Phonology and Spelling

Vowel and Consonant Differences between Borna and English
Vowels in English can represent many sounds while in Borna a vowel ONLY represents one sound.
a like the a in avocado and Toyota (not like in cake)
i like ee in coffee and ea in tea or like i in sit, (not like in ride)
e like the e in net and bed (not like in me or region)
u like oo in boot and room (not like cut or cute)
o like the o in phone or like o in pot

The names of the vowels can cause confusion.
· In Borna the name of the letter 'e' is the same as the sound it makes which is the same as the name of the letter 'a' in English.
· In Borna the name of the letter 'i' is the same as the sound it makes which is the same as the name of the letter 'e' in English.

Notes on Spelling
The main rule to remember when writing in Borna is that words are spelled the way that they sound. In some situations this can be confusing because a word may have a slight sound of a letter that is not really there. This commonly happens with the letters [i] and [u]. This extra sound is usually heard when a speaker slows his or her speech to listen for the sounds in the word. When the same word is spoken at normal speed the sound will not be heard. Therefore, it is important to listen to the way words are pronounced when they are spoken at regular speed and write them in that way.

Common situations in which an [u] is written unnecessarily:
When a word contains the letter [w], it is common for writers to insert a letter [u] between the letter [w] and the consonant next to it. In some circumstances the [u] sound is present but in others
it is not present.
Examples:
Words in which the letter [u] needs to be written:
CONSONANT BEFORE THE LETTER [w]
mukuwa - vulture
CONSONANT AFTER THE LETTER [w]
kewuntsa - bushbuck
Words in which the letter [u] is not written:
CONSONANT BEFORE THE LETTER [w]
t'alwa - darkness
CONSONANT AFTER THE LETTER [w]
awd'a - four

Common situations in which an [i] is written unnecessarily:
When a word contains the letter [y], it is common for writers to insert a letter [i] between the letter [y] and the consonant next to it. In some circumstances the [i] sound is present but in others it is not present.
Examples:
Words in which the letter [i] needs to be written:
CONSONANT BEFORE THE LETTER [y]
firiya - chilli pepper
Words in which the letter [i] is not written:
CONSONANT BEFORE THE LETTER [y]
borsya - bag