Note: throughout this lesson you can always listen to how the words are pronounced by clicking on the images within the boxes beside this:

In this lesson we will take the four consonants

We start with an Example:

Observation:

1. The shape of these letters ( and the rest of the alphabets ) changes depending on their position in the word, whether:

    

   • in the beginning of the word (initial);

   • in the middle (medial);

   • or at the end (final).

    

2. ( N ) and ( S ) change shape in order to connect to the letter following it, they are connective consonents, whereas(D) and (R) are non-connective.

c) at the end of the word:

• After a connector

 

 

As you may have noticed the long vowels are written as follows:

 

	After non-connecter	After connector
aa
uu
ii

 

2) case of R

 

a) in the beginning of the word:

 

b) in the middle of the word:

• After a connector

 

• After a non-connector

 

c) at the end of the word:

• After a connector

 

• After a non-connector

 

The absence of vowels in a word is called Sukun and is transcribed "a small circle" on top of the word

 

 

3) case of N

 

a) in the beginning of the word:

 

 

b) in the middle of the word:

• After a connector
  

 

• After a non-connector

 

 

c) at the end of the word:

• After a connector

 

• After a non-connector

 

 

One last thing to note is that when the long vowel ii is in the middle of the word it is written as follows:

 

	After non-connecter	After connector
ii

 

4) case of S

 

a) in the beginning of the word:

 

 

b) in the middle of the word:

• After a connector

 

• After a non-connector

 

 

c) at the end of the word:

 

• After a non-connector

 

 

Reading exercise:

Writing exercise:
Join the letters below as in the following example:

Summary

1. The shape of the letters changes depending on their position in the word (this includes the long vowels).

2. The absence of vowel is called sukun.