Pronunciation of the Nasals M [m] and N [n]

M

M sounds like the M in mat.

Northern			Syllables	IPA
ᒫᒫᐱᓱᓐ		maamaapisun	maa – maapi – sun	[ma – ˈmap – sʊn]
ᒨᔅ		muus	muus	[ˈmuːs]

Southern			Syllables	IPA
ᒦᑐᔅ		miitus	mii – tus	[ ˈmiː – tʊ̥s ]
ᒪᒣᓃᐌᐤ		mameniiweu	ma – me – nii – weu	[ ma – mɛ – ˈnɪː – wɛw ]

M can also sound long (like [mm] or [məm])

Northern			Syllables	IPA
ᒥᒫᓃᐙᐤ		mimaaniiwaau	mimaa – nii – waau	[mmaː-ˈniː-waʷ]

Southern			Syllables	IPA
ᐅᓯᒥᒫᐤ		usimimaau	u – sim – imaau

Similarly, the combination TIM in East Cree can sound similar to the sounds in the English phrase light me.

Northern			Syllables	IPA
ᐐᐐᑎᒫ		wiiwiitimaa	wii – wiiti – maa	[wiː-ˈwit-maʰ]

 

N

N sounds like the N in no.

Northern			Syllables	IPA
ᓈᐤ		naau	naau	[ˈnaːw]
ᓃᔥᑎᓂᐤ		niishtiniu	niishti – niu	[niːʃt – noː]

Southern			Syllables	IPA
ᓇᒣᐲ		namepii	na – me – pii	[ nə – mɛ – ˈpiʔ ]
ᓃᑳᓐ		niikaan	nii – kaan	[ niː – ˈkan ]

N can also sound longer, similar to how ‘n’ is pronounced in the phrase ham ‘n’ eggs. At the beginning of a word, for example, the spelling NIT often sounds similar to the ND [n̩d] sounds in the phrase mom ‘n’ dad. It can also sound like IND [ɨnd] in indeed.

Northern			Syllables	IPA
ᓂᑐᒋᑭᓐ		nituchikin	ni – tu – chi – kin	[n̩ – ˈtʊ – tʃɪ – kɪn]
ᓂᑐᒋᑭᓐ		nituchikin	ni – tu – chi – kin	[ɨn – ˈtʊ – tʃɪ – kɪn]

Southern			Syllables	IPA
ᓂᒋᒄ		nichikw	ni – chikw	[ n̘– ˈtʃʊkʷ ]
ᓂᒋᔅᑖᐹᐅᒉᓰᒻ		nichistaapaauchesiim	ni – chistaa – paau – che – siim

Similarly, the spelling TIN in East Cree often sounds similar to the DEN [dn̩] sounds in the English words hidden and sudden.

Northern			Syllables	IPA
ᐅᐲᐙᐅᔥᑐᑎᓐ		upiiwaaushtutin	u – pii – waaush – tu – tin	[ʊ – pi – ɔːʃ – ˈtʊ – tn̩]
ᓃᔥᑎᓂᐤ		niishtiniu	niishti – niu	[niːʃt – noː]

Southern			Syllables	IPA
ᒫᑎᓂᐌᒌᔑᑳᐤ		maatiniwechiishikaau	maa – tini – we – chii – shi – kaau	[ ma – tn̘ – wɛː – ˈtiː – ʃə – kaw ]

Finally, the spellings PUM and PIM have a unique pronunciation:

Northern			Syllables	IPA
ᔖᐳᒥᓐ		shaapumin	shaapu – min	[ˈʃaːp – mɪn]
ᐋ ᐙᐱᒫᒡ		aa waapimaach	aa waapi – maach	[ ˈa wɑpm̩ – atʃ ]

Southern			Syllables	IPA
ᐱᐦᒋᐱᒣᐅᑖᐹᓐ		pihchipimeutaapaan	pih – chipi – meu – taa – paan	[ piːʰ – tʃɪpm̘ – mɛw – ta – pan ]
ᐃᔥᐱᒥᐦᒡ		ishpimihch	ishpi – mihch	[ iʃ – ˈpm̘ɪhtʃ ]