Esperanto Self-Taught with Phonetic Pronunciation

Excerpt

THE ESPERANTO ALPHABET
(WITH PHONETIC PRONUNCIATION).

The Esperanto Alphabet has 28 letters—23 consonants, 5 vowels:—

A, a(ah) likeainfatherorpa; aspatro(pah'troh). In unaccented syllables it should not be dwelt upon, and in all cases it should be pronounced quite purely, without the slight drawlingr-sound which is sometimes added to the corresponding vowel in EnglishahB, b(bo) as in EnglishbC, c(tsoh) liketsingets,hits, and never as in English; ascaro(tsah'roh)tsĈ, ĉ(cho) likechinchurch; asĉasi(chah'see)chD, d(do) as in English, but with tip of tongue placed on back of teeth instead of on front ridge of roof of mouthdE, e(eh) likeeinbendpronounced broadly, orainhateshortly pronounced, but quite pure, entirely without the slight drawlingee-sound often heard after the English vowel; asbeno(beh'noh)e, ehF, f(fo) as in EnglishfG, g(go) likegingo,give, asgasto(gah'stoh), and never likegingem,allegegÄœ, ĝ(jo) likegingem,general, andjinjovial; asĝeni(jeh'nee)jH, h(ho) as in EnglishhĤ, Ä¥(Ä¥o) likechin Scotchloch,chin Germanhoch,jin Spanishmujer. This guttural sound is practically a very strongly aspiratedh, and may be made by trying to pronounce "ho" with the throat arranged as for sayingk:—Ä¥oro(khoro),Ä¥ino(khino)khI, i(ee) likeeeinseen, asli(lee). In unaccented syllables, and before two consonants together, thisipractically becomes theiinitor inwind; asferminte(fehrr-min'teh)ee, iJ, j(yo)likeyinyet, asjes(yehss),vojo(vo'yo), and never likejinjudge,jokeyIt should be remembered thatjisalways a consonant, with the sound of the Englishyinyou. Of course, whenjoccurs at the end of a word or before a consonant, it practically unites with the preceding vowel to form a diphthong, and loses the full consonantal sound which it has before a vowel. Thus:Aj(ahy), likeah yinah yes(almost likeyinmy); askaj(kah'y),rajdi(rah'y-dee),krajono(krah-yo'no)ahyEj(ehy), likeay yinsay yes; asplej(pleh'y,syllable)ehyOj(oy), likeoh yinoh yes(almost likeoyintoy); asranoj(rah'noy),kojno(koy'noh)oyUj(ooy), likeoo yintoo young; astuj(too'y,syllable),prujno(proo'yno,syllables)ooyÄ´, ĵ(zho) likesinvisionorpleasure, orjin Frenchjeune, j'ai; asĵeti(zheh'tee)zhK, k(ko) as in EnglishkL, l(lo) as in EnglishlM, m(mo) as in EnglishmN, n(no) as in EnglishnO, o(oh) likeoinhorse, not diphthongized, but pronounced purely and rather shortly, asbona(boh'nahbow'nah), quite without the shortoo-sound frequently heard with the English vowel in such words asnote,boat. Its sound is almost equivalent toawincaw, pronounced shortly and with the lips placed roundly as if for sayingoh; asestonta(ess-tohn'tah)o, ohP, p(po) as in EnglishpR, r(ro) as in English, but soundedmuch more forcibly, and alwayswith a trillas in singing; askorpo(kohr'po)rS, s(so) likesinsay, assuno(soo'noh), andassinrose; aspesi(peh'see)s, ssÅœ, ŝ(sho) likeshinshow,she; asŝipo(shee'poh)shT, t(to) as in English, but dentally—with tip of tongue placed on back of teeth instead of on front ridge of roof of mouthtU, u(oo) likeooinboot, asnubo(noo'boh); andasuinmuteorbutooŬ, Å­(wo) is equivalent to the Englishw, and is produced by apartial bringing togetherof the lips....