Consonants:

​

b is pronounced like our "b"

c is pronounced "tch"

g is pronounced like our "g" in guarantee, for example

ǧ is pronounced like an "r" as in Paris.

h indicates pronunciation with aspiration of the preceding letter (example in English: "hat")

́ȟ guttural like the "x" in the Spanish "Mexico"

k like our "k", without aspiration. It is pronounced with aspiration if followed by an "h"

l like our "l"

m like our "m"

n like our "n"

p like our "p", without aspiration. It is pronounced with aspiration if followed by an "h"

s like our "s" (sun)

š like our "sh" (chat)

t like our "t", without aspiration. It is pronounced with aspiration if followed by an "h"

w is pronounced like the English "w" (for example "oua-", as in waná=now)

z like our "z" (zebra)

́ž like our "j"

y is considered a consonant.

This "y" is pronounced like ours (for example in our word "yack"). In Lakota, the "y", when it starts a word, is always followed by a vowel (yámni=three), simple or nasalized (yaŋkÁ=to sit. In a word, "y" (like "w") separates two simple vowels (wayáwa=reader, student) or nasalized ones (wíŋyaŋ=woman).

Some consonants are followed by an apostrophe like c', k', p', t'. This is the "glottal stop": we mark a pause before pronouncing the following vowel (for example p'o=fog, mist, steam).