1.1 The vowels
1 · Pronunciation — how to say what you read · a plain-language guide to Assyrian (Sureth) grammar
Assyrian has six vowels. Five are the "clean" continental vowels you'd find in Spanish or Italian — short and pure, no gliding:
| written | say it like | example |
|---|---|---|
| i | ee in "see" | bita "egg" |
| e | e in "bet" (or ay in "day," clipped) | beta "house" |
| a | a in "father" | mata "village" |
| o | o in "more" | mota "death" |
| u | oo in "boot" | susta "mare" |
The sixth is a short, neutral "uh" — the a in "sofa," the linguists' schwa. In the scholarly spelling it has its own symbol (ə), but here we just write it as e, because in this variety it patterns as a shortened cousin of the other vowels. So when you see e in a closed or unstressed syllable, it's often this quick "uh":
- nasha "man" → plural nashe "people" (that final -e is the light "uh")
- shvava "neighbour," malke "kings"
Don't overthink it — say a light, lazy "uh" and you're right.
Vowels tell words apart. A change of vowel is a change of word, so keep them distinct:
- bita "egg" vs. beta "house" (i vs. e)
- mata "village" vs. meta "she dies" (a vs. e)
- mata "village" vs. mota "death" (a vs. o)
- beto "her house" vs. betu "his house" (o vs. u — a whole possessive rides on that last vowel!)
That last pair is worth burning in: o = "her," u = "his." One vowel carries the meaning.
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