The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism (2 Vol Set)

Pronunciation Guide

Vowels

a as in but

0 as in father

ai as in bite

au as in trout

e as in pay

i as in kit

7 as in feet

o as in coat

u as in put

6 as in boot

Consonants

c as in check

$ as in lip (with the “l” sound rolled)

# This is the Tamil “l.” To make this sound place the tip of

the tongue back in the palate and hold it there while

making an “l” sound.

+ This indicates that the previous vowel is nazalized

(pronounced through the nose)

2 as in sing or sink

& as pronounced in Spanish (eg. mañana)

8 as in rip (with the “r” sound rolled)

{ This sound is found in Tamil, but not Sanskrit. The “r”

sound is pronounced with a trill.

4 as in shirt

As for !/!h, @/@h, 3, and 5, these are pronounced by placing the tip of

the tongue at the top of the palate and flexing it forward.