| Labial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Uvular | Glottal | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | /m/ 〈m〉 | /n/ 〈n〉 | 
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| Plosive | Voiced | /b/ 〈b〉 | /d/ 〈d〉 |
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| Plain | /p/ 〈p〉 | /t/ 〈t〉 | /k/ 〈k〉 | /q/ 〈q〉 | /ʔ/ 〈'〉 |
| ||
| Ejective | /tʼ/ 〈t'〉 | /kʼ/ 〈k'〉 | /qʼ/ 〈q'〉 |
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| Affricate | /ts/ 〈ts〉 |
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| Fricative | /s/ 〈s〉 |
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| Approximant | /l/ 〈l〉 | /j/ 〈y〉 |
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| /i/ 〈i〉 |
| |
| /e/ 〈e〉 | /o/ 〈o〉 | |
| /a/ 〈a〉 | ||
Syllable structure: C(C)V(C)
Possible syllable-initial clusters: py, ty, ky, sy, pl, tl, kl, ql, sl. Consonant clusters and ejectives can only occur at the beginnings of words.
Possible syllable-final sounds: y, n, l, s. n assimilates with following nasals and plosives; for labials in the middle of words, this is indicated in the romanization; n is [n] before other sounds and utterance-finally. Geminate consonants are possible, and distinct from non-geminates. Within words, a glottal stop can't follow a syllable-final consonant, and a voiced stop can't follow /s/.
/a/ and /e/ are not distinguished after q and q'.
i and y can't be in the same syllable (but things like 'iye are okay).
Stress goes on the first syllable.
After /q/ and /qʼ/, /a/ and /e/ are pronounced /ɑ/, and /i/ is pronounced /ɯ/ . The latter can optionally be distinguished in the romanization by using 〈ı〉 instead of 〈i〉.