Key Assamese sounds, including the distinctive Assamese r and the x sound, vowel qualities, and stress patterns for accurate pronunciation. Front: the sound pattern or example word. Back: meaning plus a plain-English pronunciation note.
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- স/শ/ষ sound (x)
- All three letters share one distinctive Assamese sound, a voiceless velar fricative similar to the "ch" in the Scottish word "loch," unlike the "s" or "sh" sounds of neighboring languages.
- ৰ sound (r)
- A distinct flapped "r," written with its own letter, different from the র used in Bengali. Example word: ৰং (rong, color).
- ৱ sound (w)
- A soft "w" sound, written with its own letter. Example word: ৱাক্য (wakyô, sentence).
- চ sound (s)
- Pronounced like an unaspirated "s" or soft "ch." Example word: চকু (soku, eye).
- জ sound (z)
- Often pronounced closer to an English "z" than "j." Example word: জল (zol, water, a formal word).
- ক্ষ sound (khy)
- A consonant cluster pronounced "khy." Example word: ক্ষমা (khyoma, forgiveness).
- ঙ sound (ng)
- A velar nasal. Example word: ৰং (rong, color).
- Vowel অ
- Pronounced like the "o" in "hot," a short open back vowel.
- Vowel আ
- Pronounced like the "a" in "father."
- Vowel ই
- Pronounced like the "ee" in "see."
- Vowel উ
- Pronounced like the "oo" in "food."
- Vowel এ
- Pronounced like the "e" in "bed," or sometimes gliding toward "oi" depending on the word.
- Vowel ও
- Pronounced like the "o" in "go."
- No retroflex distinction
- Assamese pronounces ট and ড closer to dental sounds, unlike the sharp retroflex consonants of Hindi.
- Nasalized vowels
- Marked with a candrabindu, nasalized vowels add a nasal quality to a word, as in কাঁহ (kãh, bell metal).
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