Pashto Alphabet ‫دپـښـتـوالـفـبـې‬

Transcription and Sound IPA Final Medial Initial Isolated Letter Name
1 [ā] as aw in law; [a] as o in hot [ɔ:]; [ɒ] ‫ـا‬ - - ‫ﺍ‬ [aléf] ‫الف‬ ۱
2 [b] as b in boy [b] ‫ـﺐ‬ ‫ـﺒ‬ ‫ﺑ‬ ‫ﺏ‬ [be] ‫بې‬ ۲
3 [p] as p in pen [p] ‫ـﭗ‬ ‫ـﭙ‬ ‫ﭘ‬ ‫ﭖ‬ [pe] ‫پې‬ ۳
4 [t] as t in teach [t] ‫ـﺖ‬ ‫ـﺘ‬ ‫ﺗ‬ ‫ﺕ‬ [te] ‫تې‬ ۴
5 [ṭ] as t in train but retroflex* [ʈ] ‫ـټ‬ ‫ـټـ‬ ‫ټـ‬ ‫ټ‬ [ṭe] ‫ټې‬ ۵
6 [s] as s in son [s] ‫ـﺚ‬ ‫ـﺜ‬ ‫ﺛ‬ ‫ﺙ‬ [se] ‫ثې‬ ۶
7 [j] as j in John [ʤ] ‫ﺞ‬ ‫ـﺠ‬ ‫ﺟ‬ ‫ﺝ‬ [jim] ‫جیم‬ ۷
8 [č] as ch in chain [ʧ] ‫ﭻ‬ ‫ـﭽ‬ ‫ﭼ‬ ‫ﭺ‬ [če]‫چې‬ ۸
9 [ǰ] as dz in adze [ʣ] ‫ـځ‬ ‫ـځـ‬ ‫ځـ‬ ‫ځ‬ [ǰe] ‫ځې‬ ۹
10 [c] as ts in lots [ʦ] ‫ـڅ‬ ‫ـڅـ‬ ‫څـ‬ ‫څ‬ [ce]‫څې‬ ۱۰
11 [h] as h in human [h] ‫ﺢ‬ ‫ـﺤ‬ ‫ﺣ‬ ‫ﺡ‬ [he] ‫حې‬ ۱۱
12 [x] as ch in German Bach [x] ‫ﺦ‬ ‫ـﺨ‬ ‫ﺧ‬ ‫ﺥ‬ [xe] ‫خې‬ ۱۲
13 [d] as d in dig but softer [d] ‫ـﺪ‬ - - ‫ﺩ‬ [dāl] ‫دال‬ ۱۳
14 [ḍ] as d in dry but retroflex* [ɖ] ‫ـډ‬ - - ‫ډ‬ [ḍāl] ‫ډال‬ ۱۴
15 [z] as z in zoo [z] ‫ـﺬ‬ - - ‫ﺫ‬ [zāl] ‫ذال‬ ۱۵
16 [r] as rr in Spanish perro but softer [r] ‫ـﺮ‬ - - ‫ﺭ‬ [re] ‫رې‬ ۱۶
17 [ṛ] as [r] but retroflex* [ɽ] ‫ـړ‬ - - ‫ړ‬ [ṛe] ‫ړې‬ ۱۷
18 [z] as z in zoo [z] ‫ـﺰ‬ - - ‫ﺯ‬ [ze] ‫زې‬ ۱۸
19 [ž] as s in measure [ʒ] ‫ـﮋ‬ - - ‫ﮊ‬ [že] ‫ژې‬ ۱۹
20 [ẓ̌] as [ž] but retroflex*; [g] as g in gift [ʐ]; [g] ‫ـږ‬ - - ‫ږ‬ [ge]/[ž଼e] ‫ږې‬ ۲۰
21 [s] as s in son [s] ‫ـﺲ‬ ‫ـﺴ‬ ‫ﺳ‬ ‫ﺱ‬ [sin] ‫سین‬ ۲۱
22 [š] as sh in shame [ʃ] ‫ـﺶ‬ ‫ـﺸ‬ ‫ﺷ‬ ‫ﺵ‬ [šin] ‫شین‬ ۲۲
.
[ṣ̌] as [š] but retroflex*; ‫ـښ‬ ‫ـښـ‬ ‫ښـ‬ ‫ښ‬
23 [ʂ]; [x] [xin]/[šin]‫ښین‬ ۲۳
[x] as ch in German Bach
24 [s] as s in son [s] ‫ـﺺ‬ ‫ـﺼ‬ ‫ﺻ‬ ‫ﺹ‬ [sād] ‫صاد‬ ۲۴
25 [z] as z in zoo [z] ‫ـﺾ‬ ‫ـﻀ‬ ‫ﺿ‬ ‫ﺽ‬ [zād] ‫ضاد‬ ۲۵
26 [t] as t in teach [t] ‫ـﻂ‬ ‫ـﻄـ‬ ‫ﻃـ‬ ‫ﻁ‬ [tā] ‫[ طا‬toy] ‫طوی‬ ۲۶
27 [z] as z in zoo [z] ‫ـﻆ‬ ‫ـﻈـ‬ ‫ﻇـ‬ ‫ﻅ‬ [zā] ‫[ ظا‬zoy] ‫ظوی‬ ۲۷
28 [ ' ] as ‘ in Arabic Qur'an [‘] ‫ﻊ‬ ‫ﻌ‬ ‫ﻋ‬ ‫ﻉ‬ [ayn] ‫عین‬ ۲۸
29 [ğ] as r in French Paris [ʁ] ‫ﻎ‬ ‫ﻐ‬ ‫ﻏ‬ ‫ﻍ‬ [ğayn] ‫غین‬ ۲۹
30 [f] as f in fish [f] ‫ـﻒ‬ ‫ـﻔ‬ ‫ﻓ‬ ‫ﻑ‬ [fe] ‫فې‬ ۳۰
31 [q] as q in Arabic Qibla [q] ‫ـﻖ‬ ‫ـﻘ‬ ‫ﻗ‬ ‫ﻕ‬ [qāf] ‫قاف‬ ۳۱
32 [k] as k in king [k] ‫ـک‬ ‫ـﻜ‬ ‫ﻛ‬ ‫ک‬ [kāf] ‫کاف‬ ۳۲
33 [g] as g in gift [g] ‫ ـﮓ‬/ ‫ـګ‬ ‫ ـﮕـ‬/ ‫ـګـ‬ ‫ ﮔـ‬/‫ګـ‬ ‫ﮒ‬/‫ګ‬ [gāf] ‫ګاف‬ ۳۳
34 [l] as l in land [l] ‫ـﻞ‬ ‫ـﻠ‬ ‫ﻟ‬ ‫ﻝ‬ [lām] ‫الم‬ ۳۴
35 [m] as m in myth [m] ‫ـﻢ‬ ‫ـﻤ‬ ‫ﻣ‬ ‫ﻡ‬ [mim] ‫میم‬ ۳۵
36 [n] as n in new [n] ‫ـﻦ‬ ‫ـﻨ‬ ‫ﻧ‬ ‫ﻥ‬ [nun] ‫نون‬ ۳۶
37 [ṇ] as [n] but retroflex* [ɳ] ‫ـڼ‬ ‫ـڼـ‬ ‫ڼـ‬ ‫ڼ‬ [ṇuṇ] ‫ڼوڼ‬ ۳۷
[w] as w in wet; [u] as oo in pool; [w]; [u:]; ‫ـﻮ‬ - - ‫ﻭ‬
38 [wāw] ‫واو‬ ۳۸
[o] as oa in coat [o:]
[h] as h in human; [a] as o in hot; [h]; [ɒ]; ‫ﻪ‬ ‫ﻬ‬ ‫ﻫ‬ ‫ﻩ‬
39 [he] ‫هې‬ ۳۹
[ǝ] as e in the [ə]
40 [y] as y in yes; [ay] as y in sky [j]; [ɑj] ‫ـﻰ‬ ‫ـﻴ‬ ‫ﻳ‬ ‫ﻯ‬
[mulayyaná yā] ‫ ملینه یا‬۴۰
41 [i] as ea in seat [i:] ‫ـي‬ ‫ـﻴ‬ ‫ﻳ‬ ‫ي‬
[ma’rúfa yā] ‫معروفه یا‬ ۴۱
42 [e] as a in may [e:] ‫ـﯥ‬ ‫ـﯧ‬ ‫ﯦ‬ ‫ﯤ‬
[majhúla yā] ‫مجهوله یا‬ ۴۲
43 [ǝy] cluster of [ə] in #39 and [y] in #40 [əj] ‫ـۍ‬ ‫ۍ‬
- - [ṣ̌ǝǰiná yā] ‫ښځینه یا‬ ۴۳
44 [ǝy] the same as #43 ‫ـئ‬
[əj] ‫ئ‬
- - [kaṛwā́la yā] ‫ کړواله یا‬۴۴
* Retroflex sounds are pronounced with the tongue slightly pulled back, curved and raised its tip to the roof of the mouth.

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