Pronunciation guide
How to read and say Manipuri
Letters, sounds and stress from Wikivoyage's Manipuri phrasebook. Then hear the phrases and practice them, free.
▶ Practice Manipuri phrasesVowels
- A (a)
- ꯑꯥ as in father
- E (e)
- ꯑꯦ as in ten
- I (i)
- ꯏ as in machine
- O (o)
- ꯑꯣ as in open
- U (u)
- ꯎ as in rule
- ai
- ꯑꯥꯢ (ꯑꯥꯏ) as in Thailand
- ui
- ꯎꯢ (ꯎꯏ) as in Louie
Consonants
- ꯕ b
- like 'b' in "bed"
- ꯁ c
- like 's' in "supper", ꯀ 'k' in "kid"
- ꯗ d
- like 'd' in "dog"
- ꯐ f
- like 'ph' in "phone"
- ꯒ g
- like 'g' in "go", ꯖ 'j' in "jello"
- ꯍ h
- like 'h' in "help" (often silent in the UK and other Commonwealth countries)
- ꯖ j
- like 'dg' in "edge"
- ꯀ k
- like 'c' in "cat"
- ꯂ l
- like 'l' in "love"
- ꯃ m
- like 'm' in "mother"
- ꯅ n
- like 'n' in "nice"
- ꯄ p
- like 'p' in "pig"
- ꯀ q
- like 'q' in "quest" (with "u", almost always)
- ꯔ r
- like 'r' in "row", like 'r' in "feather" (often silent in the UK and other Commonwealth countries at end of word)
- ꯁ s
- like 'ss' in "hiss", like 'z' in "haze"
- ꯇ t
- like 't' in "top"
- ꯚ v
- like 'v' in "victory"
- ꯋ w
- like 'w' in "weight"
- "-ꯛ꯭ꯁ" x
- like 'cks' in "kicks", like 'z' in "haze" (at beginning of a word)
- ꯌ y
- like 'y' in "yes", like 'ie' in "pie", like 'ee' in "flee"
- ꯓ z
- like 'z' in "haze"
Common digraphs
- ꯑꯦ ay
- like 'ay' in "say"
- ꯑꯥꯢ ai
- like 'ay' in "say"
- ꯑꯥꯎ au
- like 'awe'
- ꯏ ee
- like 'ee' in "see"
- ꯑꯩ ei
- like 'ay' in "say"
- ꯏ ey
- like 'ay' in "say", like 'ee' in "see"
- ꯏ ie
- like 'ee' in "see"
- ꯑꯣꯢ (ꯑꯣꯏ); oi
- like 'oy' in "boy"
- ꯎ oo
- like 'oo' in "food", like 'oo' in "good"
- ꯑꯧ ou
- like 'ow' in "cow", like 'oo' in "food", like 'o' in "cot"
- ꯑꯧ ow
- like 'ow' in "cow"
- ꯑꯣꯢ (ꯑꯣꯏ) oy
- like 'oy' in "boy"
- ꯆ ch
- like 'ch' in "touch"
- ꯁ sh
- like 'sh' in "sheep"
- ꯊ th
- like 'th' in "this", like 'th' in "those"
- ꯘ gh
- like 'f' in "fish"
- ꯐ ph
- like 'f' in "fish"
Spelling
While writing Meitei language in Latin script (Roman script), the following facts are observed:
- There is a similar usage of "F" and "Ph". For example: "Fu" is equal to "Phu", both meaning "pot".
- There is a similar usage of "S" and "Sh". For example, "Sam" is equal to "Sham", both meaning "hair".
- In many cases, though not always, there is a free variation of "L" and "R" usually in the middle of a word. For example, "LAILEN" is equal to "LAIREN", both meaning python.
- In many cases, though not always, there is a free variation of "L" and "N" usually in the ending part of a word. For example, "LAIREL" is equal to "LAIREN", both meaning python.
- In many cases, though not always, there is a free variation of "B" and "P" usually in the middle or ending part of a word. For example, "YUMBI" is equal to "YUMPI", both meaning "pillar".