Rohingya Pronunciation
How to read Rohingyalish — the vowels, the accent marks, the nasal ñ, and the special letters that make Rohingya sound right.
The five vowels
Rohingya has five base vowels. In Rohingyalish they are always written — every vowel you see is pronounced:
| Letter | Sound (approximate) | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a | like "a" in "father" | faní (water) |
| e | like "e" in "bed" | eçé (here) |
| i | like "ee" in "see" | kitab (book) |
| o | open "o", like "door" | gom (good) |
| u | like "oo" in "noon" | buk (chest) |
Accent marks = stress (a higher, harder tone)
The acute accents á é í ó ú do not change the vowel sound — they mark stress: say the syllable harder and with a higher pitch. Stress can change a word's meaning entirely, so the accents matter:
- ful (bridge) vs fúl (flower)
- bai (through) vs bái (brother)
When searching our dictionary, you can type without accents — but when writing, include them.
Doubled vowels = long vowels
A vowel written twice is held longer: maa (mother), noó (no). Length distinguishes words, so don't skip the second vowel. Doubled consonants are long too: aññí (I), ekkán (one), abbar (again).
The nasal ñ
The letter ñ makes the vowel around it nasal — air flows through the nose, like French "bon". Nasalisation changes meaning in Rohingya: añára (we), tuñí (you), fúañti (together). The ñ itself is not pronounced as a separate "n" sound — it colours the vowel.
Special consonants
| Rohingyalish | Sound | Example |
|---|---|---|
| c | "sh" as in "ship" (never "k" or "s") | cúkuria (thank you) = "shoo-kuria" |
| ç | a flapped/rolled retroflex "r" — tongue curled back | hoçé (where), eçé (here) |
| z | like "z" in "zoo" | zor (fever) |
| w | like "w" in "water" | uggwá (one) |
Dual (two-letter) consonants
Rohingyalish uses seven two-letter combinations. The added letter changes the quality: h makes the sound thick (retroflex/aspirated), s makes it thin, ñ makes it nasal.
| Letters | Sound | Example |
|---|---|---|
| th | thick "t" (tongue curled back — not English "think") | thík (correct) |
| dh | thick "d" (tongue curled back) | dhora (afraid) |
| kh | rough "k", like Scottish "loch" | khóbor (news) |
| ch | thick "sh" | chail (trick) |
| ts | thin "t" | tsáni (again) |
| ñg | nasal "ng", as in "sing" | báñgo (break) |
| ñy | nasal "ny", as in "canyon" | maiñya (woman) |
Doubled consonants are held longer too: ekkán (one), abbar (again).
Diphthongs
Vowel pairs glide together: ai (like "eye" — bái, brother), ei, oi (like "boy" — bóin, sister), ui (tuñí, you), and ou (noó / nóu). Each can also carry a stress accent: ái, éi, ói, úi, óu.