===== The Alphabet =====
The [b]ALPHABET[/b] comprises 26 letters: 5 vowels ([b]a[/b], [b]e[/b], [b]i[/b], [b]o[/b], [b]u[/b]) and 21 consonants:
^ Letter ^ Noun in Neo ^ Pronunciation ^
| [b]a[/b] | [b]a[/b] | th[b][u]a[/u][/b]t, [b][u]a[/u][/b]dd |
| [b]b[/b] | [b]be[/b] ([i]bay[/i]) | [b][u]b[/u][/b]est |
| [b]c[/b] | [b]ce[/b] ([i]chay[/i]) | [b][u]ch[/u][/b]ur[b][u]ch[/u][/b] [b](1)[/b] |
| [b]d[/b] | [b]de[/b] ([i]day[/i]) | [b][u]d[/u][/b]ay |
| [b]e[/b] | [b]e[/b] ([i]ay[/i]) | b[b][u]e[/u][/b]d, d[b][u]a[/u][/b]y, N[b][u]e[/u][/b]o |
| [b]f[/b] | [b]ef[/b] | [b][u]f[/u][/b]ather |
| [b]g[/b] | [b]ge[/b] ([i]gay[/i]) | [b][u]g[/u][/b]ay, [b][u]g[/u][/b]oal |
| [b]h[/b] | [b]he[/b] ([i]hay[/i]) | [b][u]h[/u][/b]eart, [b][u]h[/u][/b]ome |
| [b]i[/b] | [b]i[/b] ([i]ee[/i]) | [b][u]i[/u][/b]s, [b][u]ea[/u][/b]r |
| [b]j[/b] | [b]je[/b] ([i]jay[/i]) | [b][u]j[/u][/b]et, [b][u]J[/u][/b]ohn |
| [b]k[/b] | [b]ke[/b] ([i]kay[/i]) | [b][u]k[/u][/b]eep, [b][u]c[/u][/b]an |
| [b]l[/b] | [b]el[/b] | [b][u]l[/u][/b]ong |
| [b]m[/b] | [b]em[/b] | [b][u]m[/u][/b]other |
^ Letter ^ Noun in Neo ^ Pronunciation ^
| [b]n[/b] | [b]en[/b] | [b][u]n[/u][/b]o, [b][u]n[/u][/b]one |
| [b]o[/b] | [b]o[/b] | l[b][u]o[/u][/b]t, n[b][u]o[/u][/b]te |
| [b]p[/b] | [b]pe[/b] ([i]pay[/i]) | [b][u]p[/u][/b]oor, [b][u]p[/u][/b]erson |
| [b]q[/b] | [b]ku[/b] ([i]koo[/i]) | [b][u]qu[/u][/b]een, [b][u]coo[/u][/b]k [b](2)[/b] |
| [b]r[/b] | [b]er[/b] ([i]air[/i]) | [b][u]r[/u][/b]ed, [b][u]r[/u][/b]oom |
| [b]s[/b] | [b]es[/b] | [b][u]s[/u][/b]it, [b][u]s[/u][/b]i[b][u]s[/u][/b]ter |
| [b]t[/b] | [b]te[/b] ([i]tay[/i]) | [b][u]t[/u][/b]ool, [b][u]t[/u][/b]ea |
| [b]u[/b] | [b]u[/b] ([i]oo[/i]) | t[b][u]oo[/u][/b]l, c[b][u]oo[/u][/b]k |
| [b]v[/b] | [b]ve[/b] ([i]vay[/i]) | [b][u]v[/u][/b]ain, [b][u]v[/u][/b]oid |
| [b]w[/b] | [b]we[/b] ([i]way[/i]) | [b]we[/b]ll, [b]w[/b]ay |
| [b]x[/b] | [b]xe[/b] ([i]ksay[/i]) | a[b][u]x[/u][/b] [b](3)[/b] |
| [b]y[/b] | [b]ye[/b] ([i]yay[/i]) | [b][u]y[/u][/b]es, [b][u]y[/u][/b]et |
| [b]z[/b] | [b]ze[/b] ([i]zay[/i]) | [b][u]z[/u][/b]oo, ro[b][u]s[/u][/b]e |
[b](1)[/b] For letter [b]c[/b] pronunciation [b]ts[/b] like [b]ts[/b]ar is acceptable.\\
[b](2)[/b] Letter [b]q[/b] needs no following [b]u[/b] to convey its [b]kw[/b] sound, just as the sound of [b]x[/b] is really [b]ks[/b]. Rather thаn proper letters, [b]q[/b] and [b]x[/b] are convenient signs to replace respectively [b]ku[/b] (or [b]kw[/b]) and [b]ks[/b]; both [b]ku[/b] (or [b]kw[/b]) and [b]ks[/b] are available if preferred.
[i]Letter[/i] [b]q[/b] [i]is always followed by[/i] [b]a[/b], [b]e[/b], [b]i[/b], [i]or[/i] [b]o[/b].\\
[b](3)[/b] Never [b]gz[/b] as e[b]x[/b]ample
Letter combinations [b]sh[/b] and [b]kh[/b] are pronounced same as in English.
===== PRONUNCIATION =====
Neo, like Spanish and Italian, is pronounced exactly as it is spelt. No letter is mute.\\
Every letter has one sound, always the same.\\
Therefore, if a text is dictated correctly, writing is simple and spelling mistakes are practically excluded.
===== VARIABILITY OF WORDS =====
An ending [b]s[/b] is added to [i]nouns[/i] and [i]pronouns[/i] in the plural.\\
[i]Verbs[/i] are conjugated according to [[:en:neo:rmn:gram:verb|the list]].\\
[i]All other words are invariable.[/i]
===== STRESS =====
[b]STRESS[/b] falls on :
- [i]the last but on syllable of words ending with a vowel[/i]: [b]l[u]í[/u]bro[/b] book; [b]t[u]á[/u]blo[/b] table; [b]p[u]á[/u]tro[/b] father; [b]m[u]á[/u]tro[/b] mother; [b][u]á[/u]lmo[/b] soul; [b]kor[u]á[/u]go[/b] courage; [b]kor[u]á[/u]ga[/b] courageous; [b]kem[u]í[/u]o[/b] chemistry; [b]ser[u]í[/u]o[/b] series; [b]geograf[u]í[/u]o[/b] geography; [b]geogr[u]á[/u]fa[/b] geographical; [b]distr[u]í[/u]bo[/b] distribution; [b]distr[u]í[/u]bi[/b] to distribute; [b]un[u]á[/u]lma[/b] unanimous; [b]unalm[u]é[/u]so[/b] unanimity.
- [i]the last syllable of words ending with a consonant[/i]: [b]am[u]ó[/u]r[/b] love; [b]am[u]í[/u]k[/b] friend; [b]gard[u]é[/u]n[/b] garden; [b]kan[u]ó[/u]n[/b] gun; [b]avent[u]ú[/u]r[/b] adventure; [b]experim[u]é[/u]nt[/b] experiment; [b]mi am[u]á[/u]r[/b] I love; [b]vu ven[u]á[/u]r[/b] you come; [b]zi vid[u]ó[/u]r[/b] they will see; [b]vu ven[u]ú[/u]r[/b] you would come.
[i]The[/i] [b]s[/b] [i]of the plural does not displace the stress[/i]: [b]l[u]í[/u]bros[/b], [b]t[u]á[/u]blos[/b], [b]m[u]á[/u]tros[/b], [b]ser[u]í[/u]os[/b], [b]am[u]í[/u]kos[/b], [b]gard[u]á[/u]nos[/b], [b]avent[u]ú[/u]ros[/b], [b]experim[u]é[/u]ntos[/b].
[i]Letter[/i] [b]y[/b], being a consonant, [i]cannot carry the stress[/i]: [b]f[u]ó[/u]lyo[/b] leaf; [b]d[u]ó[/u]lyo[/b] mourning, [b]d[u]ó[/u]lyi[/b] to mourn; [b]s[u]é[/u]rye[/b] seriously ([b]ser[u]í[/u]e[/b] means “in series”).
[i]Before another vowel[/i], [b]i[/b] [i]always gets stress[/i], even in words that already have another stress: [b]fol[u]í[/u]o[/b] madness; [b]m[u]í[/u]op[u]í[/u]o[/b] shortsightedness; [b]b[u]í[/u]olog[u]í[/u]o[/b] biology.
Stress never falls on the vowel [b]u[/b] in the combination [b]guo[/b]: [b]l[u]í[/u]nguo[/b] language; [b]amb[u]í[/u]gue[/b] ambiguously, or after [b]a[/b] and [b]e[/b]: [b]pl[u]á[/u]udi[/b] to applause; [b]k[u]á[/u]uzo[/b] cause; [b]kl[u]á[/u]uzo[/b] clause; [b][u]á[/u]uto[/b] motor-car; [b]n[u]é[/u]utra[/b] neutral; [b]r[u]é[/u]umo[/b] rheumatism; [b]r[u]é[/u]uma[/b] rheumatic.
[i]Compound words have two or more stresses, each component keeping its own stress[/i]: [b]d[u]ó[/u]rfosk[u]ó[/u]l[/b] village school; [b][u]á[/u]rt[u]í[/u]stor[/b] Art-History; [b][u]í[/u]sn[u]ó[/u]n[/b] nineteen; [b]n[u]ó[/u]nek n[u]ó[/u]nisn[u]ó[/u]n[/b] 999; [b]v[u]í[/u]rv[u]é[/u]stdepartm[u]é[/u]nt[/b] men’s-clothing-department.
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