MayaMayan
From Maya Art and Books,
"Abstract of the Maya World."
English
Alphabet
________

a
---
---
---
b
c
---
---
d
e
---
---
---
f
g
h
i
---
---
---
j

k
l
m
n
o
---
---
---
Mayan
Uniform/
Modern
Spelling
_______

a
a'
aa
a'a
b
k
ch
ch'
---
e
e'
ee
e'e
---
---
h
i
i'
ii
i'i
j

k'
l
m
n
o
o'
oo
o'o
Pronounced
Like . . .
____________________________

"a" in father
"a" with glottal stop*
"a" held longer
glottal stop between
English "b"
English "k"
"ch" in much or chin
"ch" with glottal stop
---
"e" in net
"e" with glottal stop
"e" held longer
glottal stop between
---
---
English "h"
"ee" in see
"ee" with glottal stop
"ee" held longer
glottal stop between
hard "h" as with
Spanish "j"
"k" with glottal stop
English "l"
English "m"
English "n"
"o" in cold
"o" with glottal stop
"o" held longer
glottal stop between
Pronounced
Like . . .
__________________________

English "p"
"p" with glottal stop
"k" pronounced deep
in throat (not found
in lowland
languages)
same with glottal stop
---
English "s"
English "t"
"t" with glottal stop
"ts" in tsar
"ts" with glottal stop
"oo" in zoo
"oo" with glottal stop
"oo" held longer
glottal stop between
(when used as a con-
sonant as in tradi-
tional ahau = ahaw)
English "sh"
"y" in yarn
---
English
Alpha-bet
_______

p
---
q



---
r
s
t
---
---
---
u
---
---
---
w


x
y
z
Mayan
Uniform/
Modern
Spelling
_______

p
p'
q



q'
---
s
t
t'
ts
ts'
u
u'
uu
u'u
w(u)


x
y
---
Mayan
Tradi-
tional
Spelling
_______

a
a
a
a
b
c
ch
ch
---
e
e
e
e
---
---
h
i
i
i
i
j

k
l
m
n
o
o
o
o
VOWELS
Basically sound like Spanish vowels. Double vowels are held longer.
"a" as in father
"e" as in grey
"i" as in hill
"o" as in cold
"u" as "oo" in moon
Mayan
Tradi-
tional*
Spelling
_____

p
pp
q



q
---
s
t
t
tz
dz
u
u
u
u
u


x
y
s
GLOTTAL STOPS
Indicated by an apostrophe (i.e., a' or k'), means to use the closed glottis felt in the throat between the syllables of
"uh-oh."
Overview of Mayan
Pronunciation and
Orthography
CONSONANTS
The letters, C,D,F,G,R,V,Z are not used except for borrowed Spanish terms. Sounds are the same as English or Spanish. Take particular note that:.
"x" sounds like "sh"
"ch" like in chair
Last updated 6/10/2007
CHAAK Incense
Burner from
Mayapan.
(Photo by
Irmgard Groth)