HOW TO READ AND WRITE GUUGU YIMITHIRR
Introduction
The English writing system isn’t easy to master. We are so used to reading and writing in this language and we don’t necessarily notice that:
- the same sound is often spelt using different letters or letter combinations.
For example: ‘green’, ‘bean’, ‘field’ are all pronounced using the same sound (in bold), but we write this sound in various ways. The same goes for ‘pasta’, ‘cup’ (Australian pronunciation), and so many others;
- the same letters or letter combinations are often pronounced differently.
For example: ‘daughter’, ‘laughter’, ‘ghost’ are all spelt with the same letter combination (in bold), but we pronounce this letter combination in various ways. The same goes for ‘great’, ‘giraffe’ and so many others.
This is because English has a writing system that has a long and complex history. The correspondence between the sounds and the way we spell them has changed and evolved through time, becoming quite inconsistent and complicated.
On the other hand, Guugu Yimithirr – like most languages, was traditionally only passed down through speech and song. Its writing system is fairly recent and has been developed so that one sound generally corresponds to one spelling.
To learn how to read and write Guugu Yimithirr we need to learn the spelling rules that are used to write the sounds of the language. Some of these will seem difficult at first because they are different from what we are used to when reading and writing English. But in time you will get used to them.
Below you will find the Guugu Yimithirr alphabet. Notice how different it is from the English one:
a, aa, b, d, g, i, ii, j, l, m, n, nh, ny, ng, r, rr, th, u, uu, w, y.
Some letters have one character, while others have two. Also, unlike in English, in Guugu Yimithirr one letter generally corresponds to one sound.
The Guugu Yimithirr alphabet: how to pronounce the letters
In the table below letter pronunciations are described as being ‘similar to’ a sound we know, ‘in between’ sounds we are familiar with or ‘like’ an English sound. Describing sounds is difficult and it is important to keep in mind that the guidelines provided are approximations. The best way to learn how to pronounce Guugu Yimithirr is to listen to the example words by using the link provided and practice pronouncing the sounds out loud.
Letter | Examples | Audio links | Pronunciation / Sound |
a | bayan, house | bayan | This sound is similar to a short:
pasta, cup (Australian pronunciation) |
gaban, book | gaban | ||
awuun!, good! | awuun | ||
aa | yuwaal, beach | yuwaal | This sound is similar to a long:
father, start (Australian pronunciation) |
gudaa, dog | gudaa | ||
waandaar, white cockatoo | waandaar | ||
b | bama, people | bama | This sound is pronounced in between an English B and a P. |
bubu, country | bubu | ||
biiba, father | biiba | ||
galbay, long | galbay | ||
d | dagil, build | dagil | This sound is pronounced in between an English D and a T. |
diini, red | diini | ||
gudaa, dog | gudaa | ||
g | guugu, language, speech | guuguu | This sound is pronounced in between an English G (as in ‘great’) and a K.
It is never pronounced as in ‘giraffe’ |
gugaa, kookaburra | gugaa | ||
gumbiin, string | gumbiin | ||
murruga, car | murruga | ||
gudaa, dog | gudaa | ||
i | bidi, forehead | bidi | This sound is similar to:
piano, happy |
birra, leaf, paper | birra | ||
jirimandi, coconut | jirimandi | ||
ii | miil, eye | miil | This sound is like:
green, bean |
diini, red | diini | ||
biiba, father | biiba | ||
j | juugaar, sand | juugaar | This sound is similar to:
jam, fridge |
jirimandi, coconut | jirimandi | ||
bujuur, feathers | bujuur | ||
l | biililil, paddling | biililil | This sound is like:
light, love |
nambal, stone, money | nambal | ||
yulmbu, island | yulmbu | ||
m | miil, eye | miil | This sound is like:
mother, some |
murruga, car | murruga | ||
nambal, stone, money | nambal | ||
n | bayan, house | bayan | This sound is like:
night, fin |
nambal, stone, money | nambal | ||
manu, neck, throat | manu | ||
nh | nhundu, you (one person) | nhundu | This sound is pronounced like an English N while pressing the tip of the tongue between the front teeth |
wanhu, who | wanhu | ||
nhinhinhi, groper fish | nhinhinhi | ||
ny | gaanyi-gaanyi, too fat | gaanyi-gaanyi | This sound is similar to:
canyon, onion |
nyinda, shallow | nyinda | ||
ng | gangurru, black kangoroo | gangurru | This sound is like:
singer, wrong It is never pronounced as in ‘finger, dingo’ |
ngurraar, black cockatoo | ngurraar | ||
nguman, taipan snake | nguman | ||
r | waandaar, white cockatoo | waandaar | This sound is like:
right, red It is never silent like in Australian English: car, mortar |
jirimandi, coconut | jirimandi | ||
baari, chin | baari | ||
rr | garrgu, later | garrgu | This sound is like a Scottish or Spanish
rolled ‘r’ |
ngurraar, black cockatoo | ngurraar | ||
birrbirr, parrot | birrbirr | ||
th | yimithirr, with this | yimithirr | This sound is pronounced in between an English D and a T while pressing the tip of the tongue between the front teeth
This never sounds like ‘th’ in English |
thalun, sea, blue | thalun | ||
buthu, maybe | buthu | ||
u | bubu, country | bubu | This sound is similar to a short:
book, put |
yugu, tree, wood, fire | yugu | ||
burriwi, emu | burriwi | ||
uu | guuju, fish | guuju | This sound is similar to a long:
boot, fruit |
buurraay, water | buurraay | ||
guugu, language, speech | guugu | ||
w | waandaar, white cockatoo | waandaar | This sound is like:
word, want |
awuun!, good! | awuun | ||
yuwaal, beach | yuwaal | ||
y | yugu, tree, wood, fire | yugu | This sound is like:
yellow, you |
mayi, food | mayi | ||
bayan, house | bayan | ||
y at the end of a word | buurraay, water | buurraay | This sound is like:
boy, buy |
Letters/sounds of the alphabet: summary and useful tips
VOWELS
The vowels of Guugu Yimithirr don’t match the ones of English. To spell vowels, instead of using A, E, I, O, U like in English, in Guugu Yimithirr we use A, AA, I, II, U, UU.
- Short vowels
The short vowels in Guugu Yimithirr are A, I, U. They are always pronounced the same way:
A is pronounced similarly to: pasta, cup
I is pronounced as in: piano, happy
U is pronounced similarly to: put, book
This is different from what we are used to. For example, in English the vowel A isn’t always pronounced with the sound we find in ‘pasta’. Think of: ‘cat’, ‘because’, ‘bean’, etc.
Also, in English many words that have the sound that we find in ‘pasta’ are spelt with a different letter: for example, ‘cup’ (Australian English).
Pay attention to how the short vowels are pronounced and spelt in Guugu Yimithirr.
In the examples below, you’ll notice how the meaning of the words changes depending on which sound/spelling we use:
A (pasta)
mala, culprit magu, before |
U (put)
mula, honey mugu, back |
A (pasta)
birra, leaf, paper barrbil, camp |
I (piano)
birri, creek birrbal, collect |
U ( put)
wagul, flying fox walu, like |
I (piano)
wagil, cut wali, around |
- Long vowels
The long vowels in Guugu Yimithirr are AA, II, UU. They are always pronounced the same way:
AA is pronounced similarly to: father, start
II is pronounced as in: green, bean
UU is pronounced similarly to: boot, fruit
Pay attention to how the long vowels are pronounced and spelt in Guugu Yimithirr.
In the examples below, you’ll notice how the meaning of the words changes depending on which sound/spelling we use:
AA (father)
gugaa, kookaburra |
UU (boot)
guguur, mouse |
AA (father)
gudaa, dog |
II (green)
gudiir, mosquito |
UU (boot)
muunh, dark |
II (green)
miinh, guess what! |
- Short vs. long vowel sounds
In Guugu Yimithirr we need to pay attention to the difference between:
the short vowels A, I, U and the long vowels AA, II, UU.
This is similar to the difference we have in English between the short vowel sound in ‘bin’ and the long vowel sound in ‘bean’. The vowel sounds used in these two words are very similar but pronouncing a short vowel or long vowel changes the meaning of the words.
In Guugu Yimithirr the short vowels A, I, U are different sounds from the long vowels AA, II, UU.
Using one or the other changes the meaning of words:
A (pasta)
bala, skinny |
AA (father)
baalaa, thin-leaved Condoo tree |
I (piano)
buli, fell |
II (green)
bulii, will fall |
U (put)
buthu, maybe |
UU (boot)
buuthuu, parrot fish |
CONSONANTS
- Some consonants of the Guugu Yimithirr alphabet are pronounced the same as the English ones: j, m, n, l, r, y, w.
- Others correspond to sounds we are familiar with: ng, ny, rr.
- Some others are similar to sounds we use in English, yet pronounced quite differently: b, d, g.
- Finally, some do not exist in English: th, nh.
When reading and writing Guugu Yimithirr we need to pay attention to the consonant sounds and their spelling, especially those that we are not used to perceiving as different from one another:
- R and RR
Both sounds are familiar to English speakers, in English we can easily use one in place of the other. Remember that in Guugu Yimithirr ‘r’ and ‘rr’ are different sounds that change the meaning of words, we need to pronounce them and spell them the right way:
R (right) | RR (rolled R) |
bira, certainly
maral, girl |
birra, leaf, paper
marral, bottle |
NH and N
NH doesn’t exist in English, we pronounce it like the sound N while pressing the tip of the tongue between the front teeth. NH can sound quite similar to N for a beginner Guugu Yimithirr learner and the two sounds can easily be confused. Pay attention to the difference between N and NH both in sound and in spelling, using one or the other changes the meaning of words:
NH (N while pressing the tip of the tongue between the teeth)
wanhu, who? |
N (night)
wanu-wanu, mischievous |
- TH and D
The sound TH doesn’t exist in English, we pronounce it like the sound in between a D and a T while pressing the tip of the tongue between the front teeth. TH can sound similar to D, which we pronounce as in between an English D and a T. Pay attention to the difference between TH and D both in sound and in spelling, using one or the other changes the meaning of words:
TH (sound between D and T while pressing the tip of the tongue between the front teeth)
thagu, left hand gathii, far away |
D (sound between D and T)
dagu, thing gadii, come! |
Special spelling / pronunciation rules: when one letter does not correspond to one sound
As we have seen, in Guugu Yimithirr one letter generally corresponds to one sound. However, there are some exceptions:
- Spelling ‘i’ or ‘y’ at the end of a word
At the end of a word I and Y are pronounced the same, as in ‘happy’. We use I after a consonant and Y after a vowel (A, AA, U, UU).
I at the end of a word, after a consonant | Y at the end of a word, after a vowel |
gaari, not
birri, creek babi, father’s mother wali, around |
ngaabaay, head
balay, flat gulnguy, boat |
‘-ay’ at the end of a word
At the end of a word the A in ‘-ay’ is pronounced differently from a regular A (pasta, cup):
Spelling | Examples | Pronunciation |
‘-ay’, when at the end of a word | buday, ate
gurray, said yiway, here |
Is pronounced like:
day, may |
Notice how this is different from AA (father) in ‘-aay’ when we find it at the end of a word:
‘-ay’ (day) at the end of a word:
bagay, poked, dug buday, ate yiway, here |
‘-aay’ (father) at the end of a word:
bagaay, keelback snake buurraay, water ngaabaay, head |
- Pronunciation of MB, NB
We have seen that in Guugu Yimithirr the letter B is pronounced in between an English B and a P. Sometimes it sounds more like an English B and some other times more like an English P. Ultimately, in Guugu Yimithirr it doesn’t matter much if the sound is closer to a B or a P. Unlike in English, this is one sound rather than two.
However, when we find M, N right before B, we need to pay attention to our pronunciation:
Spelling | Examples | Pronunciation |
mb | nambal, stone, money | This sounds like:
number In this case, the letter B sounds like an English B |
nb | ganbi, blood | This sounds like:
unbreakable In this case, the letter B sounds like an English B |
Pay attention to the difference in the pronunciation of B in the examples below:
After M and N
‘B’ is pronounced like B |
In all other cases ‘B’ is pronounced in between B and P |
nambal, stone, money | bubu, country |
thaymburr, generous | bayan, house |
ganbi, blood | biiba, father |
munbal, blue plum, quadong | milbi, story |
SPECIAL NOTE: B at the beginning of a word
At the beginning of a word B often sounds more like an English B, you will learn the correct pronunciation for different words as you make progress.
- Pronunciation of ND
We have seen that in Guugu Yimithirr the letter D is pronounced in between an English D and a T. Sometimes it sounds more like an English D and some other times more like an English T. Ultimately, in Guugu Yimithirr it doesn’t matter much if this sound is closer to a D or a T. Unlike in English, this is one sound rather than two.
However, when we find N right before D, we need to pay attention to our pronunciation:
Spelling | Examples | Pronunciation |
nd | gundal, hit | This sounds like:
handy In this case, the letter D sounds like the English D |
Pay attention to the difference in the pronunciation of D in the examples below:
After N
‘D’ is pronounced like D |
In all other cases ‘D’ is pronounced in between D and T |
gundal, hit | gudaa, dog |
bandil, pronounce, chop | diini, red |
SPECIAL NOTE: D at the beginning of a word
At the beginning of a word D sometimes sounds more like an English D, you will learn the correct pronunciation for different words as you make progress.
- Pronunciation of NTH and NHTH
We have seen that in Guugu Yimithirr the letter TH is pronounced in between an English D and a T, while pressing the tip of the tongue between the teeth. Sometimes it sounds more like an English D (while pressing the tip of the tongue between the teeth) and some other times more like an English T (while pressing the tip of the tongue between the teeth). Ultimately in Guugu Yimithirr it doesn’t matter much if this sound is closer to a D or a T. Unlike in English, this is one sound rather than two.
However, when we find N, NH right before TH, we need to pay attention to our pronunciation:
Spelling | Examples | Pronunciation |
nth | thalunthirr, Guugu Yimithirr coastal dialect | This sounds like:
handy, while pressing the tip of the tongue in between the front teeth for the TH sound only. The tongue needs to shift position between the pronunciation of the N and TH. In this case, the letter TH sounds like the English D, while pressing the tip of the tongue in between the front teeth |
nhth | nganhthaan, we
wanhtharra, how? |
This sounds like:
handy, while pressing the tip of the tongue in between the front teeth for both the NH and the TH sound. In this case, the letter TH sounds like the English D, while pressing the tip of the tongue in between the front teeth |
Pay attention to the difference in the pronunciation of TH in the examples below:
After N and NH, ‘TH’ is pronounced like D, while pressing the tip of the tongue in between the front teeth | In all other cases ‘TH’ is pronounced in between D and T, while pressing the tip of the tongue in between the front teeth |
thalunthirr, Guugu Yimithirr coastal dialect | yimithirr, with this |
muyanthirr, ashamed | dulbiilthirr, sad |
nganhthaan, we | buthaal, lying |
wanhtharra, how? | tharramali, thunder |
SPECIAL NOTE: TH at the beginning of a word
At the beginning of a word TH sometimes sounds more like an English D while pressing the tip of the tongue between the front teeth. You will learn the correct pronunciation for different words as you make progress.
- Pronunciation of NGG
We have seen that in Guugu Yimithirr the letter G is pronounced in between an English G (as in ‘great’) and a K. Sometimes it sounds more like an English G and some other times more like an English K. Ultimately, in Guugu Yimithirr it doesn’t matter much if this sound is closer to a G or a K. Unlike in English, this is one sound rather than two.
However, when we find NG right before G we need to pay attention to our pronunciation:
Spelling | Examples | Pronunciation |
ngg | bunggu, knee
balawunggal, cyclone baalnggu, teenager |
This sound is like:
dingo, finger This is pronounced as the sound NG, as in ‘singer’ followed by G, as in ‘great’ |
Pay attention to the difference in the pronunciation of G in the examples below:
After NG, ‘G’ is pronounced like G (great) | After all other letters ‘G’ is pronounced in between G (great) and K |
wanggar, up | gulnguy, boat |
balawunggal, cyclone | yugu, tree, wood, fire |
thunggul, snake | gaban, book |
guga, kokaburra | |
gumbiin, string |
SPECIAL NOTE: G at the beginning of a word
At the beginning of a word G sometimes sounds more like an English G (as in ‘great’), you will learn the correct pronunciation for different words as you make progress.
Other special spelling / pronunciation rules: letter combinations that look similar but spell different sounds
There are a few letter combinations that we need to pay attention to when reading and writing Guugu Yimithirr. It is important not to confuse them with other letters of the alphabet or similar letter combinations, as they spell different sounds.
- NGG and NG:
In Guugu Yimithirr there is an important difference between: NGG (as in ‘dingo’, more on this p.12) and NG (as in ‘singer’). These are two different sounds. In English we spell them both the same way and so we might get confused about how to pronounce or spell them.
Get used to hearing the difference between the two sounds by pronouncing the words out loud. Notice how these two sounds/spellings are different and the meaning of words changes depending which one we use:
NGG (dingo)
wanggaar, up |
NG (singer)
wangarr, white person, ghost |
- NNG and NG:
Spelling | Example | Pronunciation |
nng | baanngaa, cry | This is pronounced as the sound N followed by the sound NG (as in ‘singer’) |
- N-G and NG:
Spelling | Examples | Pronunciation |
n-g | nhin-gal, sit, be
balin-ga, echidna ban-gun, elbow |
This sound is like:
ungrateful, unglazed It is pronounced as the sound N followed by the sound G (as in ‘great’). |
We use a hyphen in between the two letters N-G not to confuse this sound with NG, as in ‘singer’. Notice how these two sounds are different and their pronunciation changes the meaning of words:
N-G (ungrateful)
biluun-gu, next to |
NG (singer)
biluungu, about the hip |
- NYJ and NG:
Spelling | Examples | Pronunciation |
nyj | manyjal, mountain
banyji, brother-in-law, sister-in-law janyjil, bathe, dive |
This sound is similar to:
dungeon N.B. To learn the correct pronunciation of this sound, listen carefully to the example words |
Notice how these two sounds are different and their pronunciation changes the meaning of words:
NYJ (dungeon)
manyjal, mountain |
NG (singer)
mangal, hand |
Language variation
- Same language different words
Just like English speakers sometimes use different words, depending on where they come from (for example, American people use ‘vacation’ and British people use ‘holiday’ to describe the same thing), Guugu Yimithirr speakers may use different words to refer to the same item:
English | Thalunthirr (coastal dialect) | Waguurrga (inland dialect) |
moon | giitha | waarigan |
head | gambuugu | ngaabaay |
stake | thunggul | thaarba |
A LITTLE HISTORY – When Guugu Yimithirr started being used in church, the Thanlunthirr word for ‘sky’ was used as a translation for ‘heaven’. Nowadays everybody uses the original Thalunthirr word for ‘heaven’ and the Waguurga word for ‘sky’:
Thalunthirr (coastal dialect) | Waguurrga (inland dialect) | |
traditional meaning today’s meaning |
jiiri
sky heaven |
wangunh
sky sky |
- Same language different sounds
Just like English speakers pronounce words differently, depending on where they come from (for example, think of how differently Americans and British people pronounce the word ‘cat’), Guugu Yimithirr speakers don’t pronounce all words exactly the same.
Below are listed the sound variations in Guugu Yimithirr. Some people pronounce words using one sound or the other, while others use one sound as well as the other, depending on the situation. Both spellings are in use:
‘nh’ | ‘ny’ | |
she/he
always |
nhulu
nhuumaar |
nyulu
nyuumaar |
th | j | |
young sister | thin-gurr | jin-gurr |
nhth | nyj | |
dry | banhthil | banyjil |
- Variations in spelling
The writing system described here was formalised by linguist John Haviland in 1991. It is now taught and used in the Hope Vale primary school during Guugu Yimithirr classes. However, this isn’t the only way Guugu Yimithirr has been written in the past and even today you will find people still use different spellings, since the language has been written a few different ways through the years.
In the left column of the table below you will find the writing system we have described here. Next to each spelling, in the right column, you will find the corresponding different ways of writing the same sounds that you might come across.
Spelling taught at Hope Vale school | Other spellings | Examples |
th | dh | Guugu Yimithirr – Guugu Yimidhirr |
j | dy | |
n-g | n.g, ng | |
nng | ng | |
ngg | ng | |
nhth | nth, nhdh | |
nyj | nydy, nj |
Exercises
- Write the Guugu Yimithirr alphabet and next to each entry add a word you remember that has that particular sound.
- Write the other sounds of Guugu Yimithirr that are not part of the alphabet. Can you remember a word that has that particular sound for each?
- Can you remember the spelling / pronunciation rules for:
- i or y at the end of a word
- ‘-ay’ at the end of a word
- mb / nb
- nd
- nth / nhth
- ngg
- Can you remember how to pronounce:
- ng
- ngg
- nng
- n-g
- nyj
PRONUNCIATION and SPELLING practice
- Play the audio for each word from the list below and practice writing them down.
- Read the words out loud, and then play the audio to check the correct pronunciation for each word.
buurraay, water | buday, ate |
mala, culprit | mula, honey |
magu, before | mugu, back |
birra, leaf, paper | birri, creek |
wagul, flying fox | wagil, cut |
bala, skin | baalaa, thin-leaved Condoo tree |
buli, fell | bulii, will fall |
buthu, maybe | buuthuu, parrot fish |
guyuu, milk, breast | guuju, fish |
dagu, thing | thagu, left hand |
gadii, come! | gathii, far away |
madi-madi, maggot | maji, matches |
budal, eat | burral, top |
wanu-wanu, mischievous | wanhu, who? |
ganhil, song | gaanyil, in-law |
ngigan, vain | nyinda, shallow |
mangal, hand | manyjal, mountain |
wangarr, white person, ghost | wanggaar, up |
bunhthi, mud | bunyji, tea leaf |
bira, certainly | birra, leaf, paper |
maral, girl | marral, bottle |
ganhaarr, crocodile | ganhaal, older sister |
mugur, mother’s younger brother | mugul, old |
guuju, fish | guugu, language, speech |