592
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta
The letter  a  is implied after a consonant with no vowel symbol.
The symbol  virāma  () indicates that there is no final vowel.  k
The letters above should be pronounced as follows:
a – like the  o  in hot; sometimes like the  o  in go; final  a  is usually silent. 
 ḍ – like the  d  in dawn. 
 
 
 ā – like the  a  in far. 
 ḍh – like the  dh  in good-house. 
 
 
 i, ī – like the  ee  in meet. 
 ṇ – like the  n  in gnaw. 
 
 
 u, ū – like the  u  in rule. 
 t – as in  talk  but with the tongue against the the teeth. 
 
 
 ṛ – like the  ri  in  rim . 
 th – as in hot-house but with the tongue against the teeth. 
 
 
 ṛ – like the  ree  in  reed . 
 d – as in dawn but with the tongue against the teeth. 
 
 
 e – like the  ai  in  pain ; rarely like  e  in bet. 
 dh – as in good-house but with the tongue against the teeth. 
 
 
 ai – like the  oi  in boil. 
 n – as in  nor  but with the tongue against the teeth. 
 
 
 o – like the  o  in go. 
 p – like the  p  in  pine . 
 
 
 au – like the  ow  in  owl . 
 ph – like the  ph  in  philosopher . 
 
 
 ṁ – ( anusvāra ) like the  ng  in song. 
 b – like the  b  in  bird . 
 
 
 ḥ – ( visarga ) a final  h  sound like in Ah. 
 bh – like the  bh  in  rub-hard . 
 
 
 ṅ – ( candra-bindu ) a nasal  n  sound like in the French word  bon . 
 m – like the  m  in  mother . 
 
 
 k – like the  k  in  kite . 
 y – like the  j  in  jaw .  
 
 
 kh – like the  kh  in  Eckhart . 
 y – like the  y  in  year .  
 
 
 g – like the  g  in got. 
 r – like the  r  in  run . 
 
 
 gh – like the  gh  in big-house. 
 l – like the  l  in  law . 
 
 
 ṅ – like the  n  in bank. 
 v – like the  b  in  bird  or like the  w  in dwarf. 
 
 
 c – like the  ch  in  chalk . 
 ś, ṣ – like the  sh  in  shop . 
 
 
 ch – like the  chh  in much-haste. 
 s – like the  s  in  sun . 
 
 
 j – like the  j  in  joy . 
 h – like the  h  in  home . 
 
 
 jh – like the  geh  in college-hall. 
  
 
 
 ñ – like the  n  in bunch. 
  
 
 
 ṭ – like the  t  in  talk . 
  
 
 
 ṭh – like the  th  in hot-house.
This is a general guide to Bengali pronunciation. The Bengali transliterations in this book accurately show the original Bengali spelling of the text. One should note, however, that in Bengali, as in English, spelling is not always a true indication of how a word is pronounced. Tape recordings of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda chanting the original Bengali verses are available from the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, 3764 Watseka Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90034.