The Bengali Alphabet
Learn the Bengali Alphabet (বাংলা বর্ণমালা)
The Bengali alphabet, known as বাংলা বর্ণমালা (Bangla Bornomala), is used for writing Bengali, one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. The script is beautifully curved and phonetic. Learning it is the first step to immersing yourself in the Bengali language and culture.
Structure of the Bengali Alphabet
The Bengali script has 50 letters, consisting of:
- 11 vowels (স্বরবর্ণ – Sworoborno)
- 39 consonants (ব্যঞ্জনবর্ণ – Byanjanborno)
The script is written from left to right and does not distinguish between upper and lowercase letters.
1. Vowels (স্বরবর্ণ)
In Bengali, vowels can exist as standalone letters or as matras (মাতরা). We will learn about the matras in the next lesson, where we will focus on how to combine letters. For now, let’s study the standalone vowels:
| Letter | Name | Pronunciation | Example Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| অ | ô | "aw" in law | অন্ন (ônno - food) |
| আ | a | "a" in father | আম (am - mango) |
| ই | i | "i" in sit | ইলিশ (ilish - hilsa fish) |
| ঈ | ī | "ee" in see | ইষ্ট (īṣṭô - desired) |
| উ | u | "u" in put | উত্তম (uttôm - excellent) |
| ঊ | ū | "oo" in tool | ঊষা (ūṣa - dawn) |
| ঋ | ṛi | A rolled "ri" | ঋতু (ṛitu - season) |
| এ | e | "a" in ate | এক (ek - one) |
| ঐ | oi | "oi" in oil | ঐশ্বর্য (oiśwôrjo - wealth) |
| ও | o | "o" in go | ওষুধ (oṣudh - medicine) |
| ঔ | ou | "ou" in out | ঔষধি (ouṣôdhi - herbal) |
2. Consonants (ব্যঞ্জনবর্ণ)
Bengali consonants are rich and varied, with aspirated and unaspirated forms. They can be sorted into different groups:
2.1. Gutturals (কণ্ঠ্য ধ্বনি)
These sounds originate from the throat or back of the mouth.
| Letter | Name | Pronunciation | Example Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| ক | kô | "k" in kite | কাক (kak - crow) |
| খ | khô | Aspirated "k" | খেলা (khela - game) |
| গ | gô | "g" in go | গান (gan - song) |
| ঘ | ghô | Aspirated "g" | ঘর (ghôr - house) |
| ঙ | ngô | Nasal sound "ng" in song | বাংলা (Bangla - Bengali) |
2.2. Palatals (তালব্য ধ্বনি)
These sounds are produced with the tongue against the hard palate (roof of the mouth).
| Letter | Name | Pronunciation | Example Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| চ | cô | "ch" in chair | চা (cha - tea) |
| ছ | chô | Aspirated "ch" | ছাতা (chata - umbrella) |
| জ | jô | "j" in jump | জল (jol - water) |
| ঝ | jhô | Aspirated "j" | ঝড় (jhôr - storm) |
| ঞ | nyô | Nasal "ny" (used in conjunction with other letters) | বাঞ্ছা (banchha - desire) |
2.3. Retroflexes (মূর্ধন্য ধ্বনি)
These sounds are created by curling the tongue backward to touch the roof of the mouth.
| Letter | Name | Pronunciation | Example Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| ট | ṭô | Hard "t" (like t in stop) | টেবিল (ṭebil - table) |
| ঠ | ṭhô | Aspirated hard "t" (like th in Thai) | ঠান্ডা (ṭhanda - cold) |
| ড | ḍô | Hard "d" (like d in dog) | ডাল (ḍal - lentil) |
| ঢ | ḍhô | Aspirated hard "d" (like dh in adhere) | ঢাকা (ḍhaka - Dhaka (city)) |
| ণ | ṇô | Retroflex "n" | মণি (moṇi - jewel) |
2.4. Dentals (দন্ত্য ধ্বনি)
Produced by placing the tongue against the upper teeth.
| Letter | Name | Pronunciation | Example Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| ত | tô | Soft "t" (like t in tent) | তবলা (tobla - Tabla (instrument)) |
| থ | thô | Aspirated soft "t" | থালা (thala - plate) |
| দ | dô | Soft "d" (like d in deer) | দই (doi - yogurt) |
| ধ | dhô | Aspirated soft "d" | ধরা (dhôra - catch) |
| ন | nô | "n" in net | নাম (nam - name) |
2.5. Labials (ওষ্ঠ্য ধ্বনি)
These are pronounced with the lips.
| Letter | Name | Pronunciation | Example Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| প | pô | "p" in pen | পদ (pôd - foot) |
| ফ | phô | "f" (like ph in phone) | ফল (phôl - fruit) |
| ব | bô | "b" in ball | বই (boi - book) |
| ভ | bhô | Aspirated "b" (like bh in abhor) | ভাত (bhat - rice) |
| ম | mô | "m" in man | মাছ (mach - fish) |
2.6. Semi-vowels and Sibilants (অর্ধ স্বরধ্বনি ও শ্বাসাঘাত)
These include sounds produced with the tongue and the airflow in various positions.
| Letter | Name | Pronunciation | Example Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| য | jô | "j" in jelly | যুবক (jubôk - young man) |
| র | rô | Rolled "r" | রাস্তা (rasta - road) |
| ল | lô | "l" im lamp | লতা (lôta - vine) |
| শ | shô | "sh" in shine | শহর (shôhôr - city) |
| ষ | ṣhô | Retroflex "sh" | কষ্ট (kôṣṭô - pain) |
| স | sô | "s" in sun | সরল (sôrôl - simple) |
| হ | hô | "h" in house | হাত (hath - hand) |
| ড় | ṛô | Retroflex "r" | পড়া (pôṛa – to read) |
| ঢ় | ṛhô | Aspirated retroflex "r" | বাঁঢ় (bãṛh – growth) |
| য় | yô | y" in yes | হয় (hôy – happens) |
| ং | ngô | Nasal sound (ŋ) | রং (rôŋ – color) |
| ঃ | hô | Voiceless "h" | দুঃখ (duḥkhô – sorrow) |
| ঁ | ônôshshô (Chondrobindu) | Nasalized vowel | চাঁদ (chãd – moon) |
Congratulations, you did it through your first Bengali lesson! By now you know all the vowels and consonants of the Bengali script. In the next lesson, we will have a look at how to put those letters together to form actual words. I know that learning an alphabet can be tough at first, but I promise you it will be rewarding to finally be able to read and write your first words in Bengali! See you in the next lesson 🙂