Urdu Vowels

Like English language Urdu also has some vowels. In phonetic methods vowel is a vice, sound which is spoken and pronounced with open vocal tract. While pronouncing or speaking a vowel there is no air pressure above the speaker’s glottis.

This is the list of English vowels with roman and English pronunciation.

English                 Roman

A                        ay

E                         e

I                          ai

O                       au

U                     you

Alif (ا)

It’s a very first Urdu Alphabet and it is also a vowel. It can be used as a short vowel if we use it at the start of the word like “ب ا”.  In roman its can be pronounced as “ab”. But if at the start of the word Alif followed (و) or (ی), in roman it is pronounced as “wa’o” or “chotti ye” respectively will be a long vowels.

Urdu vowel Alif (ا)   has a variant Alif madd (آ). It’s a long vowel "ā" it is used as a long vowel when we use it at the start of the word like “پ آ”, in roman it is pronounce as “aap”. But if we use it in the middle or end of the word it will be consider as a short vowel just like Alif. Like. تاب  in roman it is “baat”.

Wā’o (و)

It is used as vowel representing “u”, “o” and “au” also as a consonant. It can be used as a two sounds words “w” ans “v”.

(ی) / (ے) Ye

This vowel has two types called “chotti ye (ی)” or “barri ye (ے)”.

“Chotti ye” (ی) is a sound of long vowel "ī" and it represents a consonant “y”, while (ے) in roman it is called barri ye (ے)  distinguished with small “Ye” with the sound “e” and “ai”. We use it at the end of the words.