The following tables show the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) used to represent the various sounds of the Bengali language.
The bnPR transcription is devised for cases when the transliteration of a given Bengali term is markedly different from the actual pronunciation. It should be used in the |ts= parameter of a headword template or a link template.
Vowels
editThe following tables list only oral monophthongs and all can be nasal. Nasal vowels generally occur in the Kolkata Standard, while nasalization is mostly absent in the Bangladeshi Standard.
| IPA | Examples | |
|---|---|---|
| Kolkata | Bangladeshi | |
| a | আমার | |
| æ | ɛ | এক |
| e | এলেম | |
| i | ইশারা | |
| ɔ | অল্প | |
| o | অতি | |
| u | উল্টা | |
Consonants
edit| IPA | bnPR | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| b | বাগান | |
| bʱ | ভারত | |
| tɕ | চাল | |
| tɕʰ[1] | ছেলে | |
| d̪ | দিন | |
| d̪ʱ | ধান | |
| d | ডান্ডা | |
| dʱ | ঢাকা | |
| ɡ | গোরু | |
| ɡʱ | ঘোড়া | |
| ɦ | হাওয়া | |
| dʑ | জামা | |
| dʑʱ | ঝরনা | |
| k | কাগজ | |
| kʰ | খারাপ | |
| l | লবণ | |
| m | আম | |
| n | নকল | |
| p | পানি | |
| f | ফুল | |
| ɹ | রাত | |
| ɽ~ɹ | বড় | |
| ɽʱ~ɽ~ɹ | গাঢ় | |
| ʃ | সরষে | |
| s[2] | সির্কা | |
| t̪ | তাল | |
| t̪ʰ | থালা | |
| t | টান | |
| tʰ | ঠেক | |
| z[3] | জিন্দাবাদ |
Semivowels
edit| IPA | Examples |
|---|---|
| j | |
| w | |
| e̯ | |
| o̯ |
Notes
edit- ^ Also occurs as an allophone of /s/ or /ʃ/ before rhotic consonants.
- ^ Generally occurs word-initially and/or before dental, lateral and rhotic consonants. /s/ also occurs in loanwords, although it is often replaced with /ʃ/. [s] occurs as an allophone of /tɕʰ/ when geminated.
- ^ Generally occurs in loanwords, often replaced with /dʑ/. [z] occurs as an allophone of /dʑ/ or /dʑʱ/ before dental consonants.