Vowels

Question 1

অ

Answer 1

Name: Aw
/o/ as in “on”,
or /ō/ as in “own”.

Question 2

আ

Answer 2

Name: a-kar
/a/
Like the “a” in “art.”

Question 3

ই

Answer 3

/i/
Like the “ee” in “cheese.”
Name: Hossoi

Question 4

ঈ

Answer 4

/i/
Like the ee in cheese. Same as ই
Name: Dirghoi

Question 5

উ

Answer 5

/u/
Like the “oo” in “hoop”.
Name: Hroshu

Question 6

ঊ

Answer 6

/u/
Like the “oo” in “hoop”. Long ago ঊ had a longer sound than উ but over time they have morphed to be the same.
Name: Dirghu

Question 7

ঋ

Answer 7

/ri/
Pronounced like র + ই
Name: Rii

Question 8

এ

Answer 8

/e/ or /æ/
/e/ as in “egg,” or /æ/ like the “a” in “ape.”
Name: e-kar

Question 9

ঐ

Answer 9

/oi/
Blend ও and ই.
Name: Oi

Question 10

ও

Answer 10

/o/
Like the “o” in “own.”
Name: Oh

Question 11

ঔ

Answer 11

/ou/
Blend ও and উ
Name: Ou

Question 12

The inherent vowel

Consonants such as ক are by default pronounced with the inherent vowel অ /o/ following. So ক by itself in a word is pronounced /ko/.

Answer 12

The inherent অ is usually omitted from pronunciation at the end of words, like the final ‘e’ in English. For example: কলম (pen) is pronounced
/kolom/ not /kolomo/.

But if a word ends with a conjunct consonant then the inherent vowel should be fully pronounced.
E.g. বুদ্ধ (Buddha) is pronounced
/buddho/. (Note: ব্ধ = ব+ধ).

Question 13

vowel

Answer 13

স্বরবর্ণ
/shorborno/

Question 14

short (vowel)

Answer 14

হ্রস্ব
/hrosho/

Question 15

long vowel

Answer 15

দীর্ঘ
/dirgho/