The chart below shows how the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) represents Kurdish pronunciations in Wikipedia articles. The pronunciation is based primarily on Northern Kurdish , Central Kurdish and Southern Kurdish .
Consonants
IPA
Latin letter
Arabic letter
Examples
English approximation
b
b
ب
b ira
b rother
d͡ʒ
c
ج
c erg
j oy
t͡ʃ
ç
چ
ç av
ch urch
d
d
د
d erga
d oor
f
f
ف
f irya
f amily
ɡ
g
گ
g erdûn
g ood
h
h
ھ
h ermê
h ouse
ʒ
j
ژ
j ûr
pleas ure
k
k
ک
k ar
k ind
l
l
ل
l îmo
l emon
ɫ [1]
ll, ł
ڵ
dił
bull
m
m
م
m êr
m other
n
n
ن
n îsk
n ode
ŋ [2]
ng, ň
maň
long
p
p
پ
p epûle
p olicy
q
q
ق
q azî
No English equivalent
ɾ [3]
r
ر
kar wan
bett er in American English
r [4]
rr, ř
ڕ
piř
No English equivalent ; trill r as Spanish perr o
s
s
س
s ard
c inema
ʃ
ş
ش
ş în
sh eep
t
t
ت
t aze
t ea
v
v
ڤ
v iyan
v ote
w
w
و
w erz
w eb
x
x
خ
x eyall
loch in Scottish English
j
y
ی
y ar
y ear
z
z
ز
z îrek
z oo
Vowels
IPA
Latin letter
Arabic letter
Examples
English approximation
aː ~ ɑː [5]
a
ا
ma sî / a r
ha t / la va
ɛ ~ a [6]
e
ە
be rx / e sp
be d / gu ide
eː [7]
ê
ێ
bê deng
bee r
ɯ
i
Kurdi stan
hi ll
iː
î
ی
bî r
see
o [8]
o
ۆ
ro j
o racle
ʏ̫ː [9]
ö
xö
No English equivalent
u
u
و
gu lan
nu ke
uː
û
وو
sû r
roo t
yː [10]
ü
ۊ
kü
choo se in Scottish English
Non-Kurdish Consonants
IPA
Latin letter
Arabic letter
Examples
English approximation
ħ
ḥ
ح
ḥ erf
No English equivalent
ʕ
ʿ
ع
ʿ ezîz
No English equivalent
ɣ
gh
غ
gh esem
No English equivalent
See also
Notes
^ Does not occur word-initially
^ Used around the dialects that exists in Silêmanî, Seqiz, Sine and other areas. Others pronounce it like a normal [n] along with the letter [g] instead of a velar [ŋ], e.g. maň/mang.
^ Does not occur word-initially
^ All word-initial r’s are trilled, no matter how they are written.
^ In Southern Kurdish pronunciation, it is a back [ɑː ] instead of a front [aː ] .
^ In Southern Kurdish pronunciation, it is a back [ɑ ] instead of a mid front [ɛ ] .
^ Does not exist in some Southern Kurdish sub-dialect pronunciation.
^ Does not exist in some Southern Kurdish sub-dialect pronunciation.
^ Exists mostly in Jafi pronunciation.
^ Exists mostly in Southern Kurdish pronunciation.
External links
http://www.kurdishacademy.org/?q=node/3