Page:Handbook of the Swatow vernacular.djvu/12

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II.


The following is the system of orthography employed.

VOWELS.

a as a in far, never as in man.
e as e in they
i as i in machine, not as in tin, sin.
o as aw in law
u as u in rude
as ü in Trübner

DIPHTHONGS.

In all the diphthongs each vowel is heard distinctly with its own proper sound.

ai as y in fly
au as ow in cow
oi as oy in boy
ou nearly as ou in four
ua as wa in war
ui as wee in weed

CONSONANTS.

Most of the consonants are pronounced as in English, or very nearly so.

ch—always as in cheese.

g—is always hard.

h—is always pronounced, except when final.

j—always as in judge.

ng—as in king, cut off ki will leave the exact nasal sound of ng.

s—as in song, never as in choose, lose.

z—always as ds or dz; never as in zeal, zone.

k, p, and t,—as final consonants are pronounced without the slightest emission of vocal breath as there usually is in pronouncing English.