How to Learn Marshallese
Learn the Marshallese alphabet., Learn to pronounce words., Learn to count., Memorize simple vocabulary., Learn some basic conversational phrases.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Learn the Marshallese alphabet.
Although the Marshallese alphabet is almost identical to Spanish or English in terms of some of the letters used, the pronunciation of each letter is significantly different.
As correct pronunciation is one of the most difficult skills for English learners of Marshallese to grasp, learning how to perfectly pronounce the letters of the alphabet is a great place to start your Marshallese-speaking adventure! Once you can pronounce all of the individual letters, learning how to pronounce entire words and phrases will be a lot easier.
Below is a list of the letters and what they are called.
Notice that some of the letters have a macron (bar on top) or a dot/cedille (squigilly or dot underneath).
These symbols give these letters a different sound that is sometimes imperceptible for non-native speakers but that make a difference in Marshallese.
A a = ah Ā ā = aeh B b = bee D d = dree E e = eh I i = ee J j = jay, say, shay, chay K k = kee L l = lee Ḷ ḷ = lee (like 'L' but with the toungue touching the ridge behind the teeth) M m = mee Ṃ ṃ = mwee N n = nee Ṇ ṇ = nee (like 'N' but with the toungue pulled back) Ñ ñ = ngee O o = oh Ọ ọ = oa (like 'oa' in 'boat') Ō ō = oo (like 'oo' in 'book') P p = pea R r = ree (rolled like in Spanish) T t = tee U u = oo (like 'oo' in 'boo') Ū ū = oo (like 'oo' in 'book') W w = wee -
Step 2: Learn to pronounce words.
Once you learn to pronunce the letters of the Marshallese alphabet, you'll be able to pronunce any word you see in the Marshallese-English Online Dictionary and you'll be on your way to instinctively knowing how to spell words you hear.Practice the special pronunciation of letters with macrons and cedillas ā is pronounced like you're trying to say the 'e' in 'pet and the 'a' in 'pat' at the same time ō sounds like the 'oo' in 'book' ọ sounds like the 'o' in 'pot' ū is pronounced halfway between the 'ea' in 'beat' and the 'oo' in 'boot' ḷ sounds like 'L' but is pronounced with the toungue touching the ridge behind the teeth ṃ sounds like the 'M' but with the lips rounded ñ sounds like the 'ng' in 'singer' ṇ sounds like 'N' but with the toungue pulled back , Knowing how to count is an essential skill in any language.
Learning to count in Marshallese is not too tricky.
Numbers one through ten are listed below: 1 = Juon 2 = Ruo 3 = Jilu 4 = Emān 5 = Ḷalem 6 = Jijino 7 = Jimjuon 8 = Ralitōk 9 = Ratimjuon 10 = Joñoul , The wider the vocabulary you have at your disposal, the easier it is to speak a language fluently.
Familiarize yourself with as many simple, everyday Marshallese words as possible
- you'll be surprised at how quickly they build up! One of the easiest ways to do this is to use cognates
- these are words that share a similar meaning, vary slightly spelling and pronunciation in both languages.
Learning Marshallese cognates of English words is a great way to rapidly increase your vocabulary, but you must be careful since the pronunciation of these words may be different in Marshallese and it may be hard to pick them out in a sentence.
For words without cognates, try using one of the following memorization methods:
When you hear a word in English, think about how you would say it in Marshallese.
If you don't know what it is, jot it down and look it up later.
It's handy to keep a little notebook on you at all times for this purpose.
Alternatively, try attaching little Marshallese labels to items around your house, such as the mirror, the coffee table and the sugar bowl.
You'll see the words so often that you'll learn them without realizing it! It is important to learn a word or phrase from ‘Marshallese to English’ as well as ‘English to Marshallese.’ That way you will remember how to say it, not just recognize it when you hear it. , By learning the basics of polite conversation, you'll very quickly be able to interact with Marshallese-speakers on a simple level.
Jot down some everyday Marshallese phrases in a notebook and make a point of learning between five and ten of them each day.
Here's a few to get you started:
Hello! = Iakwe Yes = Aet No = Jab Thank you! = Koṃṃool! Please = Jouj What is your name? = Etaṃ? My name is... = Eta in...
How are you? = Ejjet mour? Good. = Eṃṃan.
See you later! = Bar loe eok! -
Step 3: Learn to count.
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Step 4: Memorize simple vocabulary.
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Step 5: Learn some basic conversational phrases.
Detailed Guide
Although the Marshallese alphabet is almost identical to Spanish or English in terms of some of the letters used, the pronunciation of each letter is significantly different.
As correct pronunciation is one of the most difficult skills for English learners of Marshallese to grasp, learning how to perfectly pronounce the letters of the alphabet is a great place to start your Marshallese-speaking adventure! Once you can pronounce all of the individual letters, learning how to pronounce entire words and phrases will be a lot easier.
Below is a list of the letters and what they are called.
Notice that some of the letters have a macron (bar on top) or a dot/cedille (squigilly or dot underneath).
These symbols give these letters a different sound that is sometimes imperceptible for non-native speakers but that make a difference in Marshallese.
A a = ah Ā ā = aeh B b = bee D d = dree E e = eh I i = ee J j = jay, say, shay, chay K k = kee L l = lee Ḷ ḷ = lee (like 'L' but with the toungue touching the ridge behind the teeth) M m = mee Ṃ ṃ = mwee N n = nee Ṇ ṇ = nee (like 'N' but with the toungue pulled back) Ñ ñ = ngee O o = oh Ọ ọ = oa (like 'oa' in 'boat') Ō ō = oo (like 'oo' in 'book') P p = pea R r = ree (rolled like in Spanish) T t = tee U u = oo (like 'oo' in 'boo') Ū ū = oo (like 'oo' in 'book') W w = wee
Once you learn to pronunce the letters of the Marshallese alphabet, you'll be able to pronunce any word you see in the Marshallese-English Online Dictionary and you'll be on your way to instinctively knowing how to spell words you hear.Practice the special pronunciation of letters with macrons and cedillas ā is pronounced like you're trying to say the 'e' in 'pet and the 'a' in 'pat' at the same time ō sounds like the 'oo' in 'book' ọ sounds like the 'o' in 'pot' ū is pronounced halfway between the 'ea' in 'beat' and the 'oo' in 'boot' ḷ sounds like 'L' but is pronounced with the toungue touching the ridge behind the teeth ṃ sounds like the 'M' but with the lips rounded ñ sounds like the 'ng' in 'singer' ṇ sounds like 'N' but with the toungue pulled back , Knowing how to count is an essential skill in any language.
Learning to count in Marshallese is not too tricky.
Numbers one through ten are listed below: 1 = Juon 2 = Ruo 3 = Jilu 4 = Emān 5 = Ḷalem 6 = Jijino 7 = Jimjuon 8 = Ralitōk 9 = Ratimjuon 10 = Joñoul , The wider the vocabulary you have at your disposal, the easier it is to speak a language fluently.
Familiarize yourself with as many simple, everyday Marshallese words as possible
- you'll be surprised at how quickly they build up! One of the easiest ways to do this is to use cognates
- these are words that share a similar meaning, vary slightly spelling and pronunciation in both languages.
Learning Marshallese cognates of English words is a great way to rapidly increase your vocabulary, but you must be careful since the pronunciation of these words may be different in Marshallese and it may be hard to pick them out in a sentence.
For words without cognates, try using one of the following memorization methods:
When you hear a word in English, think about how you would say it in Marshallese.
If you don't know what it is, jot it down and look it up later.
It's handy to keep a little notebook on you at all times for this purpose.
Alternatively, try attaching little Marshallese labels to items around your house, such as the mirror, the coffee table and the sugar bowl.
You'll see the words so often that you'll learn them without realizing it! It is important to learn a word or phrase from ‘Marshallese to English’ as well as ‘English to Marshallese.’ That way you will remember how to say it, not just recognize it when you hear it. , By learning the basics of polite conversation, you'll very quickly be able to interact with Marshallese-speakers on a simple level.
Jot down some everyday Marshallese phrases in a notebook and make a point of learning between five and ten of them each day.
Here's a few to get you started:
Hello! = Iakwe Yes = Aet No = Jab Thank you! = Koṃṃool! Please = Jouj What is your name? = Etaṃ? My name is... = Eta in...
How are you? = Ejjet mour? Good. = Eṃṃan.
See you later! = Bar loe eok!
About the Author
Stephen Torres
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