This page shows example words and some explanations for Palauan pronunciations of the Palauan letters and various blends.
For more thorough explanations, please refer to the Malsol and Josephs books.

 

Palauan Sounds


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Audio    LettersPalauanExplanation
a
chad
sounds like English word car
ae
rael;
baeong;
baelengel;
orreuaes;
chemaet;
kaer
ai
bail;
kldoraib;
toitai;
melkaik
ao
daob;
obeberaod;
ultingaol;
klloaol
au
chaus;
ngellau;
kausechesech;
omengesiau;
rirriau
b
tub;
tilecheb;
mengob
sounds like p at end of words
b
brer;
btuch;
btar;
btuu;
bduu
sounds like p at front of words followed by most consonants
b
blai;
buik
sounds like b at front of words when followed by l or vowel
bk
bkul;
bkisall;
bkuuk;
bkebkall
bl
blai;
bloes;
blekeradel;
blngob
bng
bngak;
bngal;
bngei;
bngob;
bngebngel
ch
chais;
chad;
charm
sound like ice; odd; arm.
ch
chull,
chiull,
iull,
iuul
ch
rachel;
meched;
dengchokl;
olechiis
glottal stop when in middle or end of words
d
daob;
medal
sounds like halfway between d and 'th.' Almost like 'dh'
dk
dkois;
dmak;
dngod;
drumk
sounds like halfway between d and 'th.' Almost like 'dh'
e
sers
sounds like English word red
ea
eanged;
kileald;
meanges;
ulngeasek;
okeangel
ee
deel;
melteet;
kleed;
metekeel;
ngees
sounds like English word stale
ei
chei;
olsesei;
keis;
ngalimesei;
edeichem
eo
eolt;
keoll;
oleong;
sekocheoch;
ouraelkeobel
eu
kleu;
udeul;
eungem;
meteu;
modeuades;
keuert;
chelleleu;
euaitiud;
uleuoll;
cheuais;
chileuertii;
bekeuel
f
Furusato;
fenda
(borrowed words)
h
Huan;
honto;
haibio;
harau;
Hesus;
hoter
(borrowed words)
i
sils
sounds like English word tin
ia
diall;
iau;
ngiaoch;
chiach;
odekiar;
dongchiang
ie
iedel;
iengel;
kiengei;
mechieb;
ngiekii;
deliekl;
kedesauliengel
ii
ngii;
terriid;
mrelmii;
chelebechiil;
bekokuii;
ochemiil;
choielii
sounds like English word seen
io
dioll;
tsiok;
okiokl;
chetioll;
orokioliu;
milekioud
iu
iungs;
recheliu;
cheriut;
kdemiu;
uliuid;
riuoru;
mekekikiut;
mechiuaiu
k
olekar;
olekiis;
mekeald;
rekas;
milkolk
sounds like g if between vowels
k
kar;
ker;
kahol
sounds like k if at front, end or next to consonant
kb
kbokb;
klou;
kldoraib;
klsakl;
klsib;
klteket;
kmard;
kngtil;
ksous;
ktuib
sounds like k if at front, end or next to consonant
kd
kdekudel,
kdor,
kdill,
kdul,
kdoel
kl
kemedukl;
mengitakl;
sumechokl;
mimokl;
bikl
kng
kngtil;
kngibech
kt
rakt;
sikt;
medakt
l
lius;
blai;
llel;
laok;
melai;
rael;
mengol;
melib;
olik
sounds like l. 'll' sounds like strongly emphasized l
ld
cheldukl;
kldemel;
bldoel;
uldubech;
ldaol;
ldesel;
ldall
lk
lkes;
lkem;
lkungel;
lkil
ll
llel;
llach;
kall;
techall;
mellemau;
kelloi;
mellib;
ollik
lm
delmerab;
ralm
lm
lmangel;
lmed,
lmodech;
lmuches,
lmuut,
lmiu
separate syllable
ls
bilsengel;
milseseb;
lsal;
lsecham;
lsekum
lt
eolt;
ltel;
ltang;
ltkel
m
mchibii;
mdelmii;
mkisii;
mngeklii;
mrechii;
msebsii;
mtechir
seperate syllable when at front followed by constantants except for l
m
mur;
smecher;
demmam
sounds like m. 'mm' is strongly emphasized or repeated in successive syllables.
ml
mlai;
mle;
mlemlil;
mlechii
syllabic blend when at front followed by l
n-
namari;
nas;
nebtai;
nori;
nurs
(borrowed words)
ng
ngais,
nice,
ngor,
nor
contrast Palauan words with 'ng' to comparable English words with just 'n'
ng
kangkei;
kangngob;
bangngo;
bangk;
bangkeik
(borrowed words)
ng
ngau;
ngor;
nguis;
meleng;
iungs;
ng
oles.
sounds like 'ng' (ŋg); syllabic blend.
ng
ngklem;
Ngkeklau;
nglaos;
nglatech;
ngmasech;
ngmui;
ngmai;
ng
blai;
ng
mlai;
ngmatel.
separate syllable; may be pronounced as 'm' when followed by B or M. May be pronounced as 'n' when followed by T, D, S, or R.
However, surveys on facebook seem to contradict these: ng as m and ng as n.
o
ngor
sounds like English word home
o-
omechas,oumechas,omalk,oumalk,omenged,oumenged,ongalek,oungalek,oked,ouked
o- sounds different from ou-
oa
oach;
doedoall;
sokoakl;
mekoar;
choas;
doall;
ulekoad
oe
boes;
bengoel;
oeached;
toechelel;
oeng;
mengetoem;
melengoes;
tilboech
oi
rois;
boid;
choiroir;
melidoid;
mengiloil;
soiseb;
chachoit;
ngloik
oo
dekool;
telooch;
cheldool;
silekool
sounds like English word soul
ou
klou;
ouang;
kasoues;
touch;
omerous;
blerrous
p
Papa;
nappa
(borrowed words)
r
kar;
rekas;
char
sounds like English tapped r as in 'matter' and 'ladder'
rd
rdiil;
rsel;
resechek;
rtangel
seperate syllable when followed by consonant and at front of words
rr
rrom;
rruul;
orrebet;
terriid;
kerrekar;
rrat;
rretengel
strongly emphasized; can be trilled.
rt
dort;
kurtii;
bart;
ochertall;
mertii
s
siseball;
mesuub;
bilis
sounds like s
sm
smiich;
smecher;
smosau;
smaod;
smeked;
smuuch
t
teruich;
tuu;
tutau;
omart
sounds like t
tb
tbak;
tbil;
tbetball;
tbmam;
tbidel;
tbebum
tk
tkael;
tkul;
tkool;
tkeuel;
tkekill;
tkoall;
letkiu;
betkou;
ketked;
klautkeu
tm
tmuul;
tmeteu;
tmak;
tmuu
tng
tngakl;
tngekll;
tnged;
tngeklel
ts
tsios;
tsiui;
tsesa;
tsuingam
(borrowed words)
u
bung
sounds like English word tube
ua
sualo;
sualed;
kauar;
tuabd;
uauch;
uasai;
ouuas
ue
chesuerngam;
ocheduel;
iliuekl;
dileuedeuii;
klaiuedingel
ui
buil;
oduis;
oltuir;
merkui;
nguik;
ruidm
uo
suobel;
kuoll;
tuong;
diluodo;
menguodel;
eimuo;
kiuoku;
mekuoku,
tuobed
uu
beluu;
uluud;
luuetang;
bkuuk;
uudes;
uul;
uuked;
olidiuul
sounds like English word blue
z
zori;
daiziob;
miuzium;
ziu
ə
ngikel
sounds like English word nickel