Pronunciation Guide
All Pronunication Guide audio recordings have been provided by Myra Michano and Leah Michano.
Biigtigong alphabet:
a, aa, b, ch, d, e, g, h, i, ii, j, k, m, mb, n, nd, ng, nh, nj, ns, ny, nz, nzh, o, oo, p, s, sh, shk, shp, sht, sk, sp, t, w, y, z, zh
aa
usually sounds like these grey boxes:
hockey, father, block, plop
Leah Michano – “aa” pronunication
b
usually sounds like these grey boxes:
block, double, bolish, library
Leah Michano – “b” pronunication
(Exception) At the end of a word, “b” sounds like these grey boxes:
map, stop, leap, soap
Leah Michano – “p” pronunication
d
usually sounds like these grey boxes:
dumplings, goodness, dance, paddle
Leah Michano – “d” pronunication
(Exception) At the end of a word, “d” sounds like these grey boxes:
boat, sheet, not, hit
Leah Michano – “t” pronunication
g
usually sounds like these grey boxes:
good, logging, get, bigger
Leah Michano – “g” pronunication
(Exception) At the end of a word, “g” sounds like these grey boxes:
rock, speak, kick, smoke
Leah Michano – “k” pronunication
h (glottal stop)
usually sounds like these grey boxes:
yellow, young, yonder, yipee
Leah Michano – “y” pronunication
(Exception #1 of 3)
When a glottal stop
• appears right after a consonant and right before “w”
it sounds like these grey boxes:
should, could, would, pudding
Leah Michano – “o” pronunication
(Exception #2 of 3)
When a glottal stop
• appears right after “o,” or
• appears right after “oo,” or
• appears as a word’s final letter right after “e,” or
• appears right after a ‘rabbit-eared’ letter and right before a vowel, or
• is itself ‘rabbit-eared’
it sounds like these grey boxes:
won’t, row, sewing, town
Leah Michano – “w” pronunication
(Exception #3 of 3)
When a glottal stop
• appears right after “d” and right before “e”
it sounds like these grey boxes:
up, done, club, run
Leah Michano – “a” pronunication
j
usually sounds like these grey boxes:
jelly, lodging, jingle, badges
Leah Michano – “j” pronunication
(Exception) At the end of a word, “j” sounds like these grey boxes:
beach, patch, much, watch
Leah Michano – “ch” pronunication
k
usually sounds like these grey boxes:
kind, checkers, cool, bucket
Leah Michano – “k” pronunication
mb
usually sounds like these grey boxes:
bumblebee, lumber, thimble, ramble
Leah Michano – “mb” pronunication
nd
usually sounds like these grey boxes:
sandy, ending, condition, wonder
Leah Michano – “nd” pronunication
(Exception) At the end of a word, “nd” sounds like these grey boxes:
plant, don’t, paint, stunt
Leah Michano – “nt” pronunication
nj
usually sounds like these grey boxes:
spongey, hinges, tinged, bingeing
Leah Michano – “nj” pronunication
(Exception) At the end of a word, “nj” sounds like these grey boxes:
bench, munch, conch, wrench
Leah Michano – “nch” pronunication
nz
has no clear equivalents in English.
Leah Michano – “nz” pronunication
(Exception) At the end of a word, “nz” sounds differently, but has no clear equivalents in English.
Leah Michano – “ns” pronunication
nzh
has no clear equivalents in English.
Leah Michano – “nzh” pronunication
(Exception) At the end of a word, “nzh” sounds differently, but has no clear equivalents in English.
Leah Michano – “nsh” pronunication
o
usually sounds like these grey boxes:
should, could, would, pudding
Leah Michano – “o” pronunication
p
usually sounds like these grey boxes:
pickerel, sapling, hop, soapy
Leah Michano – “p” pronunication
sh
usually sounds like these grey boxes:
shoreline, pushing, mash, slapshot
Leah Michano – “sh” pronunication
sp
usually sounds like these grey boxes:
sport, whisper, especially, lisp
Leah Michano – “sp” pronunication
z
usually sounds like these grey boxes:
zebra, paws, keys, nosey
Leah Michano – “z” pronunication
(Exception) At the end of a word, “z” sounds like these grey boxes:
moss, ice, pass, greasy
Leah Michano – “s” pronunication
zh
usually sounds like these grey boxes:
pleasure, seizure, closure, measure
Leah Michano – “zh” pronunication
(Exception) At the end of a word, “zh” sounds like these grey boxes:
bullrush, mash, wash, push
Leah Michano – “sh” pronunication
