Some sounds in Pwekish are represented using multiple letters, just like "ch" and "sh" in English. Unlike single letters, compound letters do not have a name. Yet, for almost all of them, still represents only one sound.
| Letter | Pronunciation |
|---|---|
| Ae ae | /ɛ/ |
| Cy cy | /s/ |
| Dy dy | /dʑ/ |
| Dz dz | /dz/ |
| Gy gy | /z/ |
| Hy hy | /ç/ |
| Ll ll | /ʎ/ |
| Ņy ņy | /ŋʲ/ |
| Oe oe | /œ/ |
| Ou ou | /u/ |
| Rl rl | /ɬ/ |
| Si si | /ɕ(ə)/ or /si/ |
| Sy sy | /ɕ/ |
| Ts ts | /ts/ |
| Ty ty | /tɕ/ |
| Ue ue | /y/ |
| Yu yu | /ɥ/ or /ju/ |
| Zy zy | /ʑ/ |
Note that "si" and "yu" represent more than one pronunciation. The actual pronunciation depends on the letter that follows it. We will discuss this in later chapter.
Some of the pronunciation does not exist in English (like those represented by "dy", "ll", "oe", "yu") and can be challenging to pronounce. You may find the following resources useful to help you practice.
1. Match the compound letters to their pronunciation.
Ae Cy Dy Dz Gy Hy Ll Ņy Oe Ou Rl Sy Ts Ty Ue Yu Zy
/ts/ /ɥ/ /œ/ /s/ /z/ /u/ /ɛ/ /ŋʲ/ /y/ /ʑ/ /dz/ /ç/ /tɕ/ /ʎ/ /ɬ/ /ɕ/ /dʑ/
Ae: /ɛ/ Cy: /s/ Dy: /dʑ/ Dz: /dz/
Gy: /z/ Hy: /ç/ Ll: /ʎ/ Ņy: /ŋʲ/
Oe: /œ/ Ou: /u/ Rl: /ɬ/ Sy: /ɕ/
Ts: /ts/ Ty: /tɕ/ Ue: /y/ Yu: /ɥ/
Zy: /ʑ/