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Abkhazian phonemes
Аҧҫуа бызшәа ашьҭыбжьқәа
Here you can see and listen to all the specific phonemes of abkhazian language. Some of them are not used in the Standart Abkhazian. The corresponding standart phonems are shown with the note "cor. phon."
the specific phonemes
- гь агьежь palatalized "g" as in "girl"
- гә агәы corresponds "gw" combination
- Ҕ аҔа as french "r"
- Ҕь аҔьара as french "r" but palatalized
- Ҕә аҔәы french "r" plus "w"
- дә адәы sounds like "b" and "d" pronounced simultaneously.Place your tongue as in "d" and articulate your lips as in "b" at the same time.
- ж ажра - non-palatalized "s" in "pleasure"
- жь ажьы sounds like "s" in "pleasure"
- жә ажә as if you whistle the previous sound. Round your lips, the middle of your tongue nearly touches hard palate, the tip of your tongue must be near your lower teeth roots and the air you throw goes down.
- ҙ аҙара something medium between "z" and "zh" slightly palatalized. Cor. phon. - "з" sometimes "ш".
- зә азә as if you whistle "z" sound. Cor. phon. - жә
- ӡ аӡы corresponds "dz" combination
- ӡ’ аӡ’ара medium between "dz" and "j". Cor. phon. - ӡ sometimes џь
- ӡә аӡәы "dz" whistled but abrupt
- Кь акьагәа "k" as in "key"
- кә акәаas "qu" in quote
- қ ақды aspirate english "k"
- қь ақьаафыр "k" palatalized and aspirate
- қә ақә "qu" aspirate
- ҟ аҟазаара quttural "k" articulated as if expectorated deeply from throat. Don't try too hard.
- ҟь аҟьара like the previous sound but palatalized.
- ҟә Аҟәа quttural "k" followed immediatelly by "w"
- Ҧ аҧара aspirate "p"
- ҫ аҫра "s" pronounced by Sean Connery and Avril Lavigne or as spanish "s". Cor. phon. - "с".
- сә асәара whistle "s". Cor. phon. - "шә"
- тә атәарҭа sounds like "t" and "p" pronounced simultaneuosly.
Place your tongue as in "t" and articulate your lips as in "p" at the same time.
- ҭә акаҭәара previous sound but aspirate
- х ахра middle guttural "kh" somehow like scotish "ch" in "Loch" or german "ch"
- хә ахәра previous sound followed immediatelly by "w"
- х’ ах’ы guttural "h" with wheeze. Cor. phon. - "х"
- х’ә ах’әы previous sound followed immediatelly by "w". Cor. phon. - хә
- хь ахьы like abkhazian "х" but palatalized
- ҳ ҳара english "h"
- ҳә аҳәара english "h" in "heard"
- ц ац "ts"
- ц’ ац’ара between "ts" and "ch" in change. Cor. phon. - "ц"
- ҵ аҭаҵара "t" plus "ts" pronounced simultaneously
- ҵ’ аҵ’ара between ҵ and ҷ. Cor. phon. - "ҵ" sometimes "ҿ"
- цә ацәа whistle "ch" (as in "change") but abrupt
- ҵә аҵәа whistle "ҵ" but abrupt
- ҷ аҷаҷа "t" and "ch" pronounced at once
- ҿ аҿы non-aspirate and abrupt combination"tsh"
- ҽ аҽада combination"tsh"
- ш ашара "sh" without palatalization
- шь ашьра "sh" palatalized
- шә ашәҟәы whistle "sh" (as in shake)
- џ аџарџар as english "j" but without palatalization
- џь аџьа english "j" in "job"
- ҩ аҩы pronounced as if you articulate "w" (in "we") and "e" (in "be") at the same time
- ы аты as "u" "surprise"
Other phonems
- А а - as "u" in "cut"
- Б б - b
- В в - v
- Г г - g
- Д д - d
- Е е - as "a" in "cat"
- З з - z
- И и - as "i" in "dip"
- К к - non-aspirate k
- Л л - l
- М м - m
- Н н - n
- О о - o in "cold"
- П п - p
- Р р - as spanish or latin "r"
- С с - s
- Тт - t without aspiration
- У у - "oo" in "good"
- Ф ф - f
- Ч ч - as "ch" in "change"
- Ш ш - as "sh" in "show"
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