The charts below show the way in which the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) represents Malagasy pronunciations in Wikipedia articles.
English approximations are in some cases very loose, and only intended to give a general idea of the pronunciation. See Malagasy language#Phonology for details.
| Consonants
|
| IPA |
Orthography |
nearest English equivalent
|
| b
|
b
|
bill
|
| d
|
d
|
dill
|
| dz
|
j
|
heads ~ hedge [1]
|
| ɖʐ
|
dr
|
Jill ~ drill [2]
|
| f
|
f
|
fill
|
| ɡ
|
g
|
gill
|
| h
|
h
|
hill ~ ill
|
| k
|
k
|
skill
|
| l
|
l
|
lill
|
| m
|
m
|
mill
|
| n
|
n
|
nil
|
| ŋ
|
n̈
|
song
|
| ŋɡ
|
ng
|
finger
|
| p
|
p
|
spill
|
| r
|
r
|
rill (trilled)
|
| s
|
s
|
sill ~ shill [1]
|
| t
|
t
|
still
|
| ts
|
ts
|
cats ~ catch [1]
|
| ʈʂ
|
tr
|
chill ~ trill [2]
|
| v
|
v
|
villa
|
| z
|
z
|
blaze ~ beige [1]
|
| Stress
|
| IPA |
Example |
Note
|
| ˈ ˌ
|
stress
|
(placed before stressed syllable)
|
|
| Vowels
|
| IPA |
Orthography |
nearest English equivalent
|
| a
|
a
|
fat ~ father
|
| e
|
e
|
pet
|
| i
|
i, y
|
seat
|
| o
|
ô
|
old
|
| u
|
o
|
coot
|
| Diphthongs
|
| aj
|
ai, ay
|
Thai, often day
|
| aw
|
ao
|
Lao, often low
|
| ej
|
ei, ey
|
grey
|
| uj
|
oy
|
phooey!
|
| Reduced vowels
|
| ə
|
a
|
sofa
|
| ə̥
|
a
|
paternal (whispered)
|
| ʲ
|
y, i
|
dew (UK), cue: a y sound
|
| ʷ
|
o
|
quick
|
| ː
|
|
(long vowel)
|
|
- ↑ अ आ इ ई /ts dz s z/ vary between these sounds, depending on speaker and situation. The latter is especially common when followed by the vowel /i/, including its reduced form [ʲ]. That is, [sʲ] is generally closer to English shill.
- ↑ अ आ As the Malagasy spellings ‹tr, dr› suggest, /ʈʂ ɖʐ/ may be released into a trill, depending on speaker and situation.
