An image with multiple ways of saying "hello" and "welcome" in a variety of conlangs

Text-based image with an overview of this week's prompts
Conlang Year, Week 5 overview

Day 29, January 29

Goal: Explore sound changes for vowels

Note: Vowels are especially prone to shifting as languages evolve.

Tip: Focus on ways you want to expand (or shrink) your proto-vowel inventory as you explore these changes.

Work focus: Learn/Brainstorm/Try


Day 30, January 30

Goal: Explore stress-sensitive sound changes

Note: Sound changes do not have to affect every syllable equally.

Tip: Unstressed syllables are more prone to reduction and deletion sound changes.

Work focus: Learn/Brainstorm/Try


Day 31, January 31

Goal: Organize notes and select sound changes

Note: There is no “correct” number of sound changes you need to select for your language.

Tip: You can always return to your sound changes later and add to them as you expand the language.

Work focus: Solidify/Write/Share


Day 32, February 1

Goal: Test your sound changes as a package

Note: Sound changes affect language in an orderly fashion.

Tip: Solidifying the order now will save you from headaches later.

Work focus: Learn/Brainstorm/Try


Day 33, February 2

Goal: Create five more animate nouns to test sound changes

Note: If you want to create more forms, keep a running list of potential proto-forms not yet assigned to meanings.

Tip: Really focus on creating forms that introduce sounds in new positions to test your sound changes.

Work focus: Create/Make/List


Day 34, February 3

Goal: Try compounding forms and test again

Note: Sometimes sound changes are most noticeable in compound and affixed forms.

Tip: These are not actual compounds yet—they are just for testing purposes.

Work focus: Learn/Brainstorm/Try


Day 35, February 4

Goal: Solidify your list of ordered sound changes

Note: Document these sound changes and keep them with your sound inventory notes.

Tip: Using a tool like Lexurgy can help you quickly test sound changes on future forms.

Work focus: Solidify/Write/Share