282 Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

The letter a is implied after a consonant with no vowel symbol.
The symbol virama (8) 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; d-—like the d in dawn.

final a is usually silent. dh -like the dh in good-house.
a —like thea in far. n —like then in gnaw.
i, T—like the ee in meet. t—as in falk but with the tongue against the
u, u —like the w in rule. the teeth.
1 —like the ri in rim. th—as in hot-house but with the tongue against
t —like the ree inreed. the teeth.
e —like the ai in pain; rarely like e in bet. d—as in dawn but with the tongue against the
ai —like the oi in boil. teeth.
o —like the o in go. dh—as in good-house but with the tongue
au —like the ow in owl. against the teeth.
m —/(anusvara) like the ng in song. n—as in nor but with the tongue against the
h —/(visarga)a final h sound like in Ah. teeth.
n —(candra-bindu) a nasal n sound

aos p —like the p in pine.
like in the French word bon. ph —like the ph in philosopher.
Ke —ike the & in Kite. b —like the b in bird.

Kh hee ka in Eckhart. bh —like the bh in rub-hard.

8 —lke the g in got. m —like the m in mother.

gh —like the gh in big-house. y —like the j in jaw. 3

n —like then in bank. y —like the y in year. ¥

c —like the ch in chalk. + —like ther in run

ch —like the chh in much-haste. | —like the J in Jaw.

j —like the 7 in joy. v —like the b in bird or like the w in dwarf.
jh —like the geh in college-hall. &, slike the sh in shop.

it —like then in bunch. § like the s insun.

{ —like the ¢ in talk. h—like the # in home.
th —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 pro-
nounced. Tape recordings of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
chanting the original Bengali verses are available from the International Society for
Krishna Consciousness, 3764 Watseka Ave., Los Angeles, California 90034.
