- Source: The Suttanipāta - The Group of Discourses of the Buddha (Bhikkhu Bodhi)
- Reference: 기초 빨리어 강좌 - 빨리어의 발음
The Pāli Alphabet
-
Vowels: a, ā, i, ī, u, ū, e, o
-
Consonants:
- Gutterals (후두음): k, kh, g, gh, ṅ
- Palatals (구개음): c, ch, j, jh, ñ
- Cerebrals(권설음): ṭ, ṭh, ḍ, ḍh, ṇ
- Dentals (치음): t, th, d, dh, n
- Labials (순음): p, ph, b, bh, m
- Other: y, r, ḷ, l, v, s, h, ṃ
-
Pronunciation
- a as in “cut”
- ā as in “father”
- i as in “king”
- ī as in “keen”
- u as in “put”
- ū as in “rule”
- e as in “way”
- o as in “home”
Of the vowels, e and o are long before a single consonant and short before a double consonant. Among the consonants, g is always pronounced as in “good,” c as in “church,” ñ as in “onion.” The cerebrals (or retroflexes) are spoken with the tongue on the roof of the mouth; the dentals with the tongue on the upper teeth. The aspirates — kh, gh, ch, jh, ṭh, ḍh, th, dh, ph, bh — are single consonants pronounced with slightly more force than the nonaspirates, e.g., th as in “Thomas” (not as in “thin”); ph as in “putter” (not as in “phone”). Double consonants are always enunciated separately, e.g., dd as in “mad dog,” gg as in “big gun.” The pure nasal (niggahīta) ṃ is pronounced like the ng in “song.” An o and an e always carry a stress; otherwise the stress falls on a long vowel — ā, ī, ū, or on a double consonant, or on ṃ.