Shoshoni has thirty different consonant sounds.
Some of these sounds are represented with one letter
and others with two letters.
Nine of the consonants in Shoshoni are pronounced roughly
the same as in English.
|
ch (as in "church") |
n (as in "now") |
sh (as in "short")
|
|
j (as in "jail") |
ng (as in "finger") |
ts (as in "cats")
|
| m (as in "mom") | s (as in "soon") |
z (as in "zoo")
|
The other twenty-one Shoshoni consonants
do not have English equivalents.
| Shoshoni Letter | Shoshoni word |
English sound equivalent
|
| b | baa' water
sohoo'bi tree |
"b" in "boy"
"v" in "have"
|
|
-b |
sii-bungu sheep |
"b" in "boy"
|
| d |
deheya' deer
ada' mother's brother
|
"d" in "deer"
"tt" in "better" when pronounced fast
|
| -d |
duu-daiboo' African-American
|
"d" in "deer"
|
|
dz |
Dzoon John |
"dz" in "adze"
|
|
f |
naafaite six |
sound made when blowing out a candle
|
|
g
|
gaa' rat
daga' male friend
|
"g" as in "go"
sound made when gargling but softer
|
| hk | beaichehku morning |
audible "h" before the "k"
|
|
hn |
gahni house |
audible "h" before the "n"
|
|
hs |
buhihseagu sprouting |
audible "h" before the "s"
|
|
ht |
himbaigandengahtu for how much? |
audible "h" before "t"
|
|
hw |
nehwe we (DUAL/EXCLUSIVE)
|
"wh" in "which" |
|
hy |
wihyu then, and then, but
|
"h" in "huge" |
|
k |
duka under |
"k" in "skit"
|
|
mm |
dommo winter |
"m" in "ham" but held twice as long
|
| nn | hinni what |
"n" in "on" but held twice as long
|
|
p |
ape' father |
"p" in "spot"
|
|
t |
nazatewa' door |
"t" in "stop"
|
|
w |
waapi Utah juniper (cedar)
dawi' younger brother
|
"w" in "way"
"w" pronounced through the nose
|
|
y |
yamba wild carrots (yampa root)
guyungwi'yaa' turkey
|
"y" in "yes"
"y" pronounced through the nose
|
|
zh |
dai'zhi (man's) sister's husband
|
"s" in "pleasure" |
' |
da'oo' dried, powdered meat
|
sound in "oh, oh" |