a, ā, i, ī, u, ū, e, o [1]
k, kh, g, gh, ṅ;
c, ch, j, jh, ñ;
ṭ, ṭh, ḍ, ḍh, ṇ;
[2]
t, th, d, dh, n; [3]
p, ph, b, bh, m;
y, r, l, v, s, h, ḷ, ṃ
| a | as | o | in | pop (beginning or in the middle of a word) [4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a | " | u | " | but (at the end of a word) [4] |
| ā | " | a | " | art [4] |
| i | " | i | " | pin |
| ī | " | ee | " | seed |
| u | " | u | " | put |
| ū | " | u | " | rule |
| e | " | a | " | fate |
| o | " | o | " | note |
Pronunciation of consonants |
||||
| b | as | b | in | bib |
| c | " | ch | " | rich |
| d | (Mexican día) [3] | |||
| ḍ | " | d | " | bad |
| g | " | g | " | go |
| h | " | h | " | hut |
| j | " | j | " | judge |
| k | " | k | " | key |
| l | " | l | " | wealth [5] |
| ḷ | " | l | " | felt |
| m | " | m | " | him |
| ṃ | " | ng | " | sing |
| n | " | n | " | tenth [3] |
| ṇ | " | n | " | hint [2] |
| ṅ | " | n | " | sink |
| ñ | " | ny | " | canyon |
| p | " | p | " | lip |
| r | " | r | " | rat |
| s | " | s | " | sit |
| t | Mexican “latino” [3] | |||
| ṭ | " | t | " | cat [2] |
| v | " | w | " | warm |
| y | " | y | " | yes |
Consonants followed by h |
||||
| bh | as | bh | in | abhor [6] |
| ch | " | ch-h | " | witch-hazel |
| ḍh | " | d-h | " | red-hot |
| gh | " | g-h | " | pig-headed |
| jh | " | dge-h | " | sledge-hammer |
| kh | " | ckh | " | blockhead |
| ph | " | ph | " | uphill |
| ṭh | " | t-h | " | cat-head etc. |
Doubled consonants or two consonants together |
||||
| gg | as | g g | in | big gun [7] |
| ll | " | ll l | " | fall leaves |
| ṭṭ | " | t t | " | hot tomato |
| tv | " | tw | " | twin etc. |
Indic languages in general (and Pali in particular) distinguish between short and long vowels not by pitch or stress or a change of pronunciation, but rather by lengthening the vowel sound itself, viz:
a, ā = Ah, Ahhhhh (as in father or art)
i, ī = Ee, Eeeeee (as in feet)
u, ū = Oo, Oooooo. (as in boot or rule)
The vowels e and o are always long.