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The Tlingít alphabet is grouped here by vowels and consonants. The consonants are further grouped by where the sound is made in the mouth.  Click the U symbol to hear the sounds in the Tlingit language and words containing those sounds.

a, aa, e, ei  +  i, ee, u, oo  +  t, t', d  +  ts, ts', dz, tl, tl', dl  +  s, s', n, l, l'  +  ch, ch', j, sh  +  k, k', g, kw, k'w, gw  +  x, x', xw, x'w  +  k, k', g, kw, k'w, gw  +  x, x', xw, x'w  +  w, y, h, .

Vowels Tlingit vowels come in pairs of short (a) and long (aa). The tone mark over a vowel (á) means that your voice rises when saying that syllable. The underline (kw) in the writing system represents sounds that are made deep in the throat. The period in the alphabet (.) represents a sound called a “glottal stop”.  This sound is like the catch in your throat between the two syllables in “Uh-Oh”.

a axáa (paddle) U U aa aas (tree)   U U e té (rock)   U U ei éil' (salt) U U

a, aa, e, ei  +  i, ee, u, oo  +  t, t', d  +  ts, ts', dz, tl, tl', dl  +  s, s', n, l, l'  +  ch, ch', j, sh  +  k, k', g, kw, k'w, gw  +  x, x', xw, x'w  +  k, k', g, kw, k'w, gw  +  x, x', xw, x'w  +  w, y, h, .

 

 

 

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