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 The pronunciation of Sanskrit words is made easier than it might at first seem by the fact that the language is extraordinarily consistent. Unlike English, each distinct sound is represented in only one way. Therefore, any given letter of the alphabet, even in transliteration, is to be pronounced in one—and only one—manner. The alphabet begins with the vowels and diphthongs. The a is always pronounced like the u in the English word but, the ā as in the English father, i as in still, ī as in machine, u as in smooth, and ū as in lute. Sanskrit also includes a vocalic r and l, represented by ṛ and ḷ and pronounced as in the English bitter and little, respectively. Pronounce the Sanskrit diphthongs e, ai, o, and au, as you do the English gate, aisle, slow, and cow, respectively. The alphabet then moves through the various consonants, regarding which there are several points to keep in mind: The sound represented by the Roman c is always pronounced as the ch in the English word cherish and never like the soft c in receive. The h following a consonant is always pronounced with a slight aspiration . Thus, kh is pronounced as in the English back-hoe, gh as in doghouse, ch as in church-house, jh as in sledgehammer, th as in goat-herder, dh as in mad-house, ph as in uphill, and bh as in crab-house. When you see a consonant with a dot under it (ṭ, ṭh, ḍ, ḍh, ṇ, ṣ), curl your tongue against the roof of your mouth while pronouncing it. This does not always come easily to English-speakers. The sound is similar to the t in the English ant, the d in end, and so on. The sibilant ś is pronounced as in the English shoe while s (without the diacritical mark) is the same as that in the English sun. The symbol ñ is pronounced as in the word canyon. The ṁ nasalizes the preceeding vowel and ṅ is pronounced as in the English sing. Finally, ḥ represents an aspiration of the preceding vowel and, if at the end of a word, an ever-so-slight repetition of that same vowel. Pronunciation of Sanskrit Words* * Reproduced with permission from William Mahony, The Artful Universe (Albany: SUNY Press, 1998) ...

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