H sounds

Introduction

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East Cree H can be confusing because in some cases an H in the spelling cannot be heard, and in other cases an [h] sound can be heard where there is no H in the spelling. Below are some general rules for East Cree help explain the letter H and the [h] sound.

H is spelled but not heard

Sometimes you will see an H in the spelling, but will not hear it. This can happen when H comes before a consonant, or when it falls at the end of a word.

H before a consonant

When H occurs before a consonant, as in HP, HT, HK, HSH and HCH, it is not always pronounced. In some cases, a lax vowel followed by an H sounds like a tense vowel, as illustrated in some of the following sound clips.

UH sounds like lax U

Northern			Syllables	IPA
ᐅᐦᐱᔥᑰᐲᓯᒻ		uhpishkuupiisim	uhpish – kuu – pii – sim	[ upʃ – kuː – ˈpiː – sʊm ]

Southern			Syllables	IPA
ᐅᐦᑯᒥᓵᐦ		uhkumisaah	uh – kumisaah

UH sounds like tense UU

Northern			Syllables	IPA
ᐅᑯᐦᑎᔥᑯᐃ		ukuhtishkui	u – kuhtish – kui	[ u – ˈkʊtʃ – kʊj ]
ᐅᑐᐦᑎᐦᑯᐦᓲᐦ		utuhtihkuhsuuh	u – tuh – tihkuh – suuh	[ u – tuː – tʊkʰ – ˈsuʰ ]
ᓂᐲᐅᐦᓂᒻ		nipiiuhnim	ni – pii – uh – nim	[ nɪ – pi – ˈuː – nʊm ]

Southern			Syllables	IPA
ᐅᐦᐱᓯᑲᓐ		uhpisikan	uhpi – si – kan	[ uːp – ˈsɪ – kɪn ]

MIH sounds like M; NIH sounds like N

Northern			Syllables	IPA
ᐅᓂᒥᐦᒌᐅᓂᐦᒡ		unimihchiiunihch	u – nimih – chii – unihch	[ u – nɪm – tʃi – ˈʊntʃ ]

Southern			Syllables	IPA
ᐄᔨᒥᓂᐦᒡ		iiyiminihch	ii – yi – minihch	[ i – jɪ – ˈmɪntʃ ]

IH sounds like tense II

Northern			Syllables	IPA
ᑯᐃᐦᑯᐦᐋᒑᐤ		kuihkuhaachaau	kuihku – haa – chaau	[ kuikʰˈ – ha – tʃaw ]

Southern			Syllables	IPA
ᑳᐱᐦᑑᒥᓂᔔᑦ		kaapihtuuminishuut	kaa – pih – tuu – mini – shuut	[ ka – piːʰ – tuː – mɪn – ˈʃuːtʰ]

IH sounds like lax I

Northern			Syllables	IPA
ᓯᐦᑯᔅ		sihkus	sih – kus	[ ˈsɪkʷs ]
ᑎᐦᑯᐦᒡ		tihkuhch *	tihkuhch	[ ˈtɪːkʷtʃ ]

* The sound in this word is longer in duration than normal.

Southern			Syllables	IPA
ᐊᔅᒋᒄ		aschihkw	as – chihkw	[a̘s – ˈtʃɪkʷ]

There are fewer changes in vowel tenseness or laxness when a tense vowel is followed by a spelled H and a consonant. The vowel sounds tense, and the H is not often pronounced.

WAAH sounds like WAA

Northern			Syllables	IPA
ᐃᔥᒀᐦᑖᒻ		ishkwaahtaam	ish – kwaah – taam	[ iʃ – ˈkɔʰ –tam]

Southern			Syllables	IPA
ᐊᔓᐦᐄᒉᐙᐦᑎᒄ		ashuhiichewaahtikw	ashu – hii – che – waah – tikw	[aʃʷ – hiː – tʃɛ̞ː – ˈwaːh – tʊkʰ]

AAH sounds like AA with a slight [ ʰ ] sound

Northern			Syllables	IPA
ᑖᐦᑎᐱᐎᓐ		taahtipiwin	taah – ti – piwin	[ taʰ – tɪ – ˈpuən ]

Southern			Syllables	IPA
ᒪᓯᓇᐦᐄᑲᓈᐦᑎᒄ		masinahiikanaahtikw	ma – sina – hii – ka – naah – tikw	[ mə – sɪn – hɪ – kə – ˈnaːʰ – tʊkʰ ]
ᐊᓵᐙᐦᒋᑲᓐᐦ		asaawaahchikanh	a – saa – waah – chi – kanh	[a̘ – saː – waːʰ – tʃɪ – ˈkɪnʰ]

AAH sounds like AA

Northern			Syllables	IPA
ᐋᐦᑯᓯᐤ		aahkusiu	aahku – siu	[ akʷ – suʰ ]*

Southern			Syllables	IPA
ᐋᐦᒋᔅᑖ		aahchistaa	aah – chistaa	[ aː – ˈtʃtaʰ]

IIH sounds like II

Northern			Syllables	IPA
ᐲᐦᒋᒑᒥᑭᓐ		piihchichaamikin	piih – chichaami – kin	[ piː – ˈtsam – kɪn ]
ᐐᐦᒥᐦᒀᔑᐤ		wiihmihkwaashiu	wiihmih – kwaa – shiu	[ wiːmʰ – ˈkɔ – ʃuʔ ]
ᐐᐦᐱᒋᔥᑭᓈᔑᐤ		wiihpichishkinaashiu	wiih-pi – chishki – naa – shiu	[ wiː – pɪtʃ – kɪ – ˈna – ʃuʔ]

Southern			Syllables	IPA
ᒪᔥᑯᔒᐦᑲᓐ		mashkushiihkan	mash – ku – shiih – kan	[ məʃ – ˈkʷʃiː – kan]

IIH sounds like IIH

Northern			Syllables	IPA
ᐎᔨᐐᐦ		wiyiwiih	wiyi – wiih
ᐐᐦᐹᔅᒄ		wiihpaaskw	wiih – paaskw

Southern			Syllables	IPA
ᑲᒌᐦᒉᔮᐤ		kachiihcheyaau	ka – chiih – che – yaau	[ka – tʃiːh – tʃɛ – jaw]
ᑳᓰᐦᒀᓐ		kaasiihkwaan	kaa – siih – kwaan	[ka – ˈsiːh – kɔn ]

H endings

H is spelled when it is a grammatical ending. H can signify the plural form and also the obviative form.

Northern			Syllables	IPA
ᐊᓯᓃ		asinii	asi – nii	[ ˈʰsɪ – niːʔ]
ᐊᓯᓃᐦ		asiniih	asi – niih	[ ʰsɪ – ˈniːh]

Southern			Syllables	IPA
ᒉᒋᑯᓐ		chechikun	che – chi – kun	[ tʃe – tʃɪ – ˈkʊn]
ᒉᒋᑯᓐᐦ		chechikunh	che – chi – kunh	[ tʃe – tʃɪ – ˈkʊnh]

However, you cannot always hear the final H. For example, you cannot hear it in the Northern East Cree word, ATIMH in the following sentence, even though the H is required to indicate the obviative. It sounds exactly like the same word without the ending.

		Northern
ᐊᑎᒻᐦ ᒋᐐᒑᐙᐤ ᑳᐱᒧᐦᑖᑦ		atimh chiwiichaawaau kaapimuhtaat	[ ɪ – ˈtʊm … ] ‘she was walking with the dog.’
ᐊᑎᒻ		atim	[ ˈɪ – tʊm ]

Words with an H ending are always accented on the last vowel. In the example sentence above, ATIMH is accented on the last vowel; in contrast, when the word ATIM is by itself, the accent is on the first vowel. The combination of final accent and an -H ending in ATIMH signals a difference in meaning from the word ATIM. It is this combination that allows the pronunciation of the H to be optional; this also explains why the spelling contains the H. For more information, see the page on accent.

H is heard but not spelled

Often, you can hear an H in words which have no H in the spelling. This happens to words in isolation (that is, words that are pronounced by themselves), and to words in sentences. The H in such cases carries no meaning.

Words in isolation

When words are pronounced by themselves (i.e., not in a sentence), speakers often add an H sound to the end of the word. This type of H does not add any meaning to the word, and it does not co-occur with final accent. Because it carries no meaning, this type of H is not spelled. An H sound that is not spelled is particularly obvious with words ending with vowels; listen for the H sound at the end of the following words:

Northern			Syllables	IPA
ᐃᔮᔫᐦᐊᐤ		iyaayuuhau	iyaa – yuu – hau	[ i – ja – ˈju – hawʰ]
ᑳᐦᑳᒋᐤ		kaahkaachiu	kaah – kaa – chiu	[ kah – ˈka – tsuʰ ]
ᑏ		tii *	tii	[ ti:ʔh ]

* Notice that a glottal stop (sounds like a catch in the throat) can be heard immediately before the final H sound.

Southern			Syllables	IPA
ᐋᐦᒋᔅᑖ		aahchistaa	aah – chistaa	[ aː – ˈtʃtaʰ]

Words in sentences

In sentences, speakers will sometimes add an H sound between words. This often happens when a word ending with a vowel is followed by a word beginning with a vowel. This makes the pronunciation easier. The H does not add anything to the meaning. Because it has no meaning, this type of H is often not spelled.

Northern			Syllables	IPA
ᐋ ᐋᔨᒋᐦᐄᐙᓄᐎᒡ		aa aayichihiiwaanuwich	aa aa – yi – chihii – waa – nuwich	[ a ha – jɪ – tʃiː – wa – ˈnuətʃ]