| Marshallese consonants
|
| IPA
|
Examples
|
English approximations
|
Notes
|
| Allophones of /j/
|
| ɛ̯
|
|
yarn
|
|
| e̯
|
|
yes
|
|
| i̯
|
|
you
|
|
| Allophones of /k/
|
| k
|
|
cork
|
Implicitly velarized ([kˠ]).
|
| ɡ
|
Pikinni
|
gargle
|
Between vowels. Implicitly velarized ([ɡˠ]).
|
| Allophones of /kʷ/
|
| kʷ
|
Kuwajleen
|
kook
|
|
| ɡʷ
|
|
google
|
Between vowels.
|
| kw
|
Kwaron̄
|
quilt
|
Simplified IPA for [kʷ(w)].
|
| ɡw
|
O̧kwōj
|
guano
|
Between vowels. Simplified IPA for [ɡʷ(w)].
|
| Allophones of /mˠ/
|
| mˠ
|
M̧ajeļ
|
marmalade
|
|
| mw
|
M̧weeņļap
|
gym wear
|
Simplified IPA for [mˠ(β̞ˠ)].
|
| Allophones of /ŋʷ/
|
| ŋʷ
|
Ron̄ļap
|
wrong way
|
|
| ŋw
|
Ron̄ļap
|
wrong way
|
Simplified IPA for [ŋʷ(w)].
|
| Allophones of /pʲ/
|
| pʲ
|
Pikinni
|
peep
|
|
| bʲ
|
Epjā
|
bib
|
between vowels
|
| Allophones of /pˠ/
|
| pˠ
|
Bokaak, bwil
|
purpose
|
|
| bˠ
|
|
barber
|
between vowels
|
| pw
|
Bokaak, bwil
|
sleepwear
|
Simplified IPA for [pˠ(β̞ˠ)].
|
| bw
|
Bokaak, bwil
|
subway
|
Between vowels. Simplified IPA for [bˠ(β̞ˠ)].
|
| Allophones of /tʲ/
|
| tʲ
|
jouj
|
meet you, church, bless you, shush
|
|
| zʲ
|
|
his yarn, pleasure, good year, judge
|
Between vowels.
|
| Allophones of /tˠ/
|
| tˠ
|
Ruot
|
taught
|
|
| dˠ
|
wōtōm
|
dud
|
Between vowels.
|
| Other single consonants
|
| lʲ
|
Kōle
|
leave (RP)
|
|
| lˠ
|
M̧aļoeļap
|
bill
|
Dark L ([ɫ]).
|
| lʷ
|
Jabtoļon̄e, Lo̧ļwe
|
Galway, well wisher
|
Rounded dark L ([ɫʷ]).
|
| mʲ
|
Mile
|
meme
|
|
| nʲ
|
Epoon
|
ninny
|
|
| nˠ
|
Arņo
|
none
|
|
| nʷ
|
|
onward
|
|
| ŋ
|
aelōn̄
|
sung
|
Implicitly velarized ([ŋˠ]).
|
| rʲ
|
Amedka
|
N\A
|
Trilled behind the front teeth, siimilar to Hungarian r.
|
| rˠ
|
Pikaar
|
rat
|
Trilled, without lip rounding.
|
| rʷ
|
Jo̧rwe, Nim̧ur
|
roof
|
Trilled, with lip rounding.
|
| w
|
|
weed
|
|
| Consonant clusters
|
| kk
|
|
background
|
Simplified [k̚.k ~ kː].
|
| kkʷ
|
|
black goose
|
Simplified [k̚ʷ.kʷ ~ kʷː].
|
| kkw
|
|
|
Simplified [k̚ʷ.kʷ(w) ~ kʷː(w)].
|
| llʲ
|
|
|
Simplified [lʲ.lʲ ~ lʲː].
|
| llˠ
|
|
still life
|
Simplified [lˠ.lˠ ~ lˠː].
|
| llʷ
|
|
|
Simplified [lʷ.lʷ ~ lʷː].
|
| lrʲ
|
|
N\A
|
Simplified [lʲ.rʲ].
|
| lrˠ
|
|
bull ride
|
Simplified [lˠ.rˠ].
|
| lrʷ
|
|
|
Simplified [lʷ.rʷ].
|
| lʲtˠ
|
|
melted
|
|
| lˠtˠ
|
|
ultimate
|
|
| mbʲ
|
|
embue
|
Simplified [mʲ.bʲ].
|
| mbˠ
|
|
number
|
Simplified [mˠ.bˠ].
|
| mbw
|
|
N\A
|
Simplified [mˠ.bˠ(β̞ˠ)].
|
| mmʲ
|
|
swim meet
|
Simplified [mʲ.mʲ ~ mʲː].
|
| mmˠ
|
|
|
Simplified [mˠ.mˠ ~ mˠː].
|
| mmw
|
|
|
Simplified [mˠ.mˠ(β̞ˠ) ~ mˠː(β̞ˠ)].
|
| ndˠ
|
|
under
|
Simplified [nˠ.dˠ].
|
| nlʲ
|
|
only
|
Simplified [nʲ.lʲ].
|
| nlˠ
|
|
unlike
|
Simplified [nˠ.lˠ].
|
| nlʷ
|
|
onlooker
|
Simplified [nʷ.lʷ].
|
| nnʲ
|
|
unneeded
|
Simplified [nʲ.nʲ ~ nʲː].
|
| nnʲ
|
|
pen knife
|
Simplified [nˠ.nˠ ~ nˠː].
|
| nnʷ
|
|
|
Simplified [nʷ.nʷ ~ nʷː].
|
| nrʲ
|
|
N\A
|
Simplified [nʲ.rʲ].
|
| nrˠ
|
|
sunrise
|
Simplified [nˠ.rˠ].
|
| nrʷ
|
|
|
Simplified [nʷ.rʷ].
|
| nzʲ
|
|
cleanser, ninja
|
Simplified [nʲ.zʲ].
|
| ŋɡ
|
|
finger
|
|
| ŋɡʷ
|
|
mongoose
|
Simplified [ŋʷ.ɡʷ].
|
| ŋɡw
|
|
penguin
|
Simplified [ŋʷ.ɡʷ(w)].
|
| ŋŋ
|
|
N\A
|
Simplified [ŋ.ŋ ~ ŋː].
|
| ŋŋʷ
|
|
N\A
|
Simplified [ŋʷ.ŋʷ ~ ŋʷː].
|
| ŋŋw
|
|
|
Simplified [ŋʷ.ŋʷ(w) ~ ŋʷː(w)].
|
| ppʲ
|
|
upbeat
|
Simplified [p̚ʲ.pʲ ~ pʲː].
|
| ppˠ
|
|
|
Simplified [p̚ˠ.pˠ ~ pˠː].
|
| ppw
|
|
N\A
|
Simplified [p̚ˠ.pˠ(β̞ˠ) ~ pˠː(β̞ˠ)].
|
| rlʲ
|
|
N\A
|
Simplified [rʲ.lʲ].
|
| rlˠ
|
|
car lot (rhotic accents)
|
Simplified [rˠ.lˠ].
|
| rlʷ
|
|
Wate'rloo (rhotic accents)
|
Simplified [rʷ.lʷ].
|
| rrʲ
|
|
|
Simplified [rʲ.rʲ ~ rʲː].
|
| rrˠ
|
|
|
Simplified [rˠ.rˠ ~ rˠː].
|
| rrʷ
|
|
|
Simplified [rʷ.rʷ ~ rʷː].
|
| ttʲ
|
|
chit-chat
|
Simplified [t̚ʲ.tʲ ~ tʲː].
|
| ttˠ
|
|
outdo
|
Simplified [t̚ˠ.tˠ].
|
|
| Marshallese vowels
|
| IPA
|
Example
|
English approximations
|
Notes
|
| Allophones of /æ/
|
| æ
|
jān
|
trap
|
Palatalized.
|
| ɑ
|
kab
|
palm
|
Velarized.
|
| ɒ
|
|
lot (RP), thought (GA)
|
Rounded.
|
| æ͜ɑ, æ͜ɒ, ɑ͜æ, ɑ͜ɒ, ɒ͜æ, ɒ͜ɑ
|
Short diphthongs.
|
| Allophones of /ɛ/
|
| ɛ
|
|
dress
|
Palatalized.
|
| ʌ
|
|
nurse (RP), comma (GA)
|
Velarized.
|
| ɔ
|
|
thought (RP), goat (GA)
|
Rounded.
|
| ɛ͜ʌ, ɛ͜ɔ, ʌ͜ɛ, ʌ͜ɔ, ɔ͜ɛ, ɔ͜ʌ
|
Short diphthongs.
|
| Allophones of /e/
|
| e
|
|
kit
|
Palatalized.
|
| ɤ
|
|
like foot but without rounded lips
|
Velarized.
|
| o
|
|
foot
|
Rounded.
|
| e͜ɤ, e͜o, ɤ͜e, ɤ͜o, o͜e, o͜ɤ
|
Short diphthongs.
|
| Allophones of /i/
|
| i
|
|
fleece
|
Palatalized.
|
| ɯ
|
|
like goose but without rounded lips
|
Velarized.
|
| u
|
|
goose
|
Rounded.
|
| i͜ɯ, i͜u, ɯ͜i, ɯ͜u, u͜i, u͜ɯ
|
Short diphthongs.
|
|
