Page 114 - SBV (English)

488 Sanskrit/Bengali Pronunciation Guide

The semivowels y, r, l, and v are pronounced as in yoga, respect, love, and
vow.
The sibilants s, ñ, and ç are pronounced: s as in soul, ñ as in shine but with
the tip of the tongue turned up and drawn back against the dome of the palate,
and ç as in shine but the tip of the tongue against the inside of the upper teeth.
Bengali and Oriya sounds that are pronounced differently from Sanskrit
are:
Short a is pronounced like the o in the Southern British pronunciation of
hot; ai like the oy in boy. In Bengali, the final a of many words is silent.
When between two vowels, ò is pronounced similarly to the r in red; ph
is pronounced as f; v is pronounced as b, except after s, ñ, or ç, when it becomes
almost silent.
M is pronounced as in mantra, except after s, ñ, ç, and kñ, in which cases
it becomes almost silent, and after d, ò, òh, dha, t, th, ö, and öh, when it becomes
almost silent and doubles the consonant it follows (e.g., padma is pronounced
approximately padda).
When at the beginning of a word, and after l and r, y is pronounced as
j. After other consonants, it becomes almost silent and doubles the consonant
it follows (e.g., anya is approximately pronounced anna). After vowels it is
pronounced as in prayer.
S, ñ, and ç are each pronounced as in she; and kña as kha.