THE NAVAHO ALPHABET
The following information with regard to the Navaho alphabet and its use should prove helpful to one familiar with the English language.
VOWELS
The vowels have continental values. They are as follows, the first example being a Navaho word, the second the closest approximation to the sound in an English word:
| a | gad (juniper) | father |
| e | ké (shoe) | met |
| i | sis (belt) or as in dishááh (I'm starting) | sit or as in pique |
| o | doo (not) | note |
Vowels may be either long or short in duration, the long vowel being indicated by a doubling of the letter. This never affects the quality of the vowel, except that long i is always pronounced as in pique.
| sis (belt) is short | siziiz (my belt) is long |
Vowels with a hook beneath the letter are nasalized. That is, some of the breath passes through the nose in their production. After n, all vowels are nasalized and are not marked.