Cherokee Transcription

The Cherokee language has the continental vowel sounds a, e, i and u, but lacks o, which is replaced by a deep â. The obscure or short û lacks is frequently nasalized, but the nasal sound is seldom heard at the end of a word. The only labial is m, which occurs in probably not more than half a dozen words in the Upper and Middle dialects, and is entirely absent from the Lower dialect, in which w takes its place. The characteristic l of the Upper and Middle dialects becomes r in the Lower, but no dialect has both sounds. There is also an aspirated l; k and t have the ordinary sounds of these letters, but g and d are medials, approximating the sounds of k and t, respectively. A frequent double consonant is ts, commonly rendered ch by the old traders.

a	as in far.
ä	as in what, or obscure as in showman.
â	as in law, all.
d	medial (semisonant), approximating t.
e	as in they
ë	as in net.
g	medial (semisonant), approximating k.
h	as in hat.
i	as in pique.
ï	as in pick.
k	as in kick.
l	as in lull.
`l	surd l (sometimes written hl), nearly the Welsh ll.
m	as in man.
n	as in not.
r	takes the place of l in Lower dialect.
s	as in sin.
t	as in top.
u	as in rule.
û	as in cut.
ûñ	û nasalized
w	as in wit
y	as in you
`	a slight aspirate, sometimes indicating the omission of a vowel.

{Note: the letters with umlauts have a breve in the original.}