Vowels

[Lenewa txe'lan]

Kaltì

are there some who will be nice to explain to me how the vowels should be understood! I just don't get it 

[SanguineEpitaph]

Vowels:

a, ä (alt + 132), e, i, ì (alt + 141), o, u

Every vowel can stand alone as a syllable, so you could (hypothetically) have something like, tsauieo, or something like that...and it would be tsa.u.i.e.o because each vowel becomes its own syllable.

In addition, there are two letters that act like vowels, but are referred to as pseudo-vowels. They are: rr and ll.
If you are familiar with Spanish, the "rr" makes the same rolled sound, but I think it's a little more exaggerated in Na'vi. The ll makes the L sound in "table". Those two "pseudo-vowels" can take the place of a vowel. plltxe, for example.


Sounds:

a = father
ä = flat
e = then
i = machine
ì = thin
o = low
u = "ooooo" like loom or something of that sort.


I hope that helps!!!

Edit: Check this out, it's AMAZING. http://wiki.learnnavi.org/index.php?title=User:Erimeyz/Beginners%27_Guide:_Lesson_One_-_Letters_and_Sounds

[Lenewa txe'lan]

irayo

but what about that tabel on page 2 in the pocket guide?

[SanguineEpitaph]

irayo

but what about that tabel on page 2 in the pocket guide?

It basically says what I just said, but when it says "Closed" or "Front" it is referring to where in the mouth the sound originates, I believe.

[Lenewa txe'lan]

irayo

[Txaslan]

Attention shoppers!

"ll" does not make the sound it does in "table". Frommer was very specific in saying that "ll" should not be velarized (as in "table"). Just take the "l" in "lake" and held it longer.

[SanguineEpitaph]

Attention shoppers!

"ll" does not make the sound it does in "table". Frommer was very specific in saying that "ll" should not be velarized (as in "table"). Just take the "l" in "lake" and held it longer.

It does make the same sound as "table", just without velarizing the "l" sound.


There are two types of "L" sounds.

One final note about ll. There are two different ways of pronouncing an "L" sound in English: light and dark. Most English speakers aren't aware that they pronounce them differently; as native speakers, it just comes naturally. Light Ls are made with the tongue touching the ridge behind the teeth, and are found in words like timely and lip. Dark Ls are made with the tongue's tip touching the ridge behind the teeth but with the rest of the tongue raised up towards the roof of the mouth, and are found in words like fall and fault. In Na'vi, ll is always light, never dark. This is tricky for English speakers, because ll sounds like the l in table and crackle, but in English the Ls in those words are usually dark.