Spelling & Pronunciation

The Alphabet

Acquiring literacy in Yaqui can present a particular challenge in that, unlike many modern languages, Yaqui has no single standardized writing system due to its historical focus on oral tradition over written texts. Multiple systems have developed to represent its sounds, including what we will call the Mexican system, which is based on Spanish spelling, the United States’ system, which is based on English spelling, and the academic system, which is used in linguistic studies and introduces some bespoke phonetic characters like č for ch and ʔ for the "glottal stop".

Because what exactly constitutes a letter and letter combination differ between Spanish and English, there is no universal Yaqui alphabet. This guide, rather, highlights the most commonly used letters and their pronunciations, using the U.S. system, as this project focuses on conserving U.S. Yaqui. Still, the Mexican system is provided below in order to encourage broader literacy and communication with the tribe in Mexico, and the academic system is included should the reader want to explore scholarly literature.

Early Yaqui writings, beginning in the 18th century by Jesuit missionaries, relied on Spanish spelling conventions but were irregular in comparison to modern spellings. For instance, wikichim ("birds") appeared as uikitzim, and itom ("us, our") as ytom. These antiquated, experimental spellings are not the focus here. Instead, this guide provides a practical introduction to the multiple modern methods used by native-speaking scholars and communities to write down the Yaqui language.

Consonants

Consonants

Plosive Consonants

• The glottal stop is crucial in Yaqui, as its absence can change a word's meaning. Written explicitly in academic texts but implied at the beginning of vowel-starting words in everyday writing.
• t is pronounced with the flat of the tongue, like in English, not the tip like in Spanish.

Fluid Consonants

Complex Consonants

Consonant Lengthening

Loanword Assimilation