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This page gives a simple explanation of the alphabet used in SIL publications in Ocotlan Zapotec.
The majority of the letters of the Ocotlán Zapotec alphabet are pronounced the same as Spanish. The differences are explained below.
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Apart from the vowels, a, e, i, o, u, Ocotlán Zapotec has another vowel,
which is written ë. The sound of this vowel is different than that of the e,
as you can see in the following examples. |
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| lë | nombre (name) | ||
| zë | manteca (lard) | ||
| mënë | gente (people) | ||
| benë | lodo (mud) | ||
The glottal (') represents a brief cessation of voicing in the pronunciation of some vowels. There are four types of vowels:
| na | yo (I) | nasi | anteayer (day before yesterday) |
| ru | tos (cough) | benë | lodo (mud) |
| dë | ceniza (ash) | orë | oro (gold) |
| la' | Oaxaca | me'dë | bebé (baby) |
| lu' | pared (wall) | ni'ldi | nixtamal (soaked corn) |
| li' | tú, usted (you (sg.)) | ze'dë më | él viene (he comes) |
| na'a | mujer (woman) | bu'u | carbón (charcoal) |
| chi'i | diez (ten) | zë'ë | elote (corn on the cob) |
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Laryngeal vowels are represented with two of the same vowels and the glottal, as in the following examples: |
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| daa' | petate (straw mat) | ||
| rëë' | cántaro (pottery jar) | ||
| guëë'gu | río (river) | ||
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Single vowels which have a written accent are long, that is, pronounced with a greater duration: |
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| dumí | dinero (money) | ||
| laní | fiesta (party) | ||
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In Zapotec, each syllable has its own tone, but this is not indicated in the written form. In a relatively few cases, two words are written the same, but pronounced differently, as for example: |
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| guetë | abajo (below) | gushë | humo (smoke) |
| guetë | tortilla | gushë | viejo (old) |
| ts | tsa rall | van ellos (they go) | guitsë | espina (thorn) |
| dz | dzë | día (day) | nedzë̱ | hoy (today) |
| sh | nashi | fruta (fruit) | shunë | ocho (eight) |
| dch | gadchi | siete (seven) | dchi'ni | trabajo (work) |
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The letter z contrasts with the letter s: the z is lenis and the s is fortis. |
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| za | frijol (bean) | sa'a | fandango |
| zini | palma (palm; plant) | nasi | anteayer (yesterday) |
| nezë | camino (road) | nisë | agua (water) |
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The letter ll is pronounced as in the following words: |
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| llu | temblor (tremor; earthquake) |
| narallë | naranja (orange) |
| bëzullíbill | él se hincó (he kneeled) |
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A single r is always pronounced softly, except in words borrowed from Spanish, such as ricu, rëy, etc., and in a very few words of Zapotec origin. There is a contrast between word-initial r and rr: |
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| ru'u ra na'a | las mujeres salen (the women go out) |
| rru'u ra na'a | las mujeres muelen (the women grind) |
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