The letters and marks used to transcribe Baluchi into a Roman alphabet are given
below. Examples of English equivalents and explanations are given to aid
pronunciation. Letters annotated with a + are pronounced as in normal English
usage.
|
Letter |
English Equivalent/Explanation |
Short Vowels |
a |
as in the a of above |
i |
as in the i of sit |
u |
as in the u of put |
______________________ |
Long Vowels |
ā |
as in the a of last |
e |
as in the a of fate |
ī |
as in the i of machine |
o |
as in the o of boat |
ū |
as in the oo of soon |
______________________ |
Dipthongs |
ay |
as in the i of island, with the i pronounced short |
āy |
as in the i of island, with the I pronounced long |
aw |
as in the ou of scrounge, with the ou pronounced short |
______________________ |
Consonants |
b |
+ |
ch |
as in the ch of chip |
ḍ |
not as in the English pronunciation, but with the tongue pressed forward against the top teeth
pronounced similarly to d but with the tongue curled up back on to the ridge of the palate |
f |
+ |
g |
+ |
gh |
as in the Arabic letter ghayn. It has no English approximation |
h |
+ |
j |
+ |
k |
+ |
kh |
as in the Celtic ch of loch |
l |
+ |
m |
+ |
n |
+ |
p |
+ |
r |
as in the rolled Scottish r |
ṛ |
has no English approximation, and is pronounced with the tongue curled up back on to the ridge of the palate. It is best approximated by substituting the letter ḍ |
s |
+ |
sh |
as in the sh of ship |
ṭ |
not as in the English pronunciation, but with the tongue pressed forward against the top teeth pronounced similarly to t, but with the tongue curled up back on to the ridge of the palate |
w |
+ |
y |
+ |
z |
+ |
zh |
as in the z of azure |