Listen and copy Solomon Ratt reading the sounds of SRO. This page includes chants to help remember both the consonant and the vowel sounds.
Consonant Sounds:
Scroll to the bottom of this page for a downloadable mp3 audio file.
c-c-c-c: | cêskwa, cêskwa, cêskwa pitamâ. Wait, wait, wait a bit. |
h-h-h-h: | hâw, hâw, hâw mâka. Okay, okay, okay then. |
k-k-k-k: | kâya, kâya, kâya itôta. Don’t, don’t, don’t do it! |
m-m-m-m: | mahti, mahti, mahti nêhiyawêtân. Please, please, please, let’s speak Cree. |
n-n-n-n: | namôya, namôya, namôya cêskwa. No, no, not yet! |
p-p-p-p: | pêtâ, pêtâ, pêtâ kimasinahikan. Bring it, bring it, bring your book. |
s-s-s-s: | sôhki, sôhki, sôhki-sêsâwî. Hard, hard, exercise hard! |
t-t-t-t: | tâpwê, tâpwê, tâpwê takahki. Truly, truly, it is truly great! |
w-w-w-w: | wîcih, wîcih, wîcih kiwîcêwâkan. Help him, help her, help your companion. |
y-y-y-y: | yîkatê-, yîkatê-, yîkatê-kwâskohti. Aside, aside, jump aside! |
Vowel Sounds:
a-a-a-a: | apisîs, apisîs, apisîs nêhiyawêk. A little, a little, speak (you – plural) a little Cree! |
â-â-â-â: | âskaw, âskaw, âskaw âkayâsîmo. Sometimes, sometimes, sometimes speak English. |
ê-ê-ê-ê: | êkosi, êkosi, êkosi itôta. That’s it, that’s it, do it like that. |
i-i-i-i: | itwaha, itwaha, itwaha iskwâhtêm. Point to it, point to it, point at the door. |
î-î-î-î: | îkatêna, îkatêna, îkatêna êwako. Set it aside, set it aside, set that one aside. |
o-o-o-o: | omisi, omisi, omisi itwê. This way, this way, say it this way. |
ô-ô-ô-ô: | ôtê, ôtê, ôtê pê-itohtê. This way, this way, come this way. |