Page 113 - SBV (English)

Sanskrit/Bengali Pronunciation Guide

Used within this book is a standard transliteration system accepted by
scholars that approximates Sanskrit sounds. Most Bengali words transliterated
herein are also rendered according to this system (employed in the publications
of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupäda), even though the
pronunciation of some Bengali letters differs significantly from their Sanskrit
equivalents. Bengali and Oriya also differ from Sanskrit in not being entirely
phonetic. Much of the Sanskrit quoted in this book was spoken by Bengalis and
Oriyas, who would have pronounced it in their characteristically distinctive
manner.
In both Sanskrit and Bengali, long vowels are indicated by a line above
the letter representing it.
In Sanskrit, the short vowel a is pronounced like the u in trust, long ä as in
sari. Short i is pronounced as in bliss, long é as in unique; short u as in flute, long
ü like the oo in moo.

The vowel å is pronounced like the ri in Krishna; e as in they or sometimes
as in pen; ai as in aisle; o and au as in glow and beau.
The anusvära (à), a pure nasal sound, is pronounced as in the French
word bon; the visarga (ù), a strong aspirate, like a final h sound. At the end of a
couplet, aù is pronounced aha, iù pronounced ihi, etc.
The guttural consonants k, kh, g, gh, and ì are pronounced from the
throat in much the same manner as in English—k as in kind, kh as in pack-horse,
g as in god, gh as in bighearted, and ì as in sing.
The palatal consonants c, ch, j, jh, and ï are pronounced: c as in chant, ch
as in thatch hut, j as in joy, jh as in bridgehead, and ï as in banyan.

The retroflex consonants ö, öh, ò, òh, and ë, and also the rare vowel ÿ, are
pronounced with the tip of the tongue turned up and drawn back against the
dome of the palate: ö as in temple, öh as in light-hearted, ò as in devotee, òh as in
Godhead, ë as in nectar, and ÿ as in love.
The dental consonants t, th, d, dh and n are pronounced in the same
manner as the celebrals, but with the tip of the tongue against the inside of the
upper teeth.
The labial consonants p, ph, b, bh, and m are pronounced with the lips:
p as in perfect, ph as in uphold, b as in boon, bh as in subhead, and m as in
mantra.

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