The K , P, and T

[Hiyìk Taronyu]

When looking at the alphabet, and at other topics explaining how you are supposed to pronounce a word, I see that, for example, P is pronounced P as in Pen. But as I read other sources I see that you are supposed to pronounce the P as an F sound, except when it is an ejective.

My Question:
Do you pronounce a P as F, and Px as P', or a P as P, and Px and P'
Do you pronounce a T or Ts as an S, and a Tx as a T', or do you pronounce T/Ts as a T or Ts, and Tx as a T'
Do you pronounce a K as an H, and a Kx and a K', or do you pronounce a K as K, and Kx as K'

In the word fpom, is it pronounced ffom, or fpom
Irayo,
Eywa Ngahu
Cesog

Also, if these have been answered, please just link me to the topic instead of bothering to type it out

[Wendell890]

I'm not sure if you said this but (expell air on the "uh"):
Px = Puh
Kx = Kuh
Tx = Tuh
I got this from a video tutorial.
(Tell me if I didn't have to do that. If so, I'll use it for my own reference.
(Sent via Ipod touch.)

[omumyu]

p is pronounced as p
Also, when saying an ejective (px, kx, tx) let all the air out of your mouth before making the the sound.  The sound requires no air at all.  Do not make an "uh" sound afterwards.  The pause or "uh" comes naturally because your mouth must fill up with air again in order to produce the following sound.

[Taronyu]

What other sources?

Sometimes /p/ is an [f], such as in mefo --> the prefix me+ lenites the p, so that it weakens to an f.

[Tìng Eywatikìte'e]

I'm I the only one that kept on hearing "d"  when they said "t?" The Phonetics list says to pronounce it like the "t" in "two"...

[omumyu]

Sounds get slurred when people talk fast.  That's probably what you were hearing

[Tìng Eywatikìte'e]

I think I have something wrong with my years because even when Neytiri was saying "tam tam" to Seze I heard "dam dam."

[omängum fra'uti]

Probably because you're listening for "tam tam" as it would sound in English, where the initial consonants are aspirated.

And if you have no idea what that means, hold your hand in front of your mouth as you say "pot", then "spot".  You'll notice that on the /p/ in "pot", you feel a lot more breath than the /p/ in "spot".

Without that, the initial /t/ has much less of the sound you'd think you should hear for "tam".

[Tìng Eywatikìte'e]

That makes sense. I was wondering why they would have such a harsh sounding word like "tam" to calm an animal, normally you'd use softer sounding ones.

[Tskxäozì Ewaoe]

Frommer already said to say the ejectives just close your throat and sound the letter.
tx = tuh, kx = kuh, px = puh

[Tsyaltuan]

Probably because you're listening for "tam tam" as it would sound in English, where the initial consonants are aspirated.

And if you have no idea what that means, hold your hand in front of your mouth as you say "pot", then "spot".  You'll notice that on the /p/ in "pot", you feel a lot more breath than the /p/ in "spot".

Without that, the initial /t/ has much less of the sound you'd think you should hear for "tam".

So is all you do say the t in tam with less breath than the normal /t/ in English?

[Doolio]

not quite, those are in fact slightly different sounds, thus, they are made differently. you can say both of them with little or more breath, you can whisper them, you can yell them.

kind of (well, english is not my native language, so if i am wrong, somebody please correct me) when you are saying "toy" and "sit". na'vi "t" is similar to the t sound in "toy". it doesn't have that almost [ts]-ily sounding to it, as is the case with the "t" in "sit" or "tell".

kinda like this:
SCARFACE -- "LITTLE FRIEND"
in "to"

although he seems to put his tongue too much to the front.

na'vi "t" is basically a voiceles na'vi "d" (correct me if i am wrong, i am sure of what i want to say, but maybe i got terminology wrong)