THE TEN FINAL CONSONANTS
The final letters, to be pronounced after the vowel, are:
–G, –D*, –B, –N̂ (sometimes -ƞ particularly in Khaita songs, which are in lower case), –M, –N*, –R, –L, –N, –S*
(finals with * cause the preceding vowel to change according to these rules)
NON VOICED:
• Final –G is pronounced as a very light k, shortening and stopping the preceding vowel, which remains unchanged. For example:
NAG |
LUG |
RIG |
DOG |
LEG |
• Final –D* is pronounced like a very light d, the sound of the vowel changes according to these rules:
SÌD |
GYÚD |
MED |
DÓD |
GYÁD |
• Final –B is pronounced as a very light p, shortening and stopping the preceding vowel, which remains unchanged. For example:
NUB |
DRǓB |
DRÍB |
LÓB |
TRAB |
NASALS ( pronounced as in English)
• Final –N̂ (-ƞ when in lower case) is pronounced like -ng in ring, vowel remains unchanged:
RIN̂ |
LÚN̂ |
DǍN̂ |
DON̂ |
KAN̂ |
• Final –M is pronounced m:
LAM |
RIM |
BÙM |
DÓM |
SEM |
• Final –N* is pronounced n, and the sound of the preceding vowel changes according to these rules:
LAN |
MUN |
RIN |
MÒN |
DRÉN |
FINAL LETTERS TO BE PRONOUNCED IN A LIGHTER WAY
• Final –R is pronounced as a soft r:
BǍR |
GYÚR |
TAR |
DOR |
SÈR |
• Final –L is pronounced l in a lighter way, and the sound of the vowel changes in Central Tibetan. However, according to the pronunciation in Eastern Tibet, the suffix -l does not modify the sound of the vowel:
NÁL |
DRUL |
GYIL |
SÒL |
DRÈL |
UNPRONOUNCED FINAL:
• Final –S* is silent (unpronounced) but slightly lengthens and changes the preceding vowel according to these rules:
QOS |
LUG |
RIG |
TOG |
LEG |
A note on syllables after the first:
The syllables beyond the first, in words having more than one syllable, undergo the following changes:
• Aspiration is removed
• Syllables with a voiced variant (GǍ, JǍ, DǍ, BǍ, GYǍ, JYǍ and DRǍ) are pronounced voiced