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Unit 5 · Hear the puff and the ejective release · Meet

Hear the puff and the ejective release

Compare aspirated, ejective and voiced syllables before script recall.

About this unit

Train your ear before you meet the letters. Georgian has three kinds of p, t and k, and one letter can change the word.

  • voiced g: your throat buzzes
    გული · heart
  • aspirated k: a puff of air
    ქარი · wind
  • ejective k: a tight, popped sound
    კარი · door
  • aspirated p: a puff of air
    ფური · cow
  • ejective p: a tight, popped sound
    პური · bread

ქარი is wind and კარი is a door. Hold your palm in front of your mouth: you feel the puff only on ქ.

Reading practice

Listen before looking

Are the two syllables or words the same or different?

Clip 1
Clip 2

Listen before looking

Are the two syllables or words the same or different?

Clip 1
Clip 2

Find the different sound

Listen to three labelled practice syllables. Which clip sounds different?

Clip 1
Clip 2
Clip 3

Listen before looking

Are the two syllables or words the same or different?

Clip 1
Clip 2

Finish practice to save this unit.

You can read and write this

Compare aspirated, ejective and voiced syllables before script recall.

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Use a Georgian keyboard

The guided course has on-screen letters in logical order. A Georgian keyboard, often with a phonetic Latin-key mapping, is optional. Names and sentences use ordinary Mkhedruli, not a capital first letter. Mtavruli is an all-capital style for whole headings.

All letters

ა
i

a

ე
i

e

ი
i

i

მIn მა
i

ma

ლIn ლა
i

la

ო
i

o

უ
i

u

ნIn ნა
i

na

რIn რა
i

ra

სIn სა
i

sa

ვIn ვა
i

va

ბvoiced b: throat buzzesIn ბა
i

ba. Voiced b.

ფaspirated p: a puff of airIn ფა
i

pa (aspirated). Aspirated p: a puff, not f.

პejective p: tight, poppedIn პა
i

p’a. Ejective p; the apostrophe in the hint marks its release.

დvoiced d: throat buzzesIn და
i

da

თaspirated t: a puff of airIn თა
i

ta (aspirated). Aspirated t, not English th.

ტejective t: tight, poppedIn ტა
i

t’a. Ejective t.

გvoiced g: throat buzzesIn გა
i

ga

ქaspirated k: a puff of airIn ქა
i

ka (aspirated)

კejective k: tight, poppedIn კა
i

k’a

ძvoiced dz, as in “beds”In ძა
i

dza

ცaspirated ts: a puff of airIn ცა
i

tsa (aspirated)

წejective ts: tight, poppedIn წა
i

ts’a

ჯvoiced j, as in “jam”In ჯა
i

ja

ჩaspirated ch: a puff of airIn ჩა
i

cha (aspirated)

ჭejective ch: tight, poppedIn ჭა
i

ch’a

ყejective q: deep, poppedIn ყა
i

q’a. Uvular ejective, made farther back than კ.

ხkh, as in German “Bach”In ხა
i

kha. Voiceless back friction, like ch in German Bach.

ღgh: like kh with a buzzIn ღა
i

gha. Voiced back friction, not a stop g.

ზIn ზა
i

za

ჟIn ჟა
i

zha

შIn შა
i

sha

ჰIn ჰა
i

ha