Part of the pronunciation section of Patwa Partner — how to physically make the sounds of Jamaican Patois.
Yuh cyaan follow an instruction like "put di tongue pon di ridge" if yuh nuh know weh di ridge deh. So mek wi find every spot right now, wid yuh own tongue. Do dem inna order — tek two minutes.
1. Yuh lipsEasy one. Press dem together an seh p, b, m. Round dem an seh oo. Lips carry more accent work dan people expect — plenty Patois vowel dem depend pon whether yuh lips round or spread.
2. Yuh top front teethRest di tip a yuh tongue behind dem an feel di smooth back a di teeth. English put di tongue between di teeth fi TH. Patois nuh use dis spot at all. Memba dat — it a half a di TH lesson aready.
3. Di ridge (alveolar ridge)Slide di tip a yuh tongue back from di teeth — bout a quarter inch — an yuh buck a likkle bumpy shelf before di roof tun smooth. Dat a di ridge. Tap it a few time. Dat one spot mek t, d, n, l, s, z — di busiest place inna yuh mouth.
4. Di roof (hard palate)Keep sliding back. Di bump done an it tun hard an smooth an dome-shape. Dat a di hard roof. Seh yes an feel di MIDDLE a yuh tongue rise up toward it. Dat rise a di secret ingredient inna cyaan an gyal.
5. Di soft part (soft palate / velum)Keep going back till it tun soft an fleshy. Dat a di soft part. Seh k an g an feel di BACK a yuh tongue jump up an seal it off. Same soft part drop down fi let air out through yuh nose fi m, n, ng.
6. Yuh tongue have partsDi tip (di point), di blade (just behind di tip, di flat part), di body (di big middle), an di back. Instructions wi give a always bout ONE a dem. If a step seh "di body lift", di tip can stay right weh it deh.
7. Yuh voice boxTwo finger pon yuh throat. Seh ahhh. Dat buzzing a yuh vocal cords. Yuh a go switch it on an off pon purpose.
8. Yuh nosePinch it shut an try seh mmm. Yuh cyaan — because m run through di nose. Dat pinch test tell yuh instantly if a sound nasal.
Dat a yuh whole workshop: lips, teeth, ridge, roof, soft part, tongue (tip / blade / body / back), voice, nose. Every sound page from ya on just tell yuh which one fi use.