Indigenous Languages Alphabets

An alphabet is a type of writing system in which a set of symbols (letters) represents the distinctive sounds (or phonemes) of a language. Below are the alphabets, vowels, and dipthongs for each of the NWT’s official Indigenous languages.

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Dene Kǝdǝ́

Consonants
ɂ a b ch ch’ d dl dz e ǝ f g gh
gw h ı j k kw k’ kw’ l ł m n o
p p’ r s sh t t’ tł tł’ ts ts’ u v
w wh w’ x y z zh            
Vowels and Dipthongs
a á ą ą́ e é ę ǝ ǝ́ ı ı́ ı̨ ı̨́
o ó ǫ ǫ́ u ú ų ų́          
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Dëne Sųłinë

Consonants
ɂ a b ch ch’ d dh ddh dl dz e ë g
gh h ı j k k’ l ł m n o r s
sh t t’ th tł tł’ ts ts’ tth tth’ u w x
y z                      
Vowels and Dipthongs
a á ą ą́ e é ę ę́ ë ë́ ı ı́ ı̨
ı̨́ o ó ǫ ǫ́ u ú ų ų́ aı au ay ıe
ue uı                      
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Dene Zhatıé

Consonants
ɂ a b ch ch’ d dh ddh dl dz e f g
gh h ı j k k’ l ł m mb n nd o
p p’ r s sh t t’ th tth tth’ tł tł’ ts
ts’ u v w x y z zh          
Vowels and Dipthongs
a á ą ą́ e é ę ı ı́ ı̨ ı̨́ o ó
ǫ ǫ́ u ú ų ų́ aı au          
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Dinjii Zhuh Ginjik

Consonants
‘ a b ch ch’ d ddh dh dl dr dz dzh e
g gh ghw gw h ı j k k’ kh khw kw l
ł m n n’ nd ng nh o r s sh sr t
t’ th tth tth’ tł tł’ tr tr’ ts ts’ tsh tsh’ u
v y z zh zr                
Vowels and Dipthongs
a à ą e è ę ı ı̀ ı̨ o ò u ù
ao aıı eıı eu                  
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nēhiyawēwin

Consonants
c h k m n p s t w y
Vowels and Dipthongs
a ā i ı̄ o ō ē aw āw
ay ēw ey wi ı̄y ow ōw oy āw
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Inuinnaqtun

Consonants
b dj ff g h k l m n
ñ ng p q r t v y  
Vowels
a i u aa ii uu
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Inuktitut

Qaniujaaqpait Syllabics

Consonant -i -u -a final
Vowel only ᐃ ᐅ ᐊ ·
p ᐱ ᐳ ᐸ ᑉ
t ᑎ ᑐ ᑕ ᑦ
k ᑭ ᑯ ᑲ ᒃ
g ᒋ ᒍ ᒐ ᒡ
m ᒥ ᒧ ᒪ ᒻ
n ᓂ ᓄ ᓇ ᓐ
s/h ᓯ ᓱ ᓴ ᔅ
l ᓕ ᓗ ᓚ ᓪ
j ᔨ ᔪ ᔭ ᔾ
v ᕕ ᕗ ᕙ ᕝ
r ᕆ ᕈ ᕋ ᕐ
q ᕿ ᖁ ᖃ ᖅ
ng ᖏ ᖑ ᖓ ᖕ
ł ᖠ ᖢ ᖤ ᖦ

Qaliujaaqpait Roman Orthography

Consonants
ch* ff* g h hl* j k L ł m n
ng p q r rh* s shr* t v ʼ*  
Vowels
a i u aa ii uu

* Introduced in the 2019 Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami revision to support all Inuktut dialects.

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Inuvialuktun

Sallirmiutun

Consonants
b ch dj g k l ł m n
ng p q r s t v y  

Uummarmiutun

Consonants
ch dj ff g h k l ł m n
ñ ng p q r r̂ t v y  
Vowels
a i u aa ii uu
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Tłı̨chǫ

Consonants
ɂ a b ch ch’ d dl dz e g gh gw h
ı j k k’ kw kw’ l ł m mb n nd o
r s sh t t’ tł tł’ ts ts’ w wh x y
z zh                      
Vowels and Dipthongs
a à ą ą̀ e è ę ę̀ ı ı̀ ı̨ ı̨̀ o
ò ǫ ǫ̀ aı                  
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