(akk-phon)=
{margin}
GoA 1.1
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.
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.
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](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemination), e.g.: *ša-ar-rum* for *šarrum* "king".