How to read and say Pashto

Vowels

ə [ه ,ۀ ,زورکى]

a central neutral vowel, like 'a' in "above"

a [ه ,زبر]

like 'u' in "hut"

aa [ا]

like 'a' in "far"

i [زېر ,ي]

like 'ee' in "see"

ē [ې]

like 'e' in "bed"

u [پېش ,و]

like 'oo' in "food"

o [و]

like 'o' in "more"

ay [ى]

similar to 'y' in "my". In eastern areas e.g. Swat, it sounds like /eh/

əi [ئ ,ۍ]

similar to 'ay' in "play"

Consonants

b [ب]

like 'b' in "bed"

ch [چ]

like 'ch' in "chair"

ts [څ]

like 'z' in German "zehn" (Similar to 'ts' in "boots".)

d [د]

similar to 'd' in "do" (But it is softer, and the flat of the tongue makes contact with the roof of the mouth, not the tip of the tongue as in English.)

dd [ډ]

like 'rd' in Swedish "nord" (It's a thick D pronounced with the tongue tip curled back.)

f [ف]

like 'f' in "film"

g [ګ ,ږ]

like 'g' in "girl"

gh [غ]

similar to 'r' in French "écrire" (It's spoken in the throat.)

h [ح ,ه]

like 'h' in "honey"

j [ج]

like 'j' in "job"

dz [ځ]

like 'z' in Italian "zero" (Similar to 'ds' in "kids".)

k [ق ,ک]

like 'k' in "skin"

kh [خ]

like 'ch' in German "Kuchen" (It's spoken in the throat.)

k'h [ښ]

like 'ch' in German "dicht" and 'h' in English "hue"

l [ل]

like 'l' in "look"

m [م]

like 'm' in "moon"

n [ن]

like 'n' in "noon"

nn [ڼ]

like 'rn' in Swedish "garn" (It's a thick N pronounced with the tongue tip curled back.)

p [ف ,پ]

like 'p' in "spin"

q [ق]

like 'q' in "Quran"

r [ر]

like 'r' in "rose"

rr [ړ]

thick R pronounced with the tongue tip curled back, similar to 'l' in Swedish/Norwegian "blad"

s [ص ,ث ,س]

like 's' in "sun"

sh [ش]

like 'sh' in "shine"

t [ط ,ت]

similar to 't' in "stem" (But it is softer, and the flat of the tongue makes contact with the roof of the mouth, not the tip of the tongue as in English.)

tt [ټ]

like 'rt' in Swedish "karta" (It's a thick T pronounced with the tongue tip curled back.)

w [و]

like 'w' in "wise"

y [ي]

like 'y' in "yet"

z [ض ,ظ ,ذ ,ز]

like 'z' in "zoo"

zh [ژ]

like 's' in "pleasure"