(1) Precision in pronunciation

Practice saying these out loud and make sure they sound different:

ma         /muh/ like huh

mah       /mah/ like mock, lock

 

nu          lower pitched, like /u/ in put

na           higher pitched, like /uh/ in huh

 

uch        rhymes with pitch

ach        rhymes with hutch

 

wan         rhymes with pun

waan       rhymes with pawn

 

iin       like een in eenie meenie mynie mo
un       like inn

nihl     non aspitated h breaks the sound

niil

 

aa       awww
ah       aah

 

ne       rhymes with yeah
neh     rhymes with say, non aspitated h breaks the sound

 

thi       tuh HEE
tii        tee

 

eh       /a/ like ape with a closing of the throat, stopping the sound
ee       /a/ like apple

 

 

(2)  Pronounce the following words

refer to pronunciation helpers below to check accuracy

 

apwáan   bread
Ktahwáalul   I love you
Néewa   four
Mbíilsi   I am cleaning
Péetoow   He is bringing it.
Kwúkal   His mother
Kuk   Your mother

/up WAAWN/
/ku TAH huWAW lull/
/NAYuh wuh/
/BEELsee/
/PATow/
/KWUKuhl/
/KECK/

(3) Spelling practice:

Writing English words using Munsee spelling paradigms will help learn the system.

The English word ”mad” => meed
hawk => haak
up => ap

Exercise: Write the following English words using the Munsee system :
(a)
paw
pay
pan
loud
mock

(b)
lawn
lion
had
hid

(c)

odd
money
hum
plight
at

(d)
it
doom
dump
now
joke

(e)
boat
bee
no
lock
log

(f)
Leah
iowa
hippie
Mowing
leak

 

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ANSWERS

paa

peh
peen
lawd
mahk

(b)
laan
layun
heed
hid

(c)

ahd
manii or manih
ham
playt
eet

(d)
it
dum
damp
naw
juwk or jook

(e)
boot
bii or bih
no or nuw
lahk
laag

(f)
leew
ayoowa
hipih or hipii
mwuwiing or muhwiing or mohwiing or maw’wiing
liik