Onsets

Underlying syllable onsets contain the consonants:

Labial	Dental	Palatal	Velar	Glottal
p	t		k	'
f	s	š	h
m	n		ŋ
	r/l

Three is always some onset, at least '.

As a single-consonant onset, only l is found, not r.

Onsets can be pairs and sometimes triples of consonants, with several restrictions:

• The glottal ' does not occur in clusters.
• The second element must be dental, or š, or h.
• The liquid l appears in combination with sonorants, r with obstruents.
• Clusters can be triples if h is involved.

Most combinations that follow the rules above can be found: tr-, thr-, kn-, phn-, ts-, pš-, ml-, ŋhl-, kt-, pthr-...

Some notes on allophony:

• When between sonorants, obsturents can be pronounced as voiced, i.e: p,t,k,f,š as b,d,g,v,ž.
  
• Sometimes ph, th, kh are pronounced like φ, θ, x