Q'eqchi' Language - Next Step Equal Education

Q'eqchi' Alphabet and Pronunciation

There are 33 characters in the Q'eqchi' alphabet:

a aa b' ch ch' e ee h i ii j k k' l m n o oo p q q' r s t t' tz tz' u uu w x y '

Below is a list of their pronunciation

a

Sounds like the 'a' in father

aa

Same sound as 'a' but held longer

b'

Sounds like the 'b' in boy, but implosive, like the sound is swallowed

ch

Sounds like the 'ch' in chair

ch'

Same as 'ch' but with a pop of air afterwards

e

Sounds like the 'e' in bet

ee

Same sound as 'e' but held longer

h

Sounds like the 'h' in hay

i

Sounds like the 'i' in police

ii

Same sound as 'i' but held longer

j

Sounds like the 'j' in jalapeño

k

Sounds like the 'k' in kite

k'

Same as 'k' but with a pop of air afterwards

l

Sounds like the 'l' in lemon

m

Sounds like the 'm' in mom

n

Sounds like the 'n' in next

o

Sounds like the 'o' in vote

oo

Same sounds as 'o' but held longer

p

Sounds like the 'p' in pen

q

Similar to 'k' but pronounced further back in the throat

q'

Same as 'q' but with a pop of air afterwards

r

Similar to the 'tt' sound in better, sounds like the Spanish 'r'

s

Sounds like the 's' in snake

t

Sounds like the 't' in table

t'

Same as 't' but with a pop of air afterwards

tz

Sounds like the 'ts' in pets

tz'

Same as 'tz' but with a pop of air afterwards

u

Sounds like the 'u' in salute

uu

Same sound as 'u' but held longer

w

Sounds like the 'qu' in quick

x

Sounds like the 'sh' in share

y

Sounds like the 'y' in you. Sometimes it is pronounced more like the 'ky' sound in cute.

'

This character is called the glottal stop. It indicates a pause like the one in the middle of the exclamation "uh-oh." This pause is produced by obstructing airflow in the vocal tract.