The Occitan Alphabet
You already know most of the letters. The accents, the ç and the pairs of letters are what is new.
How It Works
Occitan uses the Latin alphabet. The letters k and w are rare and appear in words from other languages.
| You will see | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| è ò | grave accent: an open vowel | pèira, pòrta |
| à | grave accent: a stressed a | ailà (over there) |
| é ó | acute accent: a closed vowel | mercé |
| á í ú | acute accent: a stressed vowel | cossí |
| ï ü | diaeresis: the vowel is read apart | païses (countries) |
| ç | an s sound before a, o and u | plaça |
| lh nh ch tz | two letters, one sound | filha |
Each of these has its own entry. Learn the pairs and the accents early. Occitan spelling is regular, so once you know the rules you can read a new word aloud.
Examples (5)
- cossí
how
The acute accent on the last syllable marks the stress.
- pèira
stone
The grave accent marks an open e.
- plaça
square
The ç sounds like s before the a.
- braç
arm
The ç also comes at the end of a word.
- filha
daughter
Lh is two letters for one sound.
How It Connects
Related Patterns
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice The Occitan Alphabet in Bubblegum
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