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Vowels in
Amatlán Zapotec

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Amatlán Zapotec uses the same vowels as in Spanish: a, e, i, o, u. So these words are easy to read in Zapotec.


mad ler chib
sonido      mad sonido      ler sonido      chib


rob burr  
sonido      rob sonido      burr  

But Zapotec also repeats these same vowels so they are written as: aa, ee, ii, oo, uu. Where there is a double vowel it is pronounced with a catch in the voice between the two vowels, like "uh-oh" in English. Read the following words:


naa gaay yaa
sonido      naa sonido      gaay sonido      yaa me


chee yeey keen
sonido      chee sonido      yeey sonido      keen


nii yiin chii
sonido      nii me sonido      yiin sonido      chii


loon yoo doob
sonido      loon sonido      yoo sonido      doob


bruun yuu nduuzh
sonido      bruun sonido      yuu sonido      mduuzh

--David Riggs M.

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