Pronunciation Chart

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Consonants

p	pipa:m̓	‘frog’	p is pronounced like the p in the English word “put”.
p̓	p̓əq̓	‘white’	p̓ is pronounced like p, but it is glottalized, so it pops.
t	ten	‘mother’	t is pronounced as in the English word “take”.
t̕	t̕iləm	‘sing’	t̓ is pronounced like t, but it is glottalized, so it pops.
k	kəpu	‘coat’	k occurs in borrowed words such as kəpu “coat” (from French), and is pronounced as in the English word “key”.
kʷ	kʷəxʷəθ	‘coho’	kʷ is pronounced the same as qu in the English word “queen”.
k̓ʷ	k̓ʷəl̕ə	‘belly’	k̓ʷ is pronounced like the Hun’q’umi’num’ kʷ, but it is glottalized, so it pops.
q	qəl	‘bad’	q is pronounced a bit like the English k sound, but the tongue is pulled much farther back in the throat. The back of the tongue touches the soft palate near the uvula.
q̓	q̓aq̓iʔ	‘to be sick’	q̓ is pronounced like the Hun’q’umi’’num’ q, but it is glottalized, so it pops.
qʷ	qʷel	‘speak’	qʷ is pronounced like the Hun’q’umi’’num’ q, with the lips rounded as when making the w sound.
q̓ʷ	q̓ʷi:n̓	‘ear’	q̓ʷ is pronounced like the Hun’q’umi’’num’ qʷ, but it is glottalized, so it pops.
ʔ	laʔθən	‘plate’	ʔ (read “glottal stop” or ʔənəxʷ) is pronounced as a catch in the throat, or a sudden beginning or end to a word.
t̓ᶿ	t̓ᶿaʔkʷs	‘seven’	t̓ᶿ is pronounced as a single sound which is much like the English t plus th in the phrase “cut thin”, but glottalized, meaning that it pops.
c	ckʷim	‘red’	c is pronounced much like ts in the English word “bats”, but as a single sound.
c̓	c̓ew̓iʔ	‘shell, china’	c̓ is pronounced like the Hun’q’umi’’num’ c, but it is glottalized, so it pops.
č	hay čxʷ q̓ə	‘thank you’	č is pronounced as in ch in the English word “cheap”.
ƛ	ƛ̓ełəm	‘salt’	ƛ̓ (read as barred lambda) is made by holding the tongue as for an l sound and making a sort of clicking sound by releasing (lowering to allow noisy air to pass through) the side or sides of the tongue. Note that it is glottalized, so the clicking aspect of the sound is partly due to the poppy quality from a build up of air pressure in the mouth.
θ	θaθən	‘mouth’	θ (read as theta) is pronounced as in the English word “thin” (but never as in “then”).
s	sitən	‘basket’	s is pronounced like the s in the English word “sit” (never like the z sound in “hose”).
š	šxʷimelə	‘store’	š is pronounced as in sh in the English word “shore”.
ł	łixʷ	‘three’	ł (read as barred l) is made by holding the tongue as in l but producing a sound more like š (or English sh). This is done by holding one or both sides of the tongue a little ways away from the back teeth so some air can pass by, making a hissing sound. ł is also sometimes written as ɬ (looped l).
x	ʔiməx	‘walk’	x is pronounced like how some speakers of English pronounce hu is words like “human” or “hue”, where the body of the tongue is positioned much like y as in “yellow”, raised but not quite touching the roof of the mouth, allowing some noisy air to pass through, making a hissing sound. It is also quite similar to how sh is pronounced in the word “shoe”, and you will hear speakers of Hul’q’umi’num’ dialect use š instead of x.
xʷ	xʷəlməxʷ	‘Indian’	xʷ is pronounced much like the wh in the English word “which” for speakers who pronounce “which” differently from “witch”. The back of the tongue is raised, in the position for k, but it does not quite touch the roof of the mouth, so a hissing sound is produced. The lips are rounded as in making a w sound.
x̌	x̌acaʔ	‘lake’	x̌ is pronounced with the back of the tongue near the back of the mouth. The tongue does not actually touch the roof of the mouth, so a hissing sound is produced.
x̌ʷ	x̌ʷil̕əm	‘rope’	x̌ʷ is pronounced like the Hun’q’umi’num’ x̌, but with the lips rounded as when making the w sound.
h	hewt	‘rat’	h is pronounced as in the English word “heat”.
m	men	‘father’	m is pronounced as in the English word “meet”.
m̓	leləm̓	‘house’	m̓ is pronounced like the Hun’q’umi’num’ m but glottalized, meaning that it is followed by with a catch in throat after the m, as m + ʔ. If m̓ is between two vowels where the first is stressed and not long, then the catch in the throat comes before, as ʔ + m.
n	nəc̓aʔ	‘one’	n is pronounced as in the English word “neat”.
n̓	ho:n̓	‘humpback’	n̓ is pronounced like the Hun’q’umi’num’ n but glottalized, meaning that it is followed by with a catch in throat after the n, as n + ʔ. If n̓ is between two vowels where the first is stressed and not long, then the catch in the throat comes before, as ʔ + n.
l	ləpat	‘cup’	l is pronounced like the l in the English word “long”.
l̕	spa:l̕	‘raven’	l̓ is pronounced like the Hun’q’umi’num’ l but glottalized, meaning that it is followed by with a catch in throat after the l, as l + ʔ. If l̓ is between two vowels where the first is stressed and not long, then the catch in the throat comes before, as ʔ + l.
y	yənəs	‘tooth’	y is pronounced as in the English word “yellow” (never as in “why”).
y̓	ʔəy̓	‘good’	y̓ is pronounced like the Hun’q’umi’num’ y but glottalized, meaning that it is followed by with a catch in throat after the y, as y + ʔ. If y̓ is between two vowels where the first is stressed and not long, then the catch in the throat comes before, as ʔ + y.
w	weč	‘clock’	w is pronounced as in the English word “will”.
w̓	swiw̓ləs	‘boy’	w̓ is pronounced like the Hun’q’umi’num’ w but glottalized, meaning that it is followed by with a catch in throat after the w, as w + ʔ. If w̓ is between two vowels where the first is stressed and not long, then the catch in the throat comes before, as ʔ + n.

Vowels

i	ʔiməθ	‘grandchild’	i is similar to the vowel sound in the English words “meet” and “meat”. It may sound more like the ay in the English “may” when it follows uvular sounds (q, q̓, qʷ, and q̓ʷ).
i:	mi:t̓	‘blue grouse’	i: is pronounced like the Hun’q’umi’num’ i, but it is held longer.
e	ten	‘mother’	e is pronounced like the vowels in the English words “bet” or “bait”. When it is at the end of a word, or followed by q, q’, x, or ‘unuhw, e is pronounced like the vowel in the English word “bat”.
e:	k̓ʷe:c̓	‘dogfish’	e: is pronounced like the Hun’q’umi’’num’ e, but it is held longer.
u	kəpu	‘coat’	u is pronounced like the oo in the English word “zoo” (but without the w sound at the end). Hun’q’umi’’num’ words with this sound have come in from French, Chinook Jargon, or English.
u:	tu:xʷ	‘nine’	u: is pronounced like the Hun’q’umi’’num’ u, but it is held longer. This sound is only in a few words.
o:	ho:n̓	‘humpback’	o: is pronounced much like in the English word “boat”, but it is held longer. This sound is only in a few words, and there is no regular, short version o.
a	ʔapən	‘ten’	a is pronounced much like the a in the English word “father”.
a:	spa:l̕	‘raven’	a: is pronounced like the Hun’q’umi’’num’ a, but it is held longer.
ə	mən̓ə	‘child’	ə (read schwa) is pronounced much like the u in the English word “stuff” or the a in the English word “about”.