List of Letters
The letters of the Basque alphabet are the 26 letters of the ISO basic Latin alphabet plus the ñ (and the ç, as a variant of the c).
This is the whole list, plus the IPA phonology:
Letter | Basque name | Pronounciation |
---|---|---|
A | a | /a/ |
B | be | /b/ |
C | ze* (and its variant Ç ze hautsia*) | /s/, /k/ |
D | de | /d/, /d̪/, /ð/ |
E | e | /e/ |
F | efe | /f/ |
G | ge | /g/, /ɣ/ |
H | hatxe | ∅, /h/ |
I | i | /i/, /i̭/ |
J | jota | /j/, /x/, /ʝ/, /ɟ/ |
K | ka | /k/ |
L | ele | /l/ |
M | eme | /m/ |
N | ene | /n/ |
Ñ | eñe | /ɲ/ |
O | o | /o/ |
P | pe | /p/ |
Q | ku* | /k/ |
R | erre | /r/, /ɾ/ |
S | ese | /s̺/ |
T | te | /t/, /t̪/ |
U | u | /u/, /u̯/ |
V | uve* | /b/, /β/ |
W | uve bikoitza* | /u̯/ |
X | ixa | /ʃ/ |
Y | i grekoa* | /i/, /i̭/ |
Z | zeta | /s̻/ |
* Although letters C, Ç, Q, V, W, and Y are not used in writing traditional |
All letters and digraphs represent unique phonemes. The main exception is when l or n are preceded by i, that in most dialects palatalizes their sound into /ʎ/ and /ɲ/, even if these are not written. Hence, Ikurriña can also be written Ikurrina without changing the sound, while the proper name Ainhoa requires the mute h to break the palatalization of the n.
H is mute in most regions, but in the Northeast is pronounced in many places, the main reason for its existence in the Basque alphabet. Its acceptance was a matter of contention during the standardization since the speakers of the most extended dialects had to learn where to place these h's, silent for them.
Read more about this topic: Basque Alphabet
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