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Bengali · Bengali letters
Bengali Alphabet
Bengali (Bangla) has its own script, read left to right below a top line. Every consonant carries a built-in o; vowel signs change it (some are written before the letter), and consonants with no vowel between them join into one shape. Several letters that differ in spelling sound the same today (ই/ঈ, উ/ঊ, শ/ষ/স mostly sh, ন/ণ). Sounds use the same simple spelling as the lessons (sh, chh, o for the built-in vowel).
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Vowels
অovowel · o as in 'hot'; also the built-in vowel of every consonantঅনেক (onek) many
আavowel · a as in 'father'আম (am) mango
ইivowel · short iইলিশ (ilish) hilsa fish
ঈivowel · long i; today said the same as ইঈদ (id) Eid
উuvowel · short uউট (ut) camel
ঊuvowel · long u; today said the same as উঊনিশ (unish) nineteen
ঋrivowel · said 'ri'; in words from Sanskritঋতু (ritu) season
এevowel · e as in 'bed', sometimes a as in 'cat'এক (ek) one
ঐoivowel · oy as in 'boy'ঐতিহ্য (oitijjho) heritage
ওovowel · o as in 'go'ওষুধ (oshudh) medicine
ঔouvowel · ow as in 'low', with a glideঔষধ (oushodh) medicine (formal)
Vowel signs on ক
কাkasign া after the letter · aকাজ (kaj) work
কিkisign ি written BEFORE the letter but said after it · iকিছু (kichhu) something
কীkisign ী after the letter · i (long in spelling only)কী (ki) what
কুkusign ু under the letter · uকুকুর (kukur) dog
কূkusign ূ under the letter · u (long in spelling only)কূল (kul) shore
কৃkrisign ৃ under the letter · riকৃষক (krishok) farmer
কেkesign ে written BEFORE the letter · eকেন (keno) why
কৈkoisign ৈ written BEFORE the letter · oiকৈ মাছ (koi machh) climbing perch (a fish)
কোkosign ো around the letter · oকোথায় (kothay) where
কৌkousign ৌ around the letter · ouকৌতুক (koutuk) joke
কংkonganusvara ং · ng at the end of the syllableবাংলা (Bangla) Bengali
কঁkõchandrabindu ঁ · the vowel is said through the noseচাঁদ (chãd) moon
ক্khasanta ্ · removes the built-in o; usually the letter joins the next one insteadরক্ত (rokto) blood
Consonants 1 (k to n)
কkoconsonant · k, no puff of airকলা (kola) banana
খkhoconsonant · k with a puff of airখাবার (khabar) food
গgoconsonant · g as in 'go'গরম (gorom) hot
ঘghoconsonant · g with a breathy hঘর (ghor) room, house
ঙngoconsonant · ng as in 'sing'ব্যাঙ (byang) frog
চchoconsonant · ch, no puff of airচা (cha) tea
ছchhoconsonant · ch with a puff of airছেলে (chhele) boy
জjoconsonant · j as in 'jam'জল (jol) water
ঝjhoconsonant · j with a breathy hঝাল (jhal) spicy
ঞnyoconsonant · ny; almost only in joined lettersপঞ্চাশ (ponchash) fifty
টtoconsonant · hard t, tongue curled backটাকা (taka) taka, money
ঠthoconsonant · hard t with a puff of airঠান্ডা (thanda) cold
ডdoconsonant · hard d, tongue curled backডাক্তার (daktar) doctor
ঢdhoconsonant · hard d with a breathy hঢাকা (Dhaka) Dhaka
ণnoconsonant · said the same as ন todayহরিণ (horin) deer
Consonants 2 (t to h)
তtoconsonant · soft t, tongue against the teethতিন (tin) three
থthoconsonant · soft t with a puff of air (not English 'th')থালা (thala) plate
দdoconsonant · soft d, tongue against the teethদুধ (dudh) milk
ধdhoconsonant · soft d with a breathy hধন্যবাদ (dhonnobad) thank you
নnoconsonant · nনাম (nam) name
পpoconsonant · p, no puff of airপানি (pani) water
ফphoconsonant · p with a puff of air; often said fফল (phol) fruit
বboconsonant · bবই (boi) book
ভbhoconsonant · b with a breathy h; often said vভাত (bhat) cooked rice
মmoconsonant · mমাছ (machh) fish
যjoconsonant · said jযদি (jodi) if
রroconsonant · a tapped rরাত (rat) night
লloconsonant · lলাল (lal) red
শshoconsonant · shশহর (shohor) city
ষshoconsonant · also shষাট (shat) sixty
সshoconsonant · usually sh; s before some consonantsসময় (shomoy) time
হhoconsonant · hহাত (hat) hand
Extra letters
ড়roড with a dot · a flapped r, tongue curled backবড় (boro) big
ঢ়rhoঢ with a dot · the same flap with a breathy h; rareআষাঢ় (asharh) a month of the Bengali year
য়yo / oয with a dot · a light y or just a vowelনয় (noy) nine
ৎtkhanda ta · a t with no vowel after it, at the end of a syllableহঠাৎ (hothat) suddenly
Common joined letters
ক্ষkkhoক + ষ · said kkh (kh at the start of a word)ক্ষমা (khoma) forgiveness
জ্ঞggoজ + ঞ · said gg, or gy at the start of a wordজ্ঞান (gyan) knowledge
ন্তntoন + তশান্ত (shanto) calm
ন্দndoন + দসুন্দর (shundor) beautiful
ম্বmboম + বনম্বর (nombor) number
স্তstoস + তরাস্তা (rasta) road
ক্তktoক + তরক্ত (rokto) blood
ষ্টshtoষ + টকষ্ট (koshto) hardship
ঞ্চnchoঞ + চপঞ্চাশ (ponchash) fifty
চ্ছchchhoচ + ছইচ্ছা (ichchha) wish
প্রproপ + র · r after a consonant is a small stroke below (ro-phola)প্রথম (prothom) first
ক্রkroক + রক্রিকেট (kriket) cricket
শ্রshroশ + রশ্রমিক (shromik) worker
র্মrmoর + ম · r before a consonant is a small hook on top (reph)ধর্ম (dhormo) religion
ব্যbyaব + য · jo-phola: makes 'æ' as in 'cat' at the start, doubles the letter inside a wordব্যাগ (byag) bag
শ্বshshoশ + ব · bo-phola: usually doubles the letter before itবিশ্ব (bishsho) world
Basic Bengali phrases