Bonjou! Learn to Speak Haitian Creole

Bonjou! ...Mèsi! ...E Orevwa! Search for English or Haitian Creole words translation. Also search the whole site for expressions, idioms and grammar rules. And ask questions about the language in the ASK QUESTIONS HERE section.

Most requested translations added here for your convenience: I love you → Mwen renmen w. I miss you → Mwen sonje w. My love!Lanmou mwen!

Friday, August 26, 2011

Do you pronounce accented letters differently from their non-accented counterparts? If not, how do you pronounce them?

In Haitian Creole, the accented words letters are pronounced differently than their non-accented counterparts.

Listen to this audio, scroll down to follow along.

The three accented letters in Haitian Creole are: e, o, an.

1. O pronounced like letter "o" in  slow.
    example:
    bo (kiss)
    mo (word)

2. ò pronounced like letter "o" in dot.
    example:
    bò (side)
    mò (the dead)

3. e pronounced like "day"
    example:
    ke (tail)
    te (tea)

4. è pronounced like the letter e in get.
    kè (heart)
    tè (land, earth)

5. an
    pan (peacock)
    tan (time)

6. àn
    pàn (inconvenience, dilemma)
    soutàn (the frock that a priest wears)


The accent is called:  aksan grav  or  aksan fòs.
Spelling accented words in Haitian Creole.

7. mòn (m-ò-n)
8. vètè (v-è-t-è)
9. pàn (p-à-n)

practicing...

10 . dakò (agree)
11.  miyò (better)
12. tablo (blackboard or a painting)
13. panno (wall)
14. souke (to shake)
15. woule (to roll)
16. lanmè (ocean)
17. vètè (earthworm)
18. manman (mother)
19. frekan (arrogant, bold)
20. bekàn (bicycle)
21. avwàn (oatmeal)
Enben se tout.  Mèsi e orevwa.
Well that's all.  Thanks and goodbye.

1 comment:

  1. Thank you for your lessons!
    I have a question. Maybe my ear isn't very well tuned to the language but in the examples of bo, mo / bò, mò they sound the same to me. Would you be able to record you saying bo then immediately saying bó and maybe a few time for people like me who have trouble hearing the difference?
    Please

    Here it is.  Click and listen to the differences between the words with "o" and "ò" below :)

         

    1. Bo, bò         [bo (kiss), (side)]
    2. mo, mò        [mo (word), (dead)]
    3. fo, fò            [fo (fake), (strong)]
    4. po, pò          [po (jug), (port)]

4 comments:

  1. Thank you for your lessons!
    I have a question. Maybe my ear isn't very well tuned to the language but in the examples of bo, mo / bò, mò they sound the same to me. Would you be able to record you saying bo then immediately saying bó and maybe a few time for people like me who have trouble hearing the difference?
    Please

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I answered your question with the audio that you requested. You'll find the 'audio' answer at the end of this SAME post.

      Delete
  2. I'm not Zach- but I think you did a wonderful job at enunciating the different sounds of the words in the second audio lesson! Many thanks for all the work you put into a very comprehensible blog.

    ReplyDelete