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Maj Alphabet

Maj has an alphabet derived from ISO Latin. It has 26 letters associated with 30 sounds. Maj has a balanced ratio between consonants and vowels 21/7 = 3. We avoid consonat clusters and we use simple word patterns to make Maj words easyer to pronounce. Recently we have reintroduced W and Q to keep Maj alphabet compatible with English. Because now you can reprezents all English sounds.

Notes:

Each letter has an uppercase version;
Letters "W" and "Q" are not used in Maj;
We use "W" like a soft "U" that can't get accent;
We use "Q" with "w" or "u" after it alwais and is pronounced /kw/ or /ku/;

Maj Script

Maj script is created by reusing Unicode letters from numerous alphabets including Lating, Greek and Georgian. Each letter is design to be created from a single pen stroak. Maj script is written with a pen or a stylus, using a continuous coursive line.

Maj script letters have round portions, sharp angles and returns. You must learn where to start a letter and go ahead in a single direction until you finish the letter. Between letters there is a short distance. Between words, the distance is larger, at least double, to distinguish the intependent words.

Pronunciation guide

Maj pronunciation is based on deterministic rules. That means, pronounciation rules are the same in all words and do not depend on the word origin. In Maj you do no need to learn how to spell words. That is if you know Maj alphabet and reading rules then you can read any Maj word correctly even if you have never heared that word before.

Notes

Maj alphabet has 7 vowels, 19 consonants and 4 digraphs in total 30 sounds;
Maj sounds require healthy tongue, lips, teeth and vocal chords;
Maj sounds do not require to put your tongue between your teeth;
Maj sounds do not require inverted tongue tip (retroflex);
Maj has strong consonants and clear vowels similar to Portuguese;
Maj sounds have a Balkanic root but not all sounds are from Latin;

Modified Letters:

"h" is read /ə/ like "eo" in word "pigeon";
"j" is read /ʒ/ like "su" in word "pleasure";
"x" is read /h/ like "ho" in word "hollywood";
"c" is read /ʃ/ like "sh" in word "sheep";

Tools:

We have set-up some free tools to help you learn and practice the Maj translation and reading.

Latin to: Maj IPAconvertor;
Latin to: Maj Scriptconvertor;

Vowels

Maj has 7 vowels: { a, e, i, o, u } and two semivowels { h, y }:

Maj Vowels

Pronounciation

Vowels are pronounced like in Italian and Romanian languages not like in English nor German:

"a" read /a/ is open central, like "a" in "car";
"e" read /e/ is close-mid front, like "e" in "melon";
"i" read /i/ is close front, like "ee" in "geese";
"o" read /o/ is close-mid back, like "o" in "document";
"u" read /u/ is close back, like "oo" in "soon";
"y" read /y/ is very similar to sound "i" in words "still"
"h" read /ə/ is mid central, like "o" in baron;

Voice Recording

Listen and learn vouwel pronounciation in order:

{ a, e, i, o, u, y, h }

Letter "y":Is close central, un-rounded vowel. IPA symbol for this sound is actually /y/. This sound is very different than English sound "y". It is very similar to sound "i" in words "still" or "director". A similar sound is IPA:/ɨ/. Maj do not use this letter very often but it is present in some words given as examples: "myna" = hand and "zyna" = fairy.

Learn more: listening: y

Letter "h":In Maj this letter is very different from other languages. This letter is pronounced "ə" and is never silent. If it is present, it has to be read. Th original letter h is replaced by letter x or X. So then letter X si pronounced IPA: /h/.

Since on QUERTY KEYBOARD there is not letter "ə" we have decided to use "h" instead. We have inspired this decision from Greek where H is actually pronounced "i" but we think "ə" is necesary since we do have "i" that is good enaugh. Also there is no point to have a silent letters in Maj so "h" ould be wasted.

Learn more: listening: h

Diphthongs

A diphthong is a new sound created with two vowels. Maj has numerous diphthongs. In the next table you can find all theoretica possible diphthongs: (42) in practice, some diphtongs will never be used due to difficult pronounciation.

Maj Diphtongs

Note: In maj some diphtongs are gliding. This technique may be difficult to learn but listening to audio recording will help. Maj is made for typing fast more than speaking. Does not matter if your pronunciation is not perfect. Words must sound distinct and pronounciation will be tricky until you get profficient in Maj.

Tone and accent

Maj is designed for chat, so it has no official tone. When can be read with a monotone voice by a robot. It is not wrong to use tone to improve the meaning of long statements, enumerations, queryes or exclamative sentances but this is unusual and characteristic to humans that have a native tonal language. Maj do not require use of any tonal or accent for speacking the words. Accebt on first or second vowel will just do ok. We do not put accent on last vowel.

Consonants

Maj is using 17 consonants from standard Latin alphabet:

Maj Consonants

Pronounciation

Most consonants are similar to IPA but some are different;

"b" is voiced, plosive, bilabial like "b" in "boss";
"c" is voiceless, post-alveolar fricative like "sh" in "fashion":
"p" is voiceless, plosive, bilabial like "p" in "pin";
"t" is voiceless, plosive, alveolar like "t" in "test";
"d" is voiced, plosive, alveolar like "d" in "door";
"k" is voiceless velar stop like "k" in "kitten" or "c" in "color";
"m" is nasal, bilabial, like "m" in "mule";
"n" is alveolar, nasal, like "n" in "novel";
"r" is trilled, similar to sound "r" in "rocket"
"f" is voiceless, lavio-dental frivative like "f" in "frog";
"v" is voiced labio-dental fricative , similar to "v" in "voice";
"s" is fricative alveolar like "s" in "snake";
"z" is alveolar-dental, vibrated, similar to "z" in "zoo";
"l" is liquid, alveolar, like "l" in "lord";
"g" is voiced velar fricative like "gu" in "guitar";
"j" is viuced fricative alveolar, like "s" in "pleasure";
"x" is voiced fricative glottal like "h" in "happy";

Voice recordings

Listen and learn consonant pronounciation, from b to l, in order:

{ b, c, d, f, g, j, k, l }

Listen and learn consonant pronounciation from m to n, in order.

{ m, n, p, r, s, t, v, x, z }

Digraphs

Digraphs are groups of 2 letters that are thigtly connected and become a new and distinctive sound. In fact we have created special script letters for these 3 sounds. In other languages one vowel and one consonant can make a digraph but in Maj digraphs are created using two consonants.

Digraphs

DIGRAPH	LC	IPA
Tc	tc	/t͡ʃ]
Ts	ts	/t͡s]
Dj	dj	/d͡ʒ]
Gn	gn	/ŋ]

Pronounciation

Digraph "tc" sounds "t͡ʃ" like "ch" in "peach"
Digraph "ts" sounds "t͡s" like "ts" in "cats"
Group "dj" sounds "d͡ʒ" like "g" in "giraffe"
Cluster "gn" is read /ŋ/ similar to "gn" in Italian word "signora";

Listen and learn digraphs pronounciation, in order.

{ tc, ts, dj, gn }

Clusters

A clusters represents a group of two consonants. Maj is using cluster in many words using pattern: CCV or VCCV.

Rules:

we do not use same letter twice to make clusters;
some combinations can not be pronounced therefore are descouraged;
clusters of 3 consonants are extremly rare in Maj;

External References

For explaining the alphabet pronunciation we have used phonetic symbols:

Read next: Numerals