're probably familiar with it through hearing foreign accents (either in person or on television). Different languages and speakers may trill their Rs either lightly or strongly; in Na'vi, rr is strongly trilled.

Because it's not native to their language, many English speakers have trouble pronouncing the Na'vi trilled rr. Even the Na'vi r flap can be tough; although it's found in English words, most people don't think about it as a distinct sound and therefore have trouble producing it on demand. For some people r and rr come naturally; others have to work at it. If you need help pronouncing these sounds, here are two good resources to turn to:

  • Beduino from the Learn Na'vi forum has made a YouTube video demonstrating both the r alveolar flap and the rr alveolar trill that many forum members have found very helpful.
  • This WikiHow page provides several suggestions to help with learning to trill your Rs.

Listen to the following audio examples of Na'vi words with r and rr so that you get a sense of what they sound like in Na'vi. Try saying them yourself. If you're a natural at it, great! If you need to work on it, don't worry. For now, just get familiar with the correct pronunciation and keep it in mind as you go on from here.

  • ikran "mountain banshee" (audio) - flapped r
  • vrrtep "demon" (audio) - trilled rr

RR and LL - The Pseudovowels

(not sure yet what to say here... talk about syllables, how they usually have a vowel, but sometimes they can have rr or ll instead. Use prr as an example: it's like a cat's purr: purrrr, but with a trilled R and without pronouncing the u. Then describe ll, and talk about "bottle" and "table". Finally, link to audio clips: mllte and krrpe.)



  • Compare/contrast diphthongs and glides (?)
  • Sidebar: stress
  • Hard consonants 1 - r, rr, ll
  • Hard consonants 2 - glottal stop and ejectives
  • Consonant clusters
  • Second example words
  • Useful words, simple phrases - hey, look, you're speaking Na'vi now!
  • How to improve your pronunciation