Gujarati Script is similar to Devangari script (which is used to write Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi). Pronunciation of alphabets is same in Gujarati and Devanagari.
Many characters also have same symbols as shown in highlighted rows in below chart
Main difference is that in Gujarati Script we do not give line above letters unlike Devanagari.
Few alphabets have different symbols
Through out this blog, I will try to give transliteration of Gujarati words and sentences in Roman script. So that even if you have not understood Gujarati script, you can still understand pronunciation.
So below table also shows the Roman alphabets that I will be using for each Gujarati letter.
Consonants in Gujarati script
| Gujarati Alphabet | Devanagari alphabet | Transliteration in Roman script |
|---|---|---|
| ક | क | ka |
| ખ | ख | kha |
| ગ | ग | ga |
| ઘ | घ | gha |
| ઙ | ङ | ~ga |
| ચ | च | cha |
| છ | छ | Cha |
| જ | ज | ja |
| ઝ | झ | jha |
| ઞ | ञ | ~ja |
| ટ | ट | Ta |
| ઠ | ठ | Tha |
| ડ | ड | Da |
| ઢ | ढ | Dha |
| ણ | ण | Na |
| ત | त | ta |
| થ | थ | tha |
| દ | द | da |
| ધ | ध | dha |
| ન | न | na |
| પ | प | paa |
| ફ | फ | pha |
| બ | ब | ba |
| ભ | भ | bha |
| મ | म | ma |
| ય | य | ya |
| ર | र | ra |
| લ | ल | la |
| વ | व | va |
| શ | श | sha |
| ષ | ष | Sha |
| સ | स | sa |
| હ | ह | ha |
| ળ | ळ | La |
| ક્ષ | क्ष | kSha |
| જ્ઞ | ज्ञ | j~j a |
Vowels in Gujarati Script
| Gujarati Alphabet | Devanagari alphabet | Transliteration in Roman script |
|---|---|---|
| અ | अ | a |
| આ | आ | A |
| ઇ | इ | i |
| ઈ | ई | I |
| ઉ | उ | u |
| ઊ | ऊ | U |
| એ | ए | e |
| ઐ | ऐ | ai |
| ઓ | ओ | o |
| ઔ | औ | au |
| અં | अं | aM |
| અઃ | अः | aH |
Note for transliteration
In Roman transliteration, small and capital letters indicate different alphabet.
e.g. small “n” is ન where as capital “N” indicates :- ણ
So read transliteration conventions correctly.
Non-traditional vowels
Traditionally Gujarati vowels are only 12 as mentioned above. But like Marathi, the Gujarati language has also adopted two more vowels to similar to those in English words “cat” and “cot”
| Gujarati Alphabet | Devanagari/ Marathi alphabet | Transliteration in Roman script |
|---|---|---|
| ઍ | अॅ | ~e |
| ઑ | ऑ | ~o |
There is one more vowel in Gujarati which is ઋ(Ru). The pronunciation is similar (not exact) as “ru” in ruby;“roo” in “roof”. This vowel is not found much in words used in day-to-day conversation. Peculiar words imported from Sanskrit have it. Pronunciation of ઋ(Ru) is different in Hindi and Gujarati. In Hindi ઋ(Ru) is pronounced as રિ(ri). Where as in Gujarati sound is similar to રુ(ru). This is same as in Marathi so you can listen to sound clip from my Marathi teaching blog to understand pronunciation.
Listen pronunciation of ઋ Ru
https://soundcloud.com/kaushik-lele/pronunciation-of-ru-learn-marathi
Sounds of these vowels will be more clear when you will refer next lesson of Barakhadi/Barakshari
