Key Tajik letters and sounds not shared with Russian, vowel length, 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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- Ғ sound
- A voiced uvular fricative, like a French "r" gargled in the throat. Example: ғоз (goose).
- Қ sound
- A voiceless uvular stop, produced further back in the throat than plain "к". Example: қалам (pen).
- Ҳ sound
- A voiceless pharyngeal fricative, breathier and further back in the throat than English "h". Example: ҳаво (weather).
- Ҷ sound
- Pronounced like English "j" in "jam". Example: ҷавон (young).
- Ӣ letter
- A long "i" vowel, held noticeably longer than a short "и". Example: китобхонӣ (reading).
- Ӯ letter
- A rounded vowel between "u" and "o", made with rounded lips, distinct from plain "у". Example: рӯз (day).
- Ъ sign (ayn)
- Marks a brief glottal stop inherited from Arabic-origin words. Example: маъно (meaning).
- Х sound
- A voiceless velar fricative, like the "ch" in Scottish "loch". Example: хона (house).
- Ч sound
- Pronounced like English "ch" in "chair". Example: чашм (eye).
- Ш sound
- Pronounced like English "sh" in "shoe". Example: шаб (night).
- Ц sound (in Russian loanwords)
- Pronounced like "ts" in "cats", appearing mainly in words borrowed from Russian. Example: цирк (circus).
- Word stress pattern
- Tajik word stress usually falls on the last syllable of a word.
- Minimal pair: шер and шӯр
- "Шер" (lion) uses the vowel "е", while "шӯр" (salty) uses "ӯ", showing how vowel choice changes meaning.
- Minimal pair: гов and гӯр
- "Гов" (cow) versus "гӯр" (grave) are distinguished only by the "ӯ" vowel.
- Ъ in Arabic loanwords
- The letter ъ marks a glottal stop inherited from Arabic, as in "ҷамъ" (plural, sum).
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