L0.3: Phonems in Akkadian#

Akkadian is a reconstructed language, so it is impossible to determine how phonemes were pronounced exactly. In this sense, pronunciation is a scholar’s convention derived from other Semitic languages, cuneiform orthographie and transliteration of Akkadian into other writing systems.

Vowels#

The vowels in Akkadian are:

Short Vowels

Long Vowels

a

ā/â

e

ē/ê

i

ī/î

u

ū/û

It is possible that the vowel “o” existed but it was not represented in the script. Vowels can be short or long. The macron designates a structural lenght or lenght that originates from the monophthongization of the diphthongs */aw/ and */ay/. Long vowels with the circumphlex â originate from the contraction of two neighbouring vowels.

Consonants#

The consonants in Akkadian are:

Phonem

[IPA] reconstructed articulation

Hebrew equivalent

/ʾ/

[ʔ] Glottal stop

א

/b/

[b] Voiced bilabial plosive

ב

/g/

[g] Voiced velar plosive

ג

/d/

[d] Voiced dental plosive

ד

/w/

[β̞ ] Voiced bilabial fricative

ו

/z/

[ð] Voiced dental fricative

ז

/h or /ḫ/

[x] Voiceless velar fricative

ח

/ṭ/

[tʼ] dental ejective stops

ט

/j/ or /y/

[j] Voiced palatal approximant

י

/k/

[k] Voiceless velar plosive

כ

/l/

[l] voiced alveolar lateral

ל

/m/

[m] Voiced bilabial nasal

מ

/n/

[n] voiced dental nasal

נ

/s/

[s] voiceless alveolar fricatives

ס

/p/

[p] Voiceless bilabial plosive

פ

/ṣ/

[θʼ] Dental ejective fricative

צ

/q/

[kʼ] Velar ejective stop

ק

/r/

[r] Voiced alveolar trill

ר

/š/

[ʃ] voiceless palato-alveolar fricative

ש

/t/

[t] Voiceless dental plosives

ת

Note

The length in consonants is written with gemination, e.g.: ša-ar-rum for šarrum “king”.