Monstaness is right; it all depends on how much you use it and how clearly you speak it. If you can't speak Hmong correctly, then you are going to spell it the way you speak it.
When I first started learning hmong, I was trying to learn all the sounds the long way...
For example: ab, am, aj, av, a, as, ag, ad
eb, em, ej, ev, e, es, eg, ed
After a while my mom told me that the way I'm learning it too long. Instead, she told me to memorize "cov tshiaj ntawv" which are really easy. They are: "to twm" which is the "T" "ko kos" which is the "K" and so on. so to say, they are the beginning letter(s). There are one, two, three, and even four beginning letters.
Example 1: "Po Paj" which is the P
Example 2: "Tos Hos Thos" which is Th
Example 3: "Nos tos xos Ntxhos" which is Ntx
Example 4: "Nos pos los Hos Nplhos" which is Nplh
After learning those, instead of learning all the sounds the long way, there are two things you can do instead.
Memorize the fifth sound which are: a, e, i, o u, w, ua, au, ee, oo, ia, ai etc etc
Then memorize the ending letters (which are cov cim):
1. Cim siab (b )
2. Cim niam (m)
3. Cim ntuj (j)
4. Cim av (v)
5. Nothing
6. Cim mus (s)
7. Cim tuag (g)
8. Cim tod (d)
In other words, break down the words into different parts prefix-root-suffix. That's all that there are.
For Example if I want to spell ring in Hmong, I'll sound it out like this:
1.PREFIX: "Nos, Pos, los, hos, nplhos" (Nplh)
2.ROOT: "ai"
3.SUFFIX: "cim siab" (b )
4. WHOLE WORD = nplhaib.
I rarely use cim tod, because cim av usually can substitute for it. But it's still good to learn it.
It'll be easier if you take a course on it or have someone who is good at it teach you because self learning
is difficult, especially when you have a question and can't direct it to anyone.
HOPE THIS HELPS YOU && HOPEFULLY IT'S NOT TOO CONFUSING. :wackonut: