Review: the first letters

a. Open a, as in father.

m. Keep the two arches in view.

n. One arch: compare it with մ.

i. A clear ee sound.

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

e. A clear e, as in bed.

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

l

s

h

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

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.

v

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

f. Often in borrowed words.

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

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.

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.

b. Voiced b.

p. Plain p, with little breath.

pʰ. p with a puff of air.

d. Voiced d.

t. Plain t, with little breath.

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

g. Voiced g, always hard.

k. Plain k, little breath.

kʰ. k with a puff.

kh / x. Friction like ch in Scottish loch.

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

z

zh / ʒ. The middle sound in measure.

sh / ʃ. As in ship.

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

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

ts. Plain ts, little breath.

tsʰ. ts with a puff.

j / dʒ. Voiced, as in jam.

ch / tʃ. Plain ch, little breath.

chʰ / tʃʰ. ch with a puff.