The consonants are as follows:
b bá (for him) like p in spot
d díí (this) like t in stop
g gah (rabbit) like k in sky
These sounds are not truly voiced as are the sounds represented by these
letters in English, but are like the wholly unaspirated p, t, and k in
the English words given as examples.
t tó (water) tea
k ké (shoe) kit
The t and k in Navaho are much more heavily aspirated than in the
English words given in the examples, so that the aspiration has a harsh
fricative quality.
' glottal stop yá'át'ééh (it is good) unh unh, oh oh
In the American colloquial negative unh unh, and in the exclamatory
expression oh oh, the glottal stop precedes the u and the o
respectively. Or, in actual speech, the difference between Johnny earns
and Johnny yearns, is that the former has a glottal closure between the
two words.
t' yá'át'ééh (it is good)
This letter represents the sound produced by the almost simultaneous
release of the breath from the closure formed by the tip of the tongue
and the teeth and the glottal closure described previously.
k' k'ad (now)
This sound is produced in the same way as the t', except that the k
closure is formed by the back of the tongue and the soft palate.
m mósí (cat) man
n naad{á(}{á(}' (corn) no
s sis (belt) so
sh shash (bear) she
z zas (snow) zebra
zh 'ázhi' (name) azure
l laanaa (would that) let
{l-} {l-}id (smoke)
This sound is made with the tongue in exactly the same position as in
the ordinary l, but the voice box or larynx does not function. The
difference between these two l's is the same as the difference between
the b and p, d and t, or s and z. If one attempts to pronounce th as in
thin followed by l without an intervening vowel a {l-} is produced. Thus
ath{l-}ete.
h háadi (where) hot
In Navaho there are two sounds represented by the letter h. The
difference is in the intensity or fricativeness. Where h is the first
letter in a syllable it is by some pronounced like the ch of German.
This harsh pronunciation is the older, but the younger generation of
Navahos tends to pronounce the sound much as in English.
gh hooghan (hogan)
This is the voiced equivalent of the harshly pronounced variety of h,
the functioning of the voice being the only difference between the two
sounds.
j jádí (antelope) jug
This sound is an unaspirated ch, just as d and g represent unaspirated t
and k.
ch chizh (wood) church
ch' ch'il (plant)
This sound is produced in a fashion similar to the t' and k', but with
the release of the breath from the ch position and from the glottal
closure.
dz dzi{l-} (mountain) adze
ts tsa (awl) hats
ts occurs in the beginning and middle of Navaho words, but only in final
position in English.
ts' ts'in (bone)
This sound is similar to ch', except for the tongue position, and
involves the release of the breath from the glottal closure in the same
way as the other glottalized sounds.
dl beeldléí (blanket)
The dl is produced as one sound, as gl is in the word glow.
t{l-} t{l-}a (grease)
This sound is pronounced as unvoiced dl.
t{l-} t{l-}'ízí (goat)
This sound involves the release of the breath from the t position of the
tongue tip and teeth, from the contact of the sides of the tongue inside
the back teeth (normal l position), and the glottal closure. It has a
marked explosive quality. The sound is produced as a unit, as in the gl
of glow, cited above.
y yá (sky) you
w 'awéé' (baby) work