The Dene syllabics orthography has received much criticism by many people. The principal complaint is that syllabics works well for the Algonquian languages, for which the writing system was originally designed, but is woefully lacking in enough characters to represent the complex nature of Dene phonology.

This could not be farther from the truth.

• Dene syllable structure is much simpler (CVC) than the Algonquian langauge Cree (CCVCC)
• Dene languages have four to six distinct vowel sounds (leaving out nasalisation), Cree has seven.

Granted, there are many more consonant sounds in Dene, but these are handled quite well by a system of unique characters and diacritics. In a few cases, closely related sounds are written with the same syllabic character, but most of these occur comparatively rarely, and the chance for misinterpretation is very low. Some sounds alternate in several dialects, or may disappear altogether.

• The vowels /u/ and /o/ merge to /u/ for many speakers: “fire” /kún/~/kón/.
• The /h/ in certain environments can be omitted: “now” /dųhų/~/dųų/~/dų/. /h/ at the beginning of a word is epenthetic (a sound added to a word to ease pronunciation).
• Voiceless and voiced fricatives can alternate depending on grammar: “belt” /thëth/ ~ “my belt” /sedhëdhé/.

These examples show that the apparent defects in the syllabic system actually reflect spoken aspects of the language.

There is even some question as to how phonologically accurate a practical (not a learner’s) orthography ought to be. The article Some General Aspects of the Syllabics Orthography has more information about how Dene syllabics can be understood to be an efficient orthography which fits Dene languages well.

For a learner of a language, an accurate pedagogical orthography is necessary for correct pronunciation. The Hebrew language, for example, has a system of diacritics which indicate vowels, otherwise absent in the written language. These points are very useful for learners, and are included in textbooks and readers. Fluent speakers, who have no need of such spelling aids, omit them. By the same token, a small set of modifications can be added to both the E-A (English-Anglican) and F-C (French-Catholic) Dene orthographies which will allow the student to pronounce the words correctly. Fluently literate people would not necessarily require these modifications in all cases.

Below are two sets of tables outlining the sounds of the Dene (Chipewyan) language. The consonants are shown as the onset of a syllable with the vowel /a/. Each sound in the language can be written, but in F-C, five consonants and two vowels represent more than one sound; these are coloured red. In E-A, one vowel and ten consonants represent more than one sound, but there are underused mechanisms in the orthography that could clear up most of the uncertainty.

The notes section below each set of tables gives some modification suggestions. I would hope that, if there is any interest in the Native communities to use syllabics in some way, these notes could be a part of a discussion about how to make the system more transparent to learners can take place.

Modification Suggestions

1. Fricatives

1. Voiceless fricatives to have /x/ final preceding the syllabic: thus /dh/ ᒐ is and /th/ is ʿᒐ. Precedent: ᕍ ʿᕍ.
2. Use ᕮ to represent /th/. Precedent: different voiceless~voiced symbols for ᓴ and ᘔ.

2. Ejectives

1. Other ejective stops are marked by a high vertical line: ᐟᓴˈ ᐟᕍˈ ᐟᗴˈ (and ᐟᒐˈ if ᕮ is replaced as in 1.2). Precedent: ᑕˈ ᑲˈ
2. The t-final is superfluous in 2.1, it could be omitted: ᓴˈ ᕍˈ ᗴˈ (and ᒐˈ if ᕮ is replaced as in 1.2).

3. Voiceless~Aspirated of Three Affricates

1. If each fricative (voiceless and voiced) has a different character shape, this affricate problem takes care of itself. Precedent: ᐟᓴ and ᐟᘔ
   1. /tth/ ᐟᕮ /ddh/ ᐟᒐ (if ᕮ is replaced as in 1.2)
   2. There is no single syllabic character for /ł/, the /x/ final is written before the /l/: ʿᕍ. Representing /tł/ with the trigraph ᐟʿᕍ is clunky. Here the k-final can be employed distinctively: /tł/ ᐠᕍ /dl/ ᐟᕍ.
   3. /ch/ ᐟᗴ /j/ ᐟᔭ (the /y/ sound and /zh/ are largely interchangeable; for this case, writing /zh/ as ᔭ effectively takes care of /j/).
2. Use some other final besided /t/ preceding the syllabic for aspirated (or voiceless) sounds. Precedent: strategy from A-E Dene.
   1. k-final for aspirated: /tth/ ᐠᒐ /tł/ ᐠᕍ /ch/ ᐠᗴ. Precedent: occasional use of k-final for /tł/.
   2. borrow E-A d-final for voiceless: /ddh/ ᐨᒐ /dl/ ᐨᕍ /j/ ᐨᗴ. Precedent: used in A-E Dene.
   3. some other symbol, e.g.: right-half ring ʾ, /ddh/ ʾᒐ /dl/ ʾᕍ /j/ ʾᗴ.

4. Glottal Consonants /h/ and /ʔ/

1. Write each consonant at all times: /h/ ᐊˈ /ʔ/ ᐥᐊ
2. Write them only in certain situations, /ʔ/ stem-initially, /h/ at all times. Precedent: South Slavey Roman orthography (Dene Standardization Project: 64)
3. In the F-C Chipewyan orthography, there is no symbol for final /h/. Possible contenders: ᐦ (Cree /h/), ᕁ (unless used for /sh/ as in 6.2, Cree /hk/)

5. Vowels

1. The vowels /ë/ and /o/ occur with lower frequency than /e/ and /u/, 1:10.8 for ë:e, 1:2.7 for o:u. Thus /ë/ and /o/ should be more marked.
   1. Use the dot accent to “reduce” the vowel: ᐁ /e/ ᐁ̇ /ë/ ᐅ /u/ ᐅ̇ /o/. Precedent: The dot accent differentiates between /o/ and /u/ in A-E Dene, although it works the other way around.
   2. Use a diæresis accent to “reduce” the vowel. ᐁ /e/ ᐁ̈ /ë/ ᐅ /u/ ᐅ̈ /o/. Precedent: Chipewyan Roman orthography (Dene Standardization Project: 16).

6. Finals

1. Chipewyan may have the following consonants at the end of a syllable. Where applicable, the consonants are grouped into twos, voiced and voiceless. There are no finals which indicate voicing.
   • /th/ /dh/ ᑋ
   • /r/ ᙆ
   • /s/ /z/ ᐢ
   • /sh/ /y/ ᐩ
   • /l/ /ł/ ᔆ
   • /gh/ /x/ ʿ
   • /h/ /ʔ/ no final present, see section 4.3
   • /n/ ᐣ
2. Separate symbols for each final fricative (there are many possibilities here, below are only a few examples).
   • /th/ ᑋ /dh/  —  used in Dakelh for /v/, rotated ᑋ.
   • /s/ ᐢ /z/ ᐡ — ᐡ used in Cree for /sh/, rotated ᐢ.
   • /sh/ ᕁ /y/ ᐩ — ᕁ used in Cree for /x/, rotated ᕀ.
   • /ł/ ᐪ or ᙚ /l/ ᔆ — ᐪ used in Cree for /l/, ᙚ used in Dakelh for /sh/.
   • /x/ ʿ /gh/ ʾ — rotated ʿ.
3. Use the x-final left-half ring for voiceless fricative finals. Precedent: Legoff’s treatment of /ł/.
   • /th/ ʿᑋ
   • /s/ ʿᐢ
   • /sh/ ʿᐩ
   • /ł/ ʿᔆ
   • /x/ ʿʿ

7. Nasal Vowels

1. According to the Dene Standardization Project (12), “Only write nasal vowels when the nasal vowel makes a meaning difference in the word”. The F-C system already has a mechanism for writing nasal vowels: ᐊˋ. In diphthongs, use the nasal accent only on the second vowel.

8. Tone

1. There is no mechanism for writing tone in the F-C system. An acute or macron accent over the syllabic could be used, as in Roman orthography. ᐁᗀ́ᘚ́ or ᐁᗀ̄ᘚ̄ for /eghézé/.

Modification Suggestions

1. Fricatives

1. Use a raised (ligated) final preceding the syllabic for voiceless fricatives. Precedent: ᕍ ᒢᕍ.
   • /dh/ ᒐ /th/ ᒢᒐ
   • /z/ ᓴ /s/ ᐢᓴ
   • /gh/ ᗃ /x/ ᑊᗃ

2. Ejective of Stops

1. Use a /d/ or /g/ final preceding the syllabic for ejectives. /t’/ ᐨᕦ /k’/ ᑊᑲ. Precedent: ᐨᕦ
2. Same as above, except use the /t/ and /k/ finals. /t’/ ᒡᕦ /k’/ ᐠᑲ.

3. Voiceless~Aspirated~Ejective of Three Affricates and /g/

1. Use the syllabic character for the ejective (the most common form of the affricates), and preceding finals for the voiceless and aspirated affricates. Precedent: Occasional use of superscripted /t/ and /d/ finals with affricates.
   1. /tth’/ ᕮ /ts’/ ᘔ /tl’/ ᖉ /ch’/ ᗴ
   2. /ddh/ ᐨᕮ /dz/ ᐨᘔ /dl/ ᐨᖉ /j/ ᐨᗴ
   3. /tth/ ᒡᕮ /ts/ ᒡᘔ /tl/ ᒡᖉ /ch/ ᒡᗴ
2. Use the syllabic character for the aspirated affricate, and preceding finals for the voiceless and ejective affricates.
3. 1. /tth/ ᕮ /ts/ ᘔ /tl/ ᖉ /ch/ ᗴ
   2. /ddh/ ᐨᕮ /dz/ ᐨᘔ /dl/ ᐨᖉ /j/ ᐨᗴ
   3. /tth’/ ᒡᕮ /ts’/ ᒡᘔ /tl’/ ᒡᖉ /ch’/ ᒡᗴ
4. Use a raised gh-final before a k-series syllablic. /ga/ ᑊᑲ.

4. Glottal Consonants /h/ and /ʔ/

1. No symbol for either /h/ or /ʔ/ exists in the A-E orthography.
   • Write each consonant at all times: /h/ ᐦᐊ /ʔ/ ᕁᐊ, (reusing the separate final for /yi/), or ᐥᐊ (from F-C).
   • Write them only in certain situations, /ʔ/ stem-initially, /h/ at all times. Precedent: South Slavey Roman orthography (Dene Standardization Project: 64)

5. Vowels

1. The vowels /ë/ occurs with a lower frequency than /e/, 1:10.8 for ë:e. Thus /ë/ should be more marked.
   1. Use a mark to “reduce” the vowel: ᐁ /e/ ᐁᕁ /ë/ (if not used for the glottal stop). Precedent: The ring final differentiates between /o/ and /u/ in Sayisi Dene.
   2. Use a diæresis accent or dot accent to “reduce” the vowel. ᐁ /e/ ᐁ̈ or ᐁ̇ /ë/. Precedent: Chipewyan Roman orthography (Dene Standardization Project: 16).

6. Finals

1. Chipewyan may have the following consonants at the end of a syllable. Where applicable, the consonants are grouped into twos, voiced and voiceless. There are no finals which indicate voicing.
   • /th/ /dh/ ᒢ
   • /r/ ᐡ
   • /s/ /z/ ᐢ
   • /sh/ /y/ ᐩ
   • /l/ /ł/ ᐟ
   • /gh/ /x/ ᑊ
   • /h/ /ʔ/ no final present, see section 4.3
   • /n/ ᐣ
2. Separate symbols for each final fricative (there are many possibilities here, below are only a few examples).
   • /th/ ᒢ /dh/  —  used in Ojibway Dakelh for /c/, rotated ᒢ.
   • /s/ ᐢ /z/ ᙆ — ᙆ used in Dakelh for /z/.
   • /sh/ ᔆ /y/ ᐩ — ᔆ used in Dakelh for /s/.
   • /ł/ ᐪ /l/ ᐟ — ᐪ used in Cree for /l/.
   • /x/ ᗮ /gh/ ᑊ — ᗮ used in Dakelh for /b/.
3. Use raised syllabics for voiceless finals. Precedent: Slavey b-final ᐊᑉ, 1870’s Chipewyan A-E, Beaver A-E z-final ᐊᒃ.
   • /th/ 
   • /s/ ᔅ
   • /sh/ ᒃ
   • /ł/ 
   • /x/ 

7. Nasal Vowels

1. According to the Dene Standardization Project (12), “Only write nasal vowels when the nasal vowel makes a meaning difference in the word”. Occasionally the n-final is used for nasalisation: ᐊᐣ. This final could be used for nasality provided the relatively rare /n/ sound were assigned a different final, such as ᐊᒾ (the otherwise unused “Athabaskan m” Unicode character) or ᐊᓐ. In diphthongs, use the nasal final only on the second vowel.

8. Tone

1. There is no mechanism for writing tone in the A-C system. A dot, acute (as in Roman orthography) or macron accent over the syllabic could be used.
   ᐁᗀ̇ᘚ̇ ᐁᗀ́ᘚ́ or ᐁᗀ̄ᘚ̄ for /eghézé/.