Turkish pronunciation for English speakers

Turkish is written as it sounds. Once you learn the alphabet, you can read any word aloud. A few letters and one rule need attention.

The dotless ı and the dotted i

Turkish has both ı and i. Dotted i is the "ee" in "see". Dotless ı is a short sound made at the back of the mouth. It is like the last vowel in "taken". Keep them apart: "ılık" and "ilk" are different words.

Ö and ü

ö is like "e" said with rounded lips, as in German "schön". ü is like "ee" said with rounded lips, as in German "über". Practise "göz" and "üç".

Letters that differ from English

• c sounds like j in "jam".
• ç sounds like ch in "chip".
• ş sounds like sh in "ship".
• j sounds like the s in "measure".

The soft g

ğ is not pronounced as a consonant. It lengthens the vowel before it or links two vowels, as in "dağ". Think of it as a pause that stretches the sound.

Vowel harmony

Suffixes change their vowel to match the word they join. "Ev" (house) becomes "evler" (houses). "Okul" (school) becomes "okullar". Learn this early. It affects almost every word.

Stress

Stress usually falls on the last syllable. Many place names and some words are exceptions. Listen and copy.

How to practise

• Learn the alphabet in a day, then read short words aloud.
• Record yourself and compare with a native speaker.
• Ask your partner to correct sounds, not just words.

A native speaker will hear what you miss. See how to find a language partner, or Turkish on Nearly Fluent.