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"There are a lot of sounds in Tlingit that aren't present in English," said Rosita Worl, president of the institute.
There are approximately 30,000 Tlingits across the U.S., and the institute often hears from people who want access to proper pronunciation, she said.
At www.sealaskaheritage.org/programs/language_resources.htm, the page allows people to hear sounds from the Tlingit alphabet, and how they are used in words.
Making the sounds may not seem natural for English speakers. The site gives information about where the speaker needs to place the tongue. The "kw" sound, for example comes from deep in the throat.
It also has a phrase of the week. This week's is the Tlingit expression meaning "it's good to see you."
"Our main goals are to assist Native language teachers by providing downloadable resources they can use in their classrooms and to make materials accessible to learners everywhere who do not have access to fluent speakers," Worl said.
The resource was developed by the language department, headed by Language Director Keri Edwards.
"This is only one aspect of our work on language materials, both in Tlingit and Haida," Worl said.
Andy Hope, southeast regional coordinator of the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative, said accurate access to spoken Tlingit is badly needed.
"Making it accessible on the Web is the best media," he said, He also has been working on developing Internet resources for educators. Keeping Tlingit alive is important, Hope said. He believes it could help keep Native youths in school.
"The Native kids need something to connect to," he said. "We're down to less than a handful of Haida speakers in Southeast Alaska. We're getting to that point in Tlingit, too."