How to read and say Arberesh

For some Arberesh sounds, there is no easy transliteration.

Vowels

a

like 'a' in "apple"

i

like 'ee' in "cheese"

u

like 'oo' in "pool"

o

like 'o' in "door"

e

like 'e' in "bed"

ë

like 'i' in "bird" or 'u' in "pull", at the end of a word it is silent

Easy Consonants

b

like 'b' in "bed"

c

like 'ts' in "cats"

ç

like 'ch' in "church"

t

like 't' in "top"

h

like 'ch' in Scottish "loch" (or German "nach")

d

like 'd' in "mad"

dh

like 'th' in 'then'

r

like 'r' in Scottish "row"

z

like 'z' in "haze"

s

like 's' in "sing"

sh

like 'sh' in "sheep"

f

like 'f' in "fun"

k

like 'k' in "kitten"

l

like 'l' in "love"

m

like 'm' in "mother"

n

like 'n' in "nice"

j

like 'y' in "yes"

xh

like 'j' in "jam"

zh

like 's' in "pleasure"

A double 'r' 'rr' is pronounced the same as a single 'r'.

Difficult Consonants

ll

like 'r' in French "rire"

g

as 'll' in the above example

hj

like 'ch' in Scottish "loch" followed rapidly by a 'y' in "yet"

gj

like 'g' and 'y' in "dogyard"

q

like 'k' and 'y' in "dockyard"

x

like 'dz' in "adze"

When j comes at the end of a word, it is always pronounced in the same way as 'hj'. When b, d, dh, g, gj, ll, x, xh, z, and zh come at the end of a word or before another consonant, they always devoice, e.g.

b - p d - t dh - th g - k gj - q ll - h x - c xh - zh z - s zh - sh