This phrasebook uses an alphabet system developed by Mohegan linguist Stephanie Fielding. She designed her alphabet to provide a standardized spelling system to overcome the many spelling inconsistencies found in various Algonkian dictionaries and documents, and to be useful to everyday people by eliminating or simplifying the complex symbols, letters, and linguistic jargon used in the various linguistic phonetic alphabets. It’s important to familiarize yourself with Fielding alphabet sounds before trying to read and say the phrases presented on the website.
The Fielding alphabet and representative sound approximations are presented below.
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| Letter | Pronunciation |
|---|---|
| m | as in the sound formed when you say mad or ham |
| n | as in the sound formed when you say not or run |
| q | as in the sound formed when you say squint or equip (even at the end of a word) |
| sh | as in the sound formed when you say show or wash |
| w | as in the sound formed when you say in what or will |
| y | as in the sound formed when you say yawn or yet |
| c(j) | (at the beginning of a word) as in the sound formed when you say ‘J’ in Jerry |
| c(ch) | (within a word) as in the sound formed when you say chicken or church (even when ‘c’ is the last letter) |
| h | as in the sound formed when you say ahead or ahoy. (Unlike English, ‘h’ must always be pronounced.) |
| k | (beginning or end of a word) as in the sound formed when you say skill or ski |
| k | (within a word) as in the ‘g’ sound formed when you say give |
| p | as in the sound formed when you say spy or spill (beginning or end of a word) |
| p | (within a word) as in the sound ‘b’ formed when you say but |
| s | as in the sound formed when you say sew and stop (and sometimes like the ‘z’ sound in nasal or rose) |
| t | (beginning or end of a word) as in the sound formed when you say tall or stay |
| t | (within a word) as in the sound formed when you say ‘d’ in dump |
Vowels
English sometimes employs subtle changes when pronouncing vowels within different words. In Algonkian, vowels have only six fixed sounds. Four are long sounds and two are very short sounds. There is no written ‘e’ vowel in the Fielding alphabet system.
Short Vowel Sounds:
| Vowel | Pronunciation |
|---|---|
| a | as in the sound formed when you say pat (ah) |
| u | as in the sound formed when you say but (uh) |
Long Vowel Sounds:
| Vowel | Pronunciation |
|---|---|
| á | as in the sound formed when you say father (aa) |
| i | as in the sound formed when you say knee (ee) |
| o | as in the sound formed when you say boot (oo) |
| ô | as in the sound formed when you say raunchy (aun) |
| ô | (before a ‘p’) as in the sound formed when you say romp (om) |
Blends:
Blends are subtle sounds formed when an Algonkian vowel precedes the letters Y or W. The blended sound begins as the vowel sound then moves toward the Y or the W.
| Blend | Pronunciation |
|---|---|
| ay | as in the sound formed when you say fight (eye) |
| áy | as in the sound formed when you say science (eyee) |
| aw | as in the sound formed when you say ouch (aow) |
| áw | as in the sound formed when you say foul (aowuh) |
| uw | as in the sound formed when you say the last ‘o’ in tomato (owe) |
| uy | as in the sound formed when you say oyster (oyee) |