Pronouncing Anishinabe words is simple! Starting with the "a" sound, it usually sounds like the ah in ah-choo. The b and p
sounds are the same and sound like ba (as in bud but without pronouncing the ending d sound), bi (as in pronouncing the
English letter b), bo (as in boat but without pronouncing the ending t sound), and boo (as in pronouncing boot but without
pronouncing the ending t sound), and pa, pi, po, and poo are the same. Another important fact about the Anishinabe "oo"
vowel sound, is the many variations it comes in such as in boo and poo, and goo and koo, and soo and shoo, and just the simple
oo sound. The "g" sound always sounds like English
words like gave, get, give, and so on, excepting when a wa, wi, wo, and woo follows. An example includes, the Anishinabe word for fish which
is gigo. You pronounce it
as you would pronounce the English word geek, but without pronouncing the ending k sound. So it sounds like gi-go. Of course
the go part of gigo sounds like the English word go. The Anishinabe "g" sounds are identical to the Anishinabe b and p
sounds. They sound like ga, gi, go, and goo, excepting when the wa, wi, wo, and woo follows. They sound like gwa, gwi, gwo, and gwoo.
The same applies to the Anishinabe "k" sounds. They sound like ka, ki, ko, and
koo, excepting when the wa, wi, wo, and woo follows. They sound like kwa, kwi, kwo, and kwoo. The Anishinabe "s" sounds are
identical to
the Anishinabe b and p sounds, and the g and k sounds, excepting when a wa, wi, wo, and woo follows. They sound like Swa,
Swi, Swo, and Swoo. They sound like sa,
si, so, soo.
The same applies to the Anishinabe "sh" and "zh" sounds. They sound like sha, shi, sho, and shoo, and
zha, zhi, zho, and zhoo. The Anishinabe "m" and "n" sounds are also identical to the Anishinabe b and p sounds, g and k
sounds, and so on. They sound like ma, mi, mo, and moo, and na, ni, no, and noo. The Anishinabe "ch" sounds sound like
the English words cheat, chick, chuck and so on. They sound like cha, chi, cho, and choo. Anishinabe vowels are easy as
well. The most important being probably the Anishinabe "e" vowel, which always sounds like day, gay, may, pay and so on.
I write the Anishinabe "e" vowel sound as it is pronounced as in the Anishinabe word for the number three, which is in-sway.
Whenever you see an ay, in the Anishinabe word i have written, it sounds like the sounds in English words like day, gay, may,
pay and so on. Then we have Anishinabe words which end in either "sh" or "zh" to pronounce. You pronounce them as you would
with English words like crush, brush, and hush. We also have the Anishinabe words which have the "j" sound. You pronounce
those Anishinabe words with the "j" sound like English words like join, judge and just. They sound like ja, ji, jo, and joo. We also
have the Anishinabe "j" sound in the middle of the word before a consonant. We pronounce those Anishinabe words like
the Anishinabe word for later, which is na-gaj, as that. They are also spelled with a ch on many occasions.
When you see an "ai" in
Anishinabe words, particularly in the middle of those words, they sound like na-i-gan. The Anishinabe "i" vowel sounds
like the English letter e. An example would be the Anishinabe words for book and lake. You pronounce them like
ma-zi-na-i-gan,
and za-ga-i-gan. The Anishinabe "ii" vowel sounds identical to English words like lean, seen and teen. When you see an oak
at the end of a syllable, you know it sounds like the English words oak, broke, smoke and so on. When you see an
Anishinabe syllabic written below with the Anishinabe "ii" vowel, you know it sounds like lean, seen and teen.
When you see an e at the end of an Anishinabe syllabic below, you know it sounds like the English words bone, home, loan,
and tone. Even if the syllabic ends with a s or z, such as bones, homes, loans and tones. When you see an "ie" at the end of
an Anishinabe syllabic below, you know it sounds like the sound in English words like die, tie and why. I have written the Anishinabe words like syllabics in order for you to correctly pronounce the Anishinabe
words. When you see b, d, t, g, k, s, z, at the end of an Anishinabe word, they have the ending b, d, t, g, k, s, and z
sounds. Not the
beginning.
General Words
i (me) = niin
you = giin
he/she him/her = wiin
they = wiin-wa
we (exclusive) niin-way
we (inclusive) = giin-way
baby = bi-no-jiis - plural bi-no-jiis-ak
bank = zhone-ya-ga-mik - plural zhon-ya-ga-mi-gone
bay = wi-kwayd-done - plural wi-kwayd-done-an
bed = ni-ba-gun - plural ni-ba-gun-an
behind = ah-gwi
belt = chip-zo-win - plural chip-zo-win-an
beside = sha-wi
bike = bom-web-shki-gan - plural bom-web-shki-gan-ak
blanket = wa-bo-won - plural wa-bo-won-non
boat = ji-mun - plural ji-mun-an
boy = gwi-zes - plural gwi-says-ak
can (as in a can of pop) = kiik-wa-bik - plural kiik-wa-bi-goak
car = da-bun - plural da-bun-ak
cards (as in a deck of playing cards) = tod-win - plural tod-win-ak
center = na-na-gwi
chair = pab-win - plural pab-win-an
child = bi-no-jii - plural bi-no-jii-ak
clock = da-ba-giis-won - plural da-ba-giis-won-ak
close = ji-gi
cloud = an-kwad - plural an-kwa-done
coat = biis-ka-wa-gan - plural biis-ka-wa-gan-an
cup = mi-nik-kwa-ja-gan - plural mi-nik-kwa-ja-gan-an
curtain = wa-sej-ji-ga-ni-gin - plural wa-sej-ji-ga-ni-gin-ak
door = shkwan-dim - plural shkwa-day-min
dress = mi-chi-go-day - plural mi-chi-go-day-an
drum = ah-day-way-gan - plural ah-day-way-gan-ak
dryer = bin-gwash-chi-gun - plural bin-gwash-chi-gun-an
earth = ah-ki
far = wa-sa
feather = mi-gwan - plural mi-gwan-ak
flower = wa-was-kwa-nay - plural wa-was-kwa-nayn
forest = mi-tig-wa-ki - plural mi-tig-wa-kiin
fork = pi-da-ki-ji-gun - plural pi-da-ki-ji-gun-an
garden/field = ki-ti-gan - plural ki-ti-gan-an
girl = kway=zes - plural kwa-zes-ak
glass = na-tas - plural na-tas-san
glove = mi-ji-ka-win - plural mi-ji-ka-win-ak
grass = mis-kones
grocery store = min-ji-mi-o-da-way-ga-mik - plural min-ji-mi-o-da-way-ga-mi-gone
hat = wi-kwan - plural wi-kwan-an
hospital = ah-kwa-zi-ga-mik - plural ah-kwa-zi-ga-mi-gone
how = ah-nish
ice = mi-kwam
in = bin-ji
island = mi-nis - plural mi-nis-an
jet ski = zhosh-ki-bi-say - plural zhos-ki-bi-say-ak
kitchen = ji-ba-kway-ga-mik - plural ji-ba-kway-ga-mi-gone
knife = moak-ah-man - plural moak-ah-man-an
lake = za-gi-gan - plural za-gi-gan-an
leaf = ni-bish - plural ni-bi-shan
man = ni-ni - plural nin-walk
medicine = mush-ki-ki
mirror = wa-bi-mo-win - plural wa-bi-mo-win-an
moon = di-bik gi-sis
motel = gi-bay-shi-ga-mik - plural gi-bay-shi-ga-mi-gone
near = bay-sha
on = gij-ji
pants = miik-not - plural miik-not-an
pen/pencil = zhi-bi-ga-na-tik - plural zhi-bi-ga-na-tik-oak
picture = mi-zin-chi-gan - plural mi-zin-chi-gan-ak
pillow = pa-kwesh-mo-win - plural pa=kwesh-mo-win-an
plane = bas-chi-gan - plural bas-chi-gan-ak
plate = na-gun - plural na-gun-an
restaurant = shan-gay-ga-mik - plural shan-gay-ga-mi-gone
river = zi-bi - plural zi-biin
road = mi-kon - plural mi-kon-an
sand = nay-kway-ki
school bus = ki-no-ma-gay-da-bun - plural ki-no-ma-gay-da-bun-ak
soap = gi-zi-bi-gi-ni-gan - plural gi-zi-bi-gi-ni-gan-an
school = ki-no-ma-gay-ga-mik - plural ki-no-ma-gay-ga-mi-gone
shirt = pab-gway-yun - plural -pab-gway-yun-an
shoe = mi-ki-zin - plural mi-ki-zin-an
sleigh = on-ko-say - plural on-ko-say-ak
soak = mi-das - plural mi-das-san
snow = gone
snow mobile = zhosh-ki-bi-say - plural zhosh-ki-bi-say-ak
spoon = im-kwan - plural im-kwan-an
spring (as in a water spring) = ti-ki-bi - plural ti-ki-biin
star = nan-gone - plural nan-gone-ik
stone/rock pi-sin - plural pi-sin-in
store = o-da-way-ga-mik - plural o-da-way-ga-mi-gone
stove = gi-zhub-ki-zi-gan - plural gi-zhub-ki-zi-gan-an
sun = gi-sis
table = dop-win - plural dop-win-an
telephone = gi-ga-do-bi-yup-kones
town = o-day-no - plural o-day-none
tree = mi-tig - plural mi-ti-goak
train = shkwa-day-da-bun - plural shkwa-day-da-bun-ak
vaccum cleaner = wi-kwas-chi-gan - plural wi-kwas-chi-gan-an
washer = gi-zi-bi-gi-ni-gay ma-kuk
what = weg-ah-nesh
when = way-nesh-pi
where = ah-ni-pish
which = weg-ay-nen
why = ah-ni-dash
window = wa-sej-ja-gan - plural wa-sej-ja-gan-an
women = kway - plural kway-walk
