Vowels
Arapaho vowels can have three different pitch accents, as well as two different lengths. Vowels can be long or short, and they can have high, normal or falling pitch accent (the latter only on long vowels). There are are also three diphthongs in Arapaho, and these two can be long or short.
| e | pronounced like English e in 'set' |
Example:
beníi3béen 'you are cooking'Example:
heneenétit 's/he is talking'
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| i | pronounced like English i in 'sit' |
| Example:
ce'ínihii 'say it again!' Example:
heneenétit 's/he is talking'
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| o | pronounced like English o is 'hot' |
| Example:
hee'ínowoo 'I know it' Example:
wóxhoox 'horse'
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| u | pronounced similarly to English u in 'put' |
| Example:
wooxúse' 'it has gone bad/gotten rotten'
Example:
nóókohut 's/he is sleeping'
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| ee | pronounced longer than Arapaho e |
| Example:
heneenétit 's/he is talking'
Example:
bee'éé' 'it is red'
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| ii | pronounced longer than i, and sounding more like ee in 'feet' |
| Example:
neniisí3éinoo 'I am working'
Example:
bíixúut 'shirt'
Example:
nii'cóó' 'it tastes good'
Example:
tóotousíini 'how are things?'
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| oo | pronounced longer than o |
| Example:
wóxhoox 'horse'
Example:
koobéec 'is it snowing?'
Example:
nii'cóó' 'it tastes good'
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| uu | pronounced longer than u, and sounding a little more like oo in 'shoot' |
| Example:
bíixúut 'shirt'
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| ei | pronounced as ay in English 'say' |
| Example:
wohéí 'okay!'
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| ou | pronounced as ow in English 'blow' |
| Example:
hohóu 'thank you'
Example:
tóotousíini 'how are things?'
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| oe | pronounced roughly as English ie in 'pie' |
| Example:
wo3onohóe 'paper'
Example:
honóh'oehíhi' 'little boy'
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| eii | longer than ei, sometimes sounding like ei'i or even ei'ei |
| Example:
neniisí3ei'ínee 'you guys are working'
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| ouu | longer then ou, sometimes sounding like ou'u or even ou'ou |
| Example:
nii'óuubéíhinoo 'I feel good'
Example:
hóuu 'crow'
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| oee | longer then oe, sometimes sounding like oe'e or even oe'oe |