Appendix:Sangheili pronunciation

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The Sangheili language is characterized by a large consonant inventory, ejectives and velarized consonants. Affixation frequently causes exceptions to the rules below.

Standard Romanization

Long vowels are marked by doubling letters. They have the same quality as the short ones but are held for slightly longer.

Letter IPA English example Notes
a a father
b b bad
ch match
ch' tʃʼ No English equivalent Pronounced just like ch, but with one's breath held.
chkh tʃˣ No English equivalent Like pronouncing ch, but with the back of one’s tongue contacting the soft palate.
d d die
dz dz kids
e e gate
g g goat
gh ɣ Spanish fuego
h h hop
i i machine
j jam
k k sky
k' No English equivalent Pronounced just like k, but with one's breath held.
kh x Blech!
kkh No English equivalent Like pronouncing k, but releasing it very slowly with strong frication.
l l love
m m matter
n n never [ɲ] before a palatal consonant, [ɴ] before a uvular consonant.
ng ŋ sing
o o tote
p p spike
p' No English equivalent Pronounced just like p, but with one's breath held.
pkh No English equivalent Like pronouncing p, but with the back of one’s tongue contacting the soft palate.
q q No English equivalent Like a k, but pronounced further back in the throat, with the back of the tongue contacting the uvula.
q' No English equivalent Pronounced just like q, but with one's breath held.
qkh No English equivalent Like pronouncing q, but with the back of one’s tongue contacting the soft palate.
r ɾ matador
s s sad
sh ʃ shack
shkh ʃˣ No English equivalent Like pronouncing sh, but with the back of one’s tongue contacting the soft palate.
skh No English equivalent Like pronouncing s, but with the back of one’s tongue contacting the soft palate.
t t stake
t' No English equivalent Pronounced just like t, but with one's breath held.
tkh No English equivalent Like pronouncing t, but with the back of one’s tongue contacting the soft palate.
ts ts cuts
ts' tsʼ No English equivalent Pronounced just like ts, but with one's breath held.
tskh tsˣ No English equivalent Like pronouncing ts, but with the back of one’s tongue contacting the soft palate.
u u ruminate
w ɰ No English equivalent Almost like wet, but with one's lips unrounded.
y j young
z z zebra
zh ʒ azure
ʔ uh-oh

Phonetics

Consonants

Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Uvular Glottal
Nasal m /m/ n /n/ (n [ɲ]) n /ŋ/ (n [ɴ])
Plosive voiceless p /p/ t /t/ k /k/ q /q/ ' /ʔ/
ejective p' /pʼ/ t' /tʼ/ k' /kʼ/ q' /qʼ/
velarized pkh /pˣ/ tkh /tˣ/ kkh /kˣ/ qkh /qˣ/
voiced b /b/ d /d/ g /g/
Affricate voiceless ts /ts/ ch /tʃ/
ejective ts' /tsʼ/ ch' /tʃʼ/
velarized tskh /tsˣ/ chkh /tʃˣ/
voiced dz /dz/ j /dʒ/
Fricative voiceless s /s/ sh /ʃ/ kh /x/ h /h/
velarized skh /sˣ/ shkh /ʃˣ/
voiced z /z/ zh /ʒ/ gh /ɣ/
Approximant l /l/ y /j/ w /ɰ/
Tap r /ɾ/

Proto-Sangheili also had a phonemic /ɢ/, but it merged with /ɣ/.

Sequences of ejectives are not allowed, when one occurs, the second ejective is deglottalized.

Vowels

/e/ and /o/ are always short, but the other vowels may be short or long.

Front Central Back
Close i /i/, i /iː/ u /u/, u /uː/
Mid e /e/ o /o/
Open a /a/, a /aː/

Phonotactics

Most of Sangheili's syllables are open, only three codas are allowed: /n/, /ŋ/ and /s/. /n/ has the allophones [ɲ] before palatals and [ɴ] before uvulars. Syllables may never start with consonant clusters.

Stress

Stress falls on the penultimate syllable if it is heavier than the antepenultimate, otherwise it falls on the antepenultimate. Secondary stress is placed on every other syllable radiating outward from the syllable with main stress. The final syllable never attracts stress, regardless of length.