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
| Audio | Letters | Palauan | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
INSERT INTO log_bots (page,ip,agent,user,proxy) VALUES ('pronounce.php: ','34.239.173.144','CCBot/2.0 (https://commoncrawl.org/faq/)','','')