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Unit 12 · բ, պ and փ · Meet

բ, պ and փ

Hear the contrast, find each printed shape, then read and retrieve the words.

About this unit

Armenian has three p sounds. Listen for the buzz and for the puff of air, with the symbols from the sound preview.

  • բowl
    throat buzzes
    բու · owl
  • պgrandfather
    no puff of air
    պապ · grandfather
  • Փփgroom
    puff of air
    փեսա · groom

The listening games come first. Then you find each letter and read it in words.

More words to read

cherry

բալ

cherry
cheese

պանիր

cheese
Reading tips

Armenian distinguishes three stop sounds: voiced, plain without a strong puff, and aspirated with a puff. A superscript ʰ means breath, not an extra h syllable.

VoicedPlainAiry
բ bպ pփ pʰ
դ dտ tթ tʰ

Try the plain p after the s in English spin, then the airy p in pin. That comparison helps you feel the puff; it does not replace Armenian listening.

Reading practice

The p-family

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

Listen first

buzzing b
plain p
airy pʰ
Mystery sound

The p-family

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

Listen first

buzzing b
plain p
airy pʰ
Mystery sound

The p-family

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

Listen first

buzzing b
plain p
airy pʰ
Mystery sound

Letters in words

Match each letter to the highlighted letter.

Find the sound

Match the sounds to the letters.

Read with support

Match the words to their pictures.

Read with support

Match the words to their pictures.

Read without a sound cue

Match the words to their pictures.

Read without a sound cue

Match the words to their pictures.

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the spelling.

Spelling to sound

Read the word. Choose its sound.

պապ

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the spelling.

Spelling to sound

Read the word. Choose its sound.

բալ

Hear the trained contrast

Listen to the practice syllable. Choose its spelling.

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

owl

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

grandfather

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

groom

Recall the spelling

Listen and build the word without its picture.

Recall the spelling

Listen and build the word without its picture.

Recall the spelling

Listen and build the word without its picture.

Finish practice to save this unit.

You can read and write this

Hear the contrast, find each printed shape, then read and retrieve the words.

Next unit
owl

բու

owl
grandfather

պապ

grandfather
groom

փեսա

groom
cherry

բալ

cherry
cheese

պանիր

cheese
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.