Editing Gilbertese language (section)

==Phonology==
Gilbertese contrasts 13 [[consonant]]s and 10 [[vowel]] sounds.<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Blevins|Harrison|1999|pp=205–206}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
|+Consonants
!  rowspan=2|
! colspan=2|[[Bilabial consonant|Bilabial]]
! rowspan=2|[[Apical consonant|Apical]]
! rowspan=2|[[Velar consonant|Velar]]
|-
!<small>plain</small>
!<small>[[velarization|velarized]]</small>
|- align=center
!rowspan=2|[[Nasal stop|Nasal]]
| {{IPA link|mː}} {{angbr|mm}} 
| 
| {{IPA link|nː}} {{angbr|nn}} 
| {{IPA link|ŋː}} {{angbr|ngg}}
|- align=center
| {{IPA link|m}} {{angbr|m}} 
| {{IPA link|mˠ}} {{angbr|mw}} 
| {{IPA link|n}} {{angbr|n}} 
| {{IPA link|ŋ}} {{angbr|ng}}
|- align=center
![[Stop consonant|Stop]]
| {{IPA link|p}}{{efn|group=lower-roman|Usually voiced intervocalically but also sometimes word-initially.<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Lee|Timee|2019|pp=24}}</ref>}} {{angbr|b}} || {{IPA link|pˠ}} {{angbr|bw}} || {{IPA link|t}}{{efn|group=lower-roman|{{IPA|/t/}} is [[lenition|lenited]] and [[assibilation|assibilated]] to {{IPA|[s]}} before {{IPA|/i/}}.}} {{angbr|t}} || {{IPA link|k}} {{angbr|k}}
|- align=center
![[Flap consonant|Flap]]
|
| {{IPA link|βˠ}}{{efn|group=lower-roman|The labiovelar fricative {{IPA|/βˠ/}} may be a flap or an approximant, depending on the context.<ref name="Harvcoltxt|Blevins|Harrison|1999|p=206">{{Harvcoltxt|Blevins|Harrison|1999|p=206}}</ref>}} {{angbr|w}}
| {{IPA link|ɾ}}{{efn|group=lower-roman|{{IPA|/ɾ/}} does not occur in the syllable coda.<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Blevins|Harrison|1999|p=207}}</ref>}} {{angbr|r}} || 
|}
{{notelist|group=lower-roman}}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
|+Vowels
! 
! [[Front vowel|Front]]
! [[Back vowel|Back]]
|-align="center"
! [[Close vowel|Close]]{{efn|group=lower-roman|Short {{IPA|/i/}} and {{IPA|/u/}} may become semivowels {{IPA|[j]}} and {{IPA|[w]}} when followed by more sonorous vowels. {{IPA|/ie/}} → {{IPA|[je]}} ('sail').<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Blevins|Harrison|1999|p=209}}</ref> Kiribati has syllabic nasals, although syllabic {{IPA|/n/}} and {{IPA|/ŋ/}} can be followed only by consonants that are homorganic.<ref name="Harvcoltxt|Blevins|Harrison|1999|p=206"/>}}
| {{IPA link|i}} {{IPA link|iː}} || {{IPA link|u}} {{IPA link|uː}}
|-align="center"
! [[Mid vowel|Mid]]
| {{IPA link|e}} {{IPA link|eː}}{{efn|group=lower-roman|name=v2|Lee (2019) describes the additional [[monophthong]]s {{IPA|[ɛ]}} and {{IPA|[æ]}}, for a total of 14 vowel sounds.<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Lee|Timee|2019|pp=25}}</ref>}} || {{IPA link|o}} {{IPA link|oː}}
|-align="center"
! [[Open vowel|Open]]
| || {{IPA link|a}} {{IPA link|aː}}{{efn|group=lower-roman|name=v2}}
|}
{{notelist|group=lower-roman}}

The {{IPA|/a/}} pronunciation is closer to {{IPA|[ä]}} except after velarized {{IPA|/mˠ/}} and {{IPA|/pˠ/}}.

Quantity is distinctive for vowels and plain nasal consonants but not for the remaining sounds so that {{lang|gil|ana}} {{IPA|/ana/}} (third person singular article) contrasts with {{lang|gil|aana}} {{IPA|/aːna/}} ({{Translation|its underside}}) as well as {{lang|gil|anna}} {{IPA|/anːa/}} ({{Translation|dry land}}). Other minimal pairs include:<ref name="Harvcoltxt|Blevins|Harrison|1999|p=206" />

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Minimal pairs for vowel length
|-
! scope="col" rowspan=2 |
! scope="col" colspan=3 | Short
! scope="col" colspan=3 | Long
|-
! Example
! IPA
! Translation
! Example
! IPA
! Translation
|-align=center
! scope="row" | {{IPA|//e//}}
| {{lang|gil|te ben}}
| {{IPA|/tepen/}}
| ripe coconut
| {{lang|gil|te been}}
| {{IPA|/tepeːn/}}
| pen
|-align=center
! scope="row" | {{IPA|//i//}}
|  {{lang|gil|ti}}
| {{IPA|/ti/}}
| we
| {{lang|gil|tii}}
| {{IPA|/tiː/}}
| only
|-align=center
! scope="row" | {{IPA|//o//}}
| {{lang|gil|on}}
| {{IPA|/on/}}
| full
| {{lang|gil|oon}}
| {{IPA|/oːn/}}
| turtles
|-align=center
! scope="row" | {{IPA|//u//}}
| {{lang|gil|te atu}}
| {{IPA|/atu/}}
| bundle
| {{lang|gil|te atuu}}
| {{IPA|/atuː/}}
| head
|-align=center
! scope="row" | {{IPA|//a//}}
| {{lang|gil|tuanga}}
| {{IPA|/twaŋa/}}
| to tell
| {{lang|gil|tuangga}}
| {{IPA|/twaŋːa/}}
| to tell him/her
|}