Vowels

According to the tradition of Arabic script, there are long vowels (indicated by letters) and short vowels (indicated by diacritical marks put above or below the letters representing consonants) in Pashto. However, the real phonetic situation differs from this tradition. The vowels [a], [e], [i], [o], [u], and [A] can change their duration depending on their position in a word, and they can be indicated by letters or not.

We use the term "long vowel" to denote a vowel that is indicated by a letter and the term "short vowel" to denote a vowel that is not indicated by a letter. As a result, most vowels can be long and short depending on their position in a word. Only the vowel [aa] is always long, because it is always indicated by the letter ا (alef). Some vowels are often interchanged (u ↔ o, a ↔ A).

See Long Vowels, Short Vowels, and Diphthong Vowels for more details.

See Also:

• Long Vowels
• Short Vowels
• Diphthong Vowels
• Additional Diacritical Marks
• Consonants
• Alphabet and Pronunciation
• Writing System and Pronunciation Guide
• Word Stress
• Main Distinctions Between Dialects
• Introduction