Editing Deseret alphabet (section)

=== Syllabic values ===
Each letter in the Deseret alphabet has a name, and when a letter is written on its own it has the value of that name. This allows some short words to be written with a single letter, and is called a letter's "syllabic value". The most common word in English, ''the'', is written simply <span lang="en-Dsrt>𐑄</span>, as the letter's name is {{IPAc-en|ð|iː}} and that is the stressed pronunciation of the word. The consonants with syllabic values are <span lang="en-Dsrt>𐐶</span> (woo), <span lang="en-Dsrt>𐐷</span> (yee), <span lang="en-Dsrt>𐐸</span> (ha), <span lang="en-Dsrt>𐐹</span> (pee), <span lang="en-Dsrt>𐐺</span> (be/bee), <span lang="en-Dsrt>𐐻</span> (tee/tea), <span lang="en-Dsrt>𐐽</span> (qi), <span lang="en-Dsrt>𐐾</span> (jee), <span lang="en-Dsrt>𐑀</span> (gay), and <span lang="en-Dsrt>𐑄</span> (the/thee).<ref name="Walker2005" />{{rp|25}}

Syllabic values do not apply within words, although this was formerly the case. In early documents, Watt writes "people" as <span lang="en-Dsrt>𐐹𐐹𐑊</span> with the expectation that readers will interpret the first <span lang="en-Dsrt>𐐹</span> as {{IPAc-en|p|iː}}, but the second <span lang="en-Dsrt>𐐹</span> as {{IPAc-en|p}}.<ref name="Beesley2004" />{{rp|13}} This contextual value switching was soon done away with, so in later documents, while "bee" is written <span lang="en-Dsrt>𐐺</span>, "bees" is written <span lang="en-Dsrt>𐐺𐐨𐑆</span>.

In 40-letter versions of the alphabet which include the letter 𐐧 (ew) which represents {{IPAc-en|j|uː}}, the letter <span lang="en-Dsrt>𐐧</span> when standing alone can be used to represent the word "you".<ref name="Walker2005" />{{rp|25,51}}