The Mara Alphabet (Aw)
Master the sounds of Mara: vowels, consonants, and tones.
Before you start speaking, you must understand the Mara Alphabet (Aw). Mara uses the Latin script, but some letters have unique pronunciations.
The Vowels (Sâ)
Mara has distinct vowel sounds. Mastering these is key to sounding like a native.
| Vowel | IPA | Sound | English Approximate |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | /a/ | ”uh” | Like ‘a’ in about or ‘a’ in father |
| AW | /ɔ/ | ”aw” | Like ‘aw’ in saw |
| Y | /y/ | ”eu/ue” | No English equivalent. Like French ‘u’ or German ‘ü’ |
| I | /i/ | ”ee” | Like ‘ee’ in see |
| Ô | /o/ | ”oh” | Like ‘o’ in go (but shorter/rounder) |
| U | /u/ | “oo” | Like ‘oo’ in boot |
| E | /e/ | ”ay” | Like ‘ay’ in say |
| AO | /au/ | ”ow” | Like ‘ow’ in cow |
Pro Tip: The letter Y is very common. Try shaping your lips to say “oo” but try to say “ee”.
Consonants (Dâ)
Most consonants are similar to English, but watch out for these:
- CH: Hard, like in church.
- NG: Nasal, like in sing.
- H: Aspirated. When before a letter (like Hn, Hm), it means you breathe out through your nose.
Tones (Di)
Mara is a tonal language. The meaning changes based on pitch. We use symbols to mark some tones:
- ^ (Circumflex): Indicates a long, slightly falling or high tone.
- Examples: Sâ (Red), Nâ (You).
- Default: Short and flat.
- Examples: Sa (Meat), Na (Your/To be/suffix).
Practice
- Read aloud: A, AW, Y, I, Ô, U, E, AO.
- Practice the difference: Sa (short) vs Sâ (long).
- Try saying Hnô (Start with a puff of air through your nose, then say ‘noh’).