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Unit 5 · Tune your ear · Meet

Tune your ear

Hear buzzing, plain and airy p, the tapped and rolled r, and rough kh beside buzzing gh.

About this unit

Train your ear before you meet the letters. Armenian keeps sounds apart that English and German treat as one.

  • buzzing b: your throat buzzes
    բու · owl
  • plain p: no puff of air
    պապ · grandfather
  • airy p: a puff of air
    փեսա · groom
  • r with one quick tap
    սար · mountain
  • rolled r: the tongue rolls several times
    դուռ · door
  • rough kh: air rubs, no buzz
    խաղող · grapes

Hold your palm in front of your mouth for պապ and փեսա: you feel the puff only on the second. These symbols return on the letter cards.

Reading practice

Buzzing, plain or airy

Listen to the three models first. Then: which one is the mystery sound?

Listen first

buzzing b
plain p
airy pʰ
Mystery sound

Buzzing, plain or airy

Listen to the three models first. Then: which one is the mystery sound?

Listen first

buzzing b
plain p
airy pʰ
Mystery sound

Buzzing, plain or airy

Listen to the three models first. Then: which one is the mystery sound?

Listen first

buzzing b
plain p
airy pʰ
Mystery sound

Tap or roll

Listen to both models. Then: which one is the mystery sound?

Listen first

short tap
rolled r
Mystery sound

Tap or roll

Listen to both models. Then: which one is the mystery sound?

Listen first

short tap
rolled r
Mystery sound

Tap or roll

Listen to both models. Then: which one is the mystery sound?

Listen first

short tap
rolled r
Mystery sound

Rough or buzzing

Listen to both models. Then: which one is the mystery sound?

Listen first

rough kh
buzzing gh
Mystery sound

Rough or buzzing

Listen to both models. Then: which one is the mystery sound?

Listen first

rough kh
buzzing gh
Mystery sound

Finish practice to save this unit.

You can read and write this

Hear buzzing, plain and airy p, the tapped and rolled r, and rough kh beside buzzing gh.

Next unit
Use a Armenian keyboard

On your phone, add Armenian in Settings → Languages or Keyboards. On a computer, add an Armenian input language in the operating system settings.

Use the on-screen letters whenever you prefer. The ու key inserts its two written characters together; spaces and punctuation have their own keys.

All letters

Ա ա
i

a. Open a, as in father.

մ
i

m. In lowercase մ, the tall stroke is on the right.

ն
i

n. In lowercase ն, the tall stroke is on the left; compare it with մ.

Ի ի
i

i. A clear ee sound.

Ու ու
i

Capital form: Ու. In an ALL-CAPITAL word, write ՈՒ: the second part becomes Ւ. Both forms spell u.

է
i

e. A clear e, as in bed.

ըshort ə, as in “about”
i

ə. A short neutral vowel, like the first sound of about.

Լ լ
i

l

Ս ս
i

s

հ
i

h

յ
i

y. The consonant y of yes, not the vowel in my.

Վ վ
i

v

Ր րone quick tap
i

ր is a brief tongue tap. The isolated recording includes a short helping vowel; that vowel is separate from the consonant. Compare the stronger rolled ռ, and listen to ր inside the words below.

արևսար
Օ օ
i

o. A plain o vowel, including at the start.

Ֆ ֆ
i

f. Often in borrowed words.

ե
i

At the start of a word, ե usually sounds ye, as in ես. Inside a word it sounds e, as in մեր.

եսմերInside a word: e in մեր · մեր
Ո ո
i

At the start of a word, ո usually sounds vo, as in որ. Inside a word it sounds o, as in տոմս. ով (who) is an exception: it begins with plain o.

որտոմսովInside a word: o in տոմս · տոմս
և
i

և is a joined letter (a ligature), spelling the sequence e + v, not one consonant. It sounds yev at word start and ev inside a word, as in արև. Its capital spelling Եվ uses two letters; all capitals use ԵՎ.

ևարևInside a word: ev in բարև · բարև
բthroat buzzes
i

b. Voiced b.

պno puff of air
i

p. Plain p, with little breath.

Փ փpuff of air
i

pʰ. p with a puff of air.

դthroat buzzes
i

d. Voiced d.

Տ տno puff of air
i

t. Plain t, with little breath.

թpuff of air
i

tʰ. t with a puff of air; never English th.

գthroat buzzes
i

g. Voiced g, always hard.

կno puff of air
i

k. Plain k, little breath.

Ք քpuff of air
i

kʰ. k with a puff.

Խ խair rubs, no buzz
i

kh / x. Friction like ch in Scottish loch.

ղthroat buzzes
i

gh / ʁ. Voiced back-of-mouth friction; not g + h.

զthroat buzzes
i

z

ժthroat buzzes
i

zh / ʒ. The middle sound in measure.

շair rubs, no buzz
i

sh / ʃ. As in ship.

ռrolled
i

rolled r. A stronger rolled r; compare the short tap ր.

ձthroat buzzes
i

dz. Voiced d + z released as one joined sound.

Ծ ծno puff of air
i

ts. Plain ts, little breath.

Ց ցpuff of air
i

tsʰ. ts with a puff.

ջthroat buzzes
i

j / dʒ. Voiced, as in jam.

ճno puff of air
i

ch / tʃ. Plain ch, little breath.

չpuff of air
i

chʰ / tʃʰ. ch with a puff.