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BENGALI ALPHABET AND PRONUNCIATION

CLASSIFICATION OF BENGALI SOUNDS

C O N S O N A N T S V O W E L S Family Hard Soft Soft Soft Hard Held Huffed Held Huffed Nasal Semi- Spirant Short Long Diphthong vowel Guttural ka kha ga gha n¹a ha hha a aa e, ei ee, oy ক খ গ ঘ ঙ হ ঃ অ আ এ ঐ Palatal ca cha ja jha n²a ya sha i ii চ ছ জ ঝ ঞ য় শ ই ঈ Cerebral ta tha da dha na ra sa rri ট ঠ ড ঢ ণ র ষ ঋ ra rha ya ড় ঢ় য Dental ta tha da dha na la sa ত থ দ ধ ন ল স Labial pa pha ba bha ma ba hha u uu o oo, au প ফ ব ভ ম ব ঃ উ ঊ ও ঔ Other n° n^ ঃ ঃ

You can see this table and hear audio files of the characters at www.jaspell.uk/readbeng.htm. You can progress in mastering the sounds at www.jaspell.uk/bengalicourse2007/wb070pronunciation_practice_un icode.htm. The table below appears with online audio files at www.jaspell.uk/learnbengalionline.htm

This document has been published and revised by Jaspell 1994–2017. 1 Bengali Alphabet and Pronunciation It is not for sale. © 2017 Jaspell (B J Burford & E J Burford) 17 May 2017 Teaching Truth in Bengali (through English) Teaching Truth in Bengali

PRONUNCIATION OF VOWELS

A

FORM

WORD

SOUND

AFTER

ENGLISH ENGLISH

AS THE IN

OR OR INITIAL

ROMANIZED ROMANIZED

CONSONANT

INDEPENDENT (e.g. (e.g. after after “p` ”) প্) ঃ ` (no vowel) tip_ প্ p` অ a “a” or, (inherent “a”) প pa “o” wander (~“på”) inherent vowel very short ( / off) “a” (~ “å”) আ aa long “a” Aardvaak, far পা paa অযা a flat “a” apple পযা pa [yaa] [pyaa] ই i short “i” pill পপ pi ঈ ii long “i” pizza পী pii long “ee” ( / peel) উ u short “u” pull পু pu ঊ uu long “u” pollution পূ puu long “oo” ( / pool) ঋ rri short “ri” dribble পৃ prri [continued on the next page]

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এ e short “e” pegging পপ pe ঐ ee long “oi” point পপ pee (diphthong for (~“poi”) long “ee”) ও o medium “o” pond পপা po ঔ oo long “o”, pound, পপৌ poo “ou”, “ow” power (~“pou”) or oak, or (~“pau/ poke pow”) ঃ nº nasal “ng” singer প panº (but no “g”) (~“pång”) ঃ hh abrupt “hh” Judah had প pahh (~“påhh”) ঃ ^ faint nasal “n” sing-along প p^a as in French ( / ton son (~“pång”) est bon)

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PRONUNCIATION OF CONSONANTS

Note that the sounds whose Romanization contains “-h” must be breathed. So, “খ” “kha” is like “ক” “ka” but breathed. (There is nothing similar in English.)

WORD

CLASS

SOUND

ENGLISH ENGLISH

SPELLING

AS THE IN

PHYSICAL

OR OR INITIAL

ROMANIZED

INDEPENDENT ক্ k k keen

খ্ kh kh rockhead গ্ g g got

Guttural ঘ্ gh gh slagheap

in the throat ঙ্ n¹ n donkey চ্ c c, tch cello, match

ছ্ ch chh matchhead জ্ j j Jehovah, joy

Palatal ঝ্ jh dgeh hedgehog on the palate ঞ্ n² n enjoy, pinch [continued on the next page]

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ট্ t t alter ঠ্ th th malthouse

ড্ d d holder ঢ্ dh dh goldhammer

Cerebral ড়্ r r, rr millrun, barrel ঢ়্ rh rrh myrrh lump

on mouth the the roof of ণ্ n n filename ত্ t t panting

থ্ th th anthill দ্ d d beds

Dental ধ্ dh dh bedheads

on the teeth ন্ n n bending প্ p p peace ফ্ ph ph uphold ব্, b, b, bob, ব্ ( / v) (or v) (or advise)

ওয়া oyaa oua, qualms,

(or (or (or waa) wa) How are you?) Labial (spe

on the lips cial sylla ble) ভ্ bh bh nibholder ম্ m m mop

য্ y j Jehovah, joy

- য়্ y y yes

semi

vowels

Forward র্ r r red

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ল্ l l led [continued on the next page]

6 Bengali Alphabet and Pronunciation Teaching Truth in Bengali (through English) Teaching Truth in Bengali

শ্ sh sh dishes

ষ্ s sh rashly

ant স্ s sh, washroom,

hissing Sibil s ensure s before t, th, p, ph s stop

হ্ h h happy

-

-

semi

Semi

vowel

guttural

7 Bengali Alphabet and Pronunciation