Pronunciation, &c.
Pronunciation guide for Sanskrit words, using ITRANS notation
The following content was created by Henry Groover around November 1995.Terms used here
- macron = line over a letter; usually denotes a long vowel
- subdot = subscript dot (dot below the letter)
- superdot = superscript dot (dot above the letter)
- accent = acute accent (grave not used)
- diphthong = any combination of simple vowels, like ow
Vowels
- a = short a, pronounced as "u" in "but"
- aa = macron a = long a as in "father" (not like in "raw"; all vowels except dipthongs au and ai are simple liquid vowels, meaning your mouth does not move while pronouncing)
- i = short i as in "pin"
- ii = macron i = long i, pronounced as "ee" in "need"
- u = short u as some regional pronunciations of "push" (like a very short, soft "oo")
- uu = macron u = long u, as in "tube" (same caution as in aa; simple liquid vowel)
- R^i = subdot r = (ri is close enough, more later)
- R^ii = subdot macron r
- L^i = subdot l
- L^ii = subdot macron l
- e = liquid vowel, not quite as in "hay" (which is actually a diphthong; don't move your mouth while pronouncing)
- ai = diphthong; as in "aisle". Sounds somewhat like e, but there's a transition between a and i.
- o = liquid vowel, not quite as in "go". Keep mouth still while pronouncing.
- au = diphthong; as in "cow", but more like "go" with a transition between a and u.
- M = superdot m = nasal almost like "ng" in "sing"
- H = subdot h = "h" lightly echoing the preceding vowel or final component of preceding diphthong; yaH sounds like "yuh(huh)" taiH like "tie(hi)"
Consonants
Before a hard consonant like k, usually comes out as a stoppage of breath, almost like German ch ('ich', 'auch', 'Bach', etc.) but not voiced.
- k = k without breath or aspiration
- kh = k with breath (most Americans aspirate everything)
- g = g as in go, without breath
- gh = gh as in ghost, with breath
- N^ or n = superdot n = nasal, almost always found before k or g For this reason I (Henry Groover) usually just use n.
- ch = as in chirp, without breath
- chh = same as ch with breath
- j = as in dge in edge
- jh = same as j with breath
- JN = tilde n = nasal found before ch or j. For this reason I usually just use n.
- j~n = j + tilde n = combination j + JN. Pretty much as it looks.
- T = subdot t = t without breath, cerebral (tip of tongue touching alveolar ridge behind upper front teeth)
- Th = subdot t + h = t with breath, cerebral
- D = subdot d = d without breath, cerebral
- Dh = subdot d = d with breath, cerebral
- N = subdot n = n pronounced with tongue against alveolar ridge
- t = t without breath, dental (tip of tongue against back of top front teeth)
- th = t with breath, dental
- d = d without breath, dental
- dh = d with breath, dental
- n = n, dental
- p = p as in pay, no breath
- ph = p with breath (not f)
- b = b as in boy, no breath
- bh = b with breath
- m = m as in mama
- y = y as in you
- r = r as in ray. This is not guttural as is common with American English, but is more similar to a Spanish r.
- l = l as in love
- v = v as in vote. In a consonant combination like tva, becomes w. Some speakers always pronounce as w.
- S = accent s = halfway between sh and s
- sh = subdot s = as in hush
- s = s as in save
- h = h as in house