Phonetics

Although Pashto is written using the Arabic script, it is often written with latin-based phonetics in dictionaries or other places to show more information about how to pronounce the vowels of the word, or to show where the emphasis of the word is placed.

LingDocs Pashto Phonetics

There have been many of different systems or conventions for writing Pashto in phonetics script. Below is a system used in this grammar and with the LingDocs Pashto Dictionary.

Example Text

In Pashto

دا خو ډېره ښه خبره ده چې ټول په پښتو کې لیکلی شي.

In LingDocs Pashto Phonetics

daa kho Dera xa khabura da che Tol pu puxto ke leekulay shee

In IPA

d̪ɑ xo ɖera ça xabəra d̪a t͡ʃe ʈol pə pəçt̪o ke likəlaj ʃi

A couple of things to note about this system:

There are no special symbols required so you can type it with a regular keyboard.
The spelling is case-sensitive. Retroflex consonants (D, T, R, N) and one other vowel (U) are always written with capital letters - ie. D (ډ) is different than d (د).

LingDocs Phonetic System

click the phonetic letter or examples to hear - not all sounds are available

Phonetic Letter	Short Explanation	Example	Pashto Letter(s)
b	b in bat	baad - باد	ب
p	p in post	poza - پوزه	پ
t	t but further forward on teeth, like th in thick	tor - تور	ت
T	retroflex t	maalTa - مالټه	ټ
j	j in jar	joR - جوړ	ج
ch	ch in chance	chaa - چا	چ
h	h in how	haláat - حلات	ح
kh	guttural sound like loch	khwux - خوښ	خ
ts	similar to ts in its	tsomra - څومره	څ
dz	similar to ds in lads	dzungul - ځنګل	ځ
d	d but further forward on teeth, almost like th in weather	dwa - دوه	د
D	retroflex d	DoDuy - ډوډۍ	ډ
z	z in zebra	poza - پوزه	ز ذ ض ظ
r	a lightly rolled/tapped/flapped r	rang - رنګ	ر
R	a retroflex r	joR - جوړ	ړ
jz	seizure	jzwund - ژوند	ژ
G	g in eastern dialect, retroflex jz in southern	wuGay - وږی	ږ
s	s in season	aasmaan - آسمان	س ث ص
sh	sh in sheet	sheen - شین	ش
x	like kh but more palatal, retroflex sh in southern	oox - اوښ	ښ
'	Arabic pharyngealization or glottal stop	mUraa'at - مراعت	ع
gh	a voiced guttural sound	gharma - غرمه	غ
f	f in fan	fojee - فوجي	ف
q	k but further down the throat	qaazee - قاضي	ق
k	k in kind	kor - کور	ک
g	g in game	gUl - ګل	ګ (گ)
l	l with back of tongue higher up	leekul - لیکل	ل
m	m in maze	maat - مات	م
n	n with tongue further up on teeth	naayee - نايي	ن
N	retroflex n	maNa - مڼه	ڼ
w	w or very light v-like sound with both lips	wuGay - وږی	و
y	y in yes	yaad - یاد	ی
a	short a similar to a in care	saRay - سَړی
i	similar to i in bit	islaam - اِسلام
U	short 'oo' sound similar to u in nuke	lUtfan - لُطفاً
u	shwa sound similar to u in bud	waadu - واده
aa	similar to long a in father	aasmaan - آسمان	ا
ee	ee in bee	leekul - لیکل	ي
o	similar to o in bone	puxto - پښتو	و
oo	similar to oo in food	kadoo - کدو	و
e	'ee' sound but with mouth slightly more open	xudze - ښځې	ې
ay	short 'a' sound + y. similar to ay in day	saRay - سړی	ی
ey	‘e’ sound + y	kxeney - کښېنئ	ئ
uy	‘u’ (schwa) sound + y	maruy - مرۍ	ۍ

Accent / emphasis

In order to show which syllable the emphasis falls on in a word, an accent (´) is added above the vowel with the emphasis.

Exámple in Énglish: I'm véry consciéntious and I álways put the émphasis on the corréct sýllable.

Seperating sounds with `

If two sounds need to go right next to each other without blending a backtick (`) is used to keep them apart. For example, fas`ha is pronounced "fas-ha", not "fasha".

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