Pronouncing Irayo

[Seze]

Is this word ever used in the movie?  I would really like to hear how its pronounced.

[txum tukru]

Mod edit: Please don't post links to pirated material

[heyzuse]

The correct way to pronounce Irayo is (ee-rye-oh) There is always a diphthong or vowel with a consonant OR can be by itself or can be a consonant cluster with f, s, ts + {p, t, k, px, tx, kx, m, n, ng, r, l, w, y}

Plus the ay is a diphthong in the word. So there is three syllables in the word.

So it's (Ee-rye-oh) with the r using the funky spanish flap on the alveolar part of the roof of your mouth.
then again... It could be (ear-eye-oh) but spoken fluidly you can't really tell the difference because the r's are liquid and don't have a glottal stop.

Oh... And hi everyone I just made this account! So I'm going to try and help as much as I can and hope you guys will do the same for me!

[heyzuse]

I don't thing the a and y should be split up since ay is a diphthong.

Since the -ay- is followed by a vowel and not a consonant, the consonantal value of y wins: i-ra-yo.

I am trying to understand why y becomes a consonant.  Where is this rule (diphthong + vowel = broken diphthong + vowel) talked about?  I've tried looking for it on the phonetic pages but can't really find anything.  

That's because it's not. "yo" is a diphthong, and not a diphthong in Na'vi. So therefore a and y aren't split up, they count as their own syllable and the "o" at the end is it's own syllable.

from the phonology page...
"A single vowel or diphthong may be a syllable by itself." ... "Within syllables, Na'vi vowels and diphthongs can be preceded by either one or two consonants. They can also be followed by one consonant. That is, the syllable structure is (C)(C)V(C), where V represents a vowel or a diphthong." R's can be used as a final consonant or a beginning consonant... so really it doesn't matter if it's paired with the "I" or the "ay" in Irayo because there aren't any glottal stops and it follows both rules.

The examples are as follows

(C)V  =  I-ray-o
OR
V(C)  =  Ir-ay-o

Yet in the downloadable guide its full phonology is

V  (C)V  (C)V  =  I - ra  - yo

Which would be right based on the rules given if the fact that "yo" would be a Na'vi diphthong... but it isn't and the phonology for the word in the lexicon should be changed.

And since this word is a root word and doesn't interfere with lenition or any other rule it can be pronounced by either of the first two. Odd loop hole we've found... If anyone finds a grammar rule that may interfere as far as context let me know!

[Tskxäozì Ewaoe]

To pronounce the 'r' properly, the 'r' sound is rhow. It helps if you can speak japanese. Basically that 'r'sound is the sound between the r and l. 'ro' and 'lo', try mix them together into one and you'll get the 'r sound pretty well.

What it feels like in your mouth is the tip of your tongue is at the ceiling of your mouth and when you say the 'r', your tongue will move back down (try imagine lapping to other way, from top to bottom)

Nari sounds a bit like 'Narhli' (where the rhl is combined)

[Doolio]

So it's (Ee-rye-oh) with the r using the funky spanish flap on the alveolar part of the roof of your mouth.

just a little addition:
if it were "oh" at the end it would spell "irayou" or "irayow" in na'vi. the "o" in na'vi is more like the "o" in "storage", it does not change at the end, you don't move your lips during the entire "o".

[Tskxäozì Ewaoe]

lol Na'vi sounds kinda like japanese XD
the 'o' sound and 'r' are the same and they have the syllabia.