There are eight specific sounds in Pashto in addition to Arabic and Persian consonants: five cerebral consonant sounds (T, D, Gh, Kh, N), which are pronounced with the tip of the tongue raised, the retroflex consonant sound [R] which is pronounced with the tip of the tongue raised and bent slightly backward, and the two consonant sounds [ts] and [dz].
Note: Pashto doesn't have any consonants that fully correspond to English sounds. It has many consonants with pronunciations that are similar to English ones and some sounds which have no equivalents in English.
The table below lists all the consonant sounds in Pashto, the letters representing them, and the main features of their pronunciation.
|
Consonant Sound |
Letter |
Remarks |
|
b |
ب |
It is pronounced like the English [b] in "bat": "roof" - [baam] بام "bad" - [bad]بد |
|
p |
پ |
It is pronounced with less aspiration than the English [p] in "pot": "end" - [paay] پای "father" - [plaar] پلار |
|
t |
ت , ط |
It is pronounced with less aspiration than the English [t] in "top": "black" - [tor] تور "pupil" - [taalíb] طالب |
|
T |
ټ |
It is pronounced with the tip of the tongue raised, like the English [t] in "tip": "rifle" - [ Topák] ټوپک "all" - [Tol] ټول |
|
s |
ث , س , ص |
It is pronounced like the English [s] in "side": "second" - [saaniyá] ثانیه "star" - [stóray] ستوری "feature" - [sifát] صفت |
|
j |
ج |
It is pronounced like the English [ j ] in "John": "war" - [jang] جنگ , jagRáجگړه |
|
ch |
چ |
It is pronounced like the English [ch] in "chain": "to crack" - [chaawdÁl] چاودل "work" - [chaára] چاره |
|
dz |
ڂ |
It has no equivalent in English. The consonants [d] and [z] are pronounced together, without pause, as one sound: "place" - [dzaay] ڂای "day" - [wradz] ورڂ |
|
ts |
څ |
It has no equivalent in English. The consonants [t] and [s] are pronounced together, without pause, as one sound: "four" - [tsalór] څلور "foolish" - [pAts] پڅ |
|
h |
ه , ح |
It is pronounced like the English [h] in "his": "situation" - [haal] حال "every' - [har] هر "ninth" - [nAhÁm] نهم "sin" - [gunaáh] گناه |
|
kh |
خ |
It has no equivalent in English. Arrange your tongue and lips as though you were pronouncing [k], but allow the breath to escape in a stream as you would for [h]: "own" - [khpAl] خپل "sister" - [khor] خور |
|
d |
د |
It is pronounced with less aspiration than the English [d] in "door": "she" - [daa] دا "to see" - [ledÁl] لېدل |
|
D |
ډ |
It is pronounced with the tip of the tongue raised like the English [d] in "dear": "bread" - [DoDÁy] ډوډۍ "very" - [Der] ډېر |
|
z |
ذ , ز , ض, ظ |
It is pronounced like the English [z] in "zone": "son" - [zoy] زوی ; "joke" - [bazlá] بذله "aim" - [gharáz] غرض "order" - [nizaám] نظام . |
|
r |
ر |
It is a trilled sound and differs from the English [r]: "head" - [sar]سر "light" - [roKhaán] روښان |
|
R |
ړ |
It has no equivalent in English and pronounced with the tip of the tongue raised and bent slightly backward and then moved forward: "first" - [Rumbáy] ړومبی "old" - [zoR] زوړ |
|
zh |
ژ |
It is pronounced softer than the English letter "s" in "leisure": "life" - [zhwand] ژوند "quickly" - [zhAr] ژر |
|
Gh |
ږ |
It has no equivalent in English. It is pronounced like [g]: "sweet" - [khoGh] خوږ "long" - [uGhd] اوږد |
|
sh |
ش |
It is pronounced softer than the English [sh] in "short": "milk" - [shidé] شیدې "night" - [shpa] شپه |
|
Kh |
ښ |
It has no equivalent in English. It sounds like [kh]: "city" - [Khaar] ښار "woman" - [KhÁdza] ښڂه |
|
gh |
غ |
It has no equivalent in English. When it is articulated, the back part of the tongue moves closer to uvula: "to want" - [ghuKhtÁl] غوښتل ; "girl" - [péghla] پېغله |
|
f |
ف |
It is pronounced like the English [f] in "fine": "thought" - [fikr] فکر "week" - [haftá] هفته |
|
k |
ق , ک |
It is pronounced with less aspiration than the English [k] in "kite": "lesson" - [sabák]سبق ; "to do" - [kawÁl] کول |
|
g |
گ |
It is pronounced like the English [g] in "go": "dear" - [graan] گران "pupil" - [shaagÁrd] شاگرد |
|
l |
ل |
It is pronounced softer than the English [l] in "lead": "to have" - [larÁl] لرل "to write" - [likÁl] لیکل |
|
m |
م |
It is pronounced like the English [m] in "mine": "love" - [mína] مینه "table" - [mez] مېز |
|
n |
ن |
It is pronounced like the English [n] in "noun": "today" - [nAn] نن "name" - [num] نوم |
|
N |
ڼ |
It is pronounced with the tip of the tongue raised, a more nasal sound than the English [n]: "daughters" - [lúNi] لوڼی "light" - [ruN]روڼ |
|
w |
و |
It is pronounced like the English [w] in "wine": "brother" - [wror] ورور "to read" - [lwastÁl] لوستل |
|
y |
ی |
It is pronounced like the English [y] in "day": "one" - [yaw] یو "darkness" - [tyaará] تیاره |
See Also: