Wikilret Phonology

Phonemes

Wikilret has 20 consonants and 10 vowels.

Symbol	CXS	Description	Example
p	p	voiceless bilabial plosive	English speak [spik]
t	t	voiceless alveolar plosive	English stew [stju]
t	T	voiceless dental plosive	English thin [TIn]
d	d	voiced alveolar plosive	English dig [dIg]
k	k	voiceless velar plosive	English cat [c&t]
g	g	voiced velar plosive	English game [geim]
c	tS	voiceless postalveolar fricative	English chat [tS&t]
s	s	voiceless alveolar fricative	English seem [sim]
s	S	voiceless palatoalveolar fricative	English ship [SIp]
z	z	voiced alveolar fricative	English zoo [zu:]
f	f	voiceless dentilabial	English five [faiv]
h	x	voiceless velar fricative	Scots loch [lQx]
h	C	voiceless palatal fricative	English human [Cum&n]
j	dZ	voiced postalveolar fricative	English jab [dZ&b]
r	r	alveolar trill	Spanish perro [Pero]
l	l	alveolar lateral approximant	English lay [lei]
y	j	palatal approximant	English yes [jEs]
w	w	labiovelar approximant	English west [wEst]
m	m	bilabial nasal	English mouse [maUs]
n	n	alveolar nasal	English nap [n&p]

Plosives: p, t, d, k, g
Fricatives: c, s, f, h, z, j
Approximants: l, y, w
Trills: r
Nasals: m, n

Plosives are most frequent, followed by fricatives, then nasals and the trill, and finally approximants.

Wikilret divides vowels into low and high.: Low: a, e, i, o, u; High: ä, ë, ï, ö, ü

Symbol	CXS	Description	Example
a	&	near-open front unrounded	English tap [t&p]
ä	ei	e - close-mid front unrounded I - lax close-mid back unrounded	English ape [eip]
e	E	open-mid front unrounded	English met [mEt]
ë	i	tense close front unrounded	English be [bi:]
i	I	lax close front unrounded	English it [It]
ï	ai	a - open (low) front unrounded I - lax close front unrounded	English ice [ais]
o	o	close-mid back rounded	English old [old]
ö	u	tense close back rounded	English tooth [tuT]
u	V	open-mid back unrounded	English up [Vp]
ü	U	lax close back rounded	English foot [fUt]

The most common vowels are: a, e, ë, u.
Less common vowels: ä, i, ï
Least common vowels: ü, o, ö