The Bengali Alphabet with Pronunciation

Learning a new language can be intimidating at first, but once you grasp the basic rules and combinations, it becomes surprisingly simple. When you practice reading and writing Bengali, you'll find that it's easier than expected. Although the Bengali romanization system is not standardized, the basic Latin alphabet doesn't recognize all Bengali sounds. Fortunately, Google Translate can help you translate your letters and words into Bengali.

With the Bengali alphabet, you can now type in your native language on many computers today. As you explore this script, you'll notice that there are some common types, as well as others that require practice to master. Two-consonant clusters are the most common, but three-consonant clusters can also be found.

Consonant clusters in Bengali appear differently from what we're used to, so it's essential to understand the unique characteristics of this script. Consonants can respond to other consonants and change forms as described below.

When facing a consonant with no vowel mark, there are a few general rules to follow. In Bengali, an open circle represents where the consonant enters. However, there are many differences between Latin and Cyrillic letters, as well as between Latin and Cyrillic characters.

The Bengali alphabet is used to write Bengali, Assamese, and sometimes Sanskrit, depending on the context. The earliest known inscription in the Bengali alphabet dates back to the 8th century CE. It's believed that the Bengali alphabet developed from the Brahmi alphabet and was influenced by Sanskrit, Pali, and Ardhamagadhi languages.

The Bengali alphabet is written from left to right, and there's no distinction between upper and lower case letters. Additionally, there are 26 diacritics used to change the sound of the letters. The Bengali alphabet is an abugida, meaning that each letter has an inherent vowel sound. There are also four independent vowels and two dependent vowels.

In total, there are 52 letters in the Bengali alphabet: 19 vowels and 33 consonants. In the Bengali language, this script is known as 'বাংলা বর্ণমা' (pronounced 'Bengali letters').

Bengali alphabet with pronunciation