Bengali alphabet

Characters

Vowels

• "অ" ô sounds as the default Inherent vowel for the entire Bengali script. Bengali, Assamese and Odia which are Eastern languages have this value for the inherent vowel, while other languages using Brahmic scripts have a for their inherent vowel.
• Even though the open-mid front unrounded vowel is one of the seven main vowel sounds in the standard Bengali language, no distinct vowel symbol has been allotted for it in the script since there is no sound in Sanskrit, the primary written language when the script was conceived. As a result, the sound is orthographically realised by multiple means in modern Bengali orthography, usually using some combination of "এ" e , "অ", "আ" a and the যফলা jôfôla.
• There are two graphemes for the vowel sound and two graphemes for the vowel sound. The redundancy stems from the time when this script was used to write Sanskrit, a language that had short and long vowels: "ই" i and "ঈ" ī , and "উ" u and "ঊ" ū . The letters are preserved in the Bengali script with their traditional names despite the fact that they are no longer pronounced differently in ordinary speech. These graphemes serve an etymological function, however, in preserving the original Sanskrit spelling in tôtsômô Bengali words.
• The grapheme called "ঋ" ṛ does not really represent a vowel phoneme in Bengali but the consonant-vowel combination রি. Nevertheless, it is included in the vowel section of the inventory of the Bengali script. This inconsistency is also a remnant from Sanskrit, where the grapheme represents the vocalic equivalent of a retroflex approximant. Another grapheme called "ঌ" ḷ representing the vocalic equivalent of a dental approximant in Sanskrit but actually representing the constant-vowel combination লি in Bengali instead of a vowel phoneme, was also included in the vowel section but unlike "ঋ", it was recently discarded from the inventory since its usage was extremely limited even in Sanskrit.
• When a vowel sound occurs syllable-initially or when it follows another vowel, it is written using a distinct letter. When a vowel sound follows a consonant, it is written with a diacritic which, depending on the vowel, can appear above, below, before or after the consonant. These vowel marks cannot appear without a consonant and are called কার kar.
• An exception to the above system is the vowel, which has no vowel mark but is considered inherent in every consonant letter. To denote the absence of the inherent vowel following a consonant, a diacritic called the হসন্ত hôsôntô may be written underneath the consonant.
• Although there are only two diphthongs in the inventory of the script: "ঐ" oi and "ঔ" ou , the Bengali phonetic system has, in fact, many diphthongs. Most diphthongs are represented by juxtaposing the graphemes of their forming vowels, as in কেউ keu.
• There also used to be two long vowels: "ৠ" ṝ and "ৡ" ḹ, which were removed from the inventory during the Vidyasagarian reform of the script due to peculiarity to Sanskrit.

Consonants

• Some letters that have lost their distinctive pronunciation in modern Bengali are called by more elaborate names. For example, since the consonant phoneme is written as both ন and ণ, the letters are not called simply nô; instead, they are called দন্ত্য ন dôntyô nô and মূর্ধন্য ণ murdhônyô nô. What was once pronounced and written as a retroflex nasal ণ is now pronounced as an alveolar although the spelling does not reflect the change.
• Although still named Murdhônyô when they are being taught, retroflex consonants do not exist in Bengali and are instead fronted to their postalveolar and alveolar equivalents.
• The voiceless palato-alveolar sibilant phoneme can be written as শ,, ষ, or স, depending on the word.
• The voiced palato-alveolar affricate phoneme can be written in two ways, as য or জ. In many varieties of Bengali, are not distinct from this phoneme, but speakers who distinguish them may use the letters য and জ with contrast.
• Since the nasals ঞ ñô and ঙ ngô cannot occur at the beginning of a word in Bengali, their names are not ñô and ngô respectively but উঙ ungô and ইঞ iñô respectively.
• Similarly, since the semivowel য় yô cannot occur at the beginning of a Bengali word, its name is not ôntôsthô yô but অন্তঃস্থ অ ôntôsthô ô.
• There is a difference in the pronunciation of ড় ṛô ḍô with a zero and ঢ় ṛhô with that of র rô - similar to other Indic languages. This is especially true in the parlance of western and southern part of Bengal but lesser on the dialects of the eastern side of the Padma River. ড় and ঢ় were introduced to the inventory during the Vidyasagarian reform to indicate the retroflex flap in the pronunciation of ড ḍô and ঢ ḍhô in the middle or end of a word. It is an allophonic development in some Indic languages not present in Sanskrit. Yet in ordinary speech these letters are pronounced the same as র in modern Bengali.

  Consonant conjuncts

Fused forms

• The consonants can be placed on top of one another, sharing their vertical line: ক্ক kkô গ্ন gnô গ্ল glô ন্ন nnô প্ন pnô প্প ppô ল্ল llô etc.
• As the last member of a conjunct, ব bô can hang on the vertical line under the preceding consonants, taking the shape of ব bô : গ্ব gbô ণ্ব "ṇbô" দ্ব "dbô" ল্ব lbô শ্ব "shbô".
• The consonants can also be placed side-by-side, sharing their vertical line: দ্দ ddô ন্দ ndô ব্দ bdô ব্জ bǰô প্ট pṭô শ্চ shchô শ্ছ shchhô, etc.

  Approximated forms

• The consonants can be placed side-by-side, appearing unaltered: দ্গ dgô দ্ঘ dghô ড্ড ḍḍô.
• As the last member of a conjunct, ব bô can appear immediately to the right of the preceding consonant, taking the shape of ব bô : ধ্ব "dhbô" ব্ব bbô হ্ব "hbô".

  Compressed forms

• As the first member of a conjunct, the consonants ঙ ngô চ chô ড ḍô and ব bô are often compressed and placed at the top-left of the following consonant, with little or no change to the basic shape: ঙ্ক্ষ "ngkṣô" ঙ্খ ngkhô ঙ্ঘ ngghô ঙ্ম ngmô চ্চ chchô চ্ছ chchhô চ্ঞ "chnô" ড্ঢ ḍḍhô ব্‍ব bbô.
• As the first member of a conjunct, ত tô is compressed and placed above the following consonant, with little or no change to the basic shape: ত্ন tnô ত্ম "tmô" ত্ব "tbô".
• As the first member of a conjunct, ম mô is compressed and simplified to a curved shape. It is placed above or to the top-left of the following consonant: ম্ন mnô ম্প mpô ম্ফ mfô ম্ব mbô ম্ভ mbhô ম্ম mmô ম্ল mlô.
• As the first member of a conjunct, ষ ṣô is compressed and simplified to an oval shape with a diagonal stroke through it. It is placed to the top-left of the following consonants: ষ্ক ṣkô ষ্ট ṣṭô ষ্ঠ ṣṭhô ষ্প ṣpô ষ্ফ ṣfô ষ্ম ṣmô.
• As the first member of a conjunct, স sô is compressed and simplified to a ribbon shape. It is placed above or to the top-left of the following consonant: স্ক skô স্খ skhô স্ট sṭô স্ত stô স্থ sthô স্ন snô স্প spô স্ফ sfô স্ব "sbô" স্ম "smô" স্ল slô.

  Abbreviated forms

• As the first member of a conjunct, জ ǰô can lose its final down-stroke: জ্জ ǰǰô জ্ঞ "ǰñô" জ্ব "jbô".
• As the first member of a conjunct, ঞ ñô can lose its bottom half: ঞ্চ ñchô ঞ্ছ ñchhô ঞ্জ ñǰô ঞ্ঝ ñǰhô.
• As the last member of a conjunct, ঞ ñô can lose its left half : জ্ঞ "ǰñô".
• As the first member of a conjunct, ণ ṇô and প pô can lose their down-stroke: ণ্ঠ ṇṭhô ণ্ড ṇḍô প্ত ptô প্স psô.
• As the first member of a conjunct, ত tô and ভ bhô can lose their final upward tail: ত্ত ttô ত্থ tthô ত্র trô ভ্র bhrô.
• As the last member of a conjunct, থ thô can lose its final upstroke, taking the form of হ hô instead: ন্থ nthô স্থ sthô ম্থ mthô
• As the last member of a conjunct, ম mô can lose its initial down-stroke: ক্ম "kmô" গ্ম "gmô" ঙ্ম ngmô ট্ম "ṭmô" ণ্ম "ṇmô" ত্ম "tmô" দ্ম "dmô" ন্ম nmô ম্ম mmô শ্ম "shmô" ষ্ম ṣmô স্ম "smô".
• As the last member of a conjunct, স sô can lose its top half: ক্স ksô.
• As the last member of a conjunct ট ṭô, ড ḍô and ঢ ḍhô can lose their matra: প্ট pṭô ণ্ড ṇḍô ণ্ট ṇṭô ণ্ঢ ṇḍhô.
• As the last member of a conjunct ড ḍô can change its shape: ণ্ড ṇḍô

  Variant forms

• As the first member of a conjunct, ঙ ngô can appear as a loop and curl: ঙ্ক ngkô ঙ্গ nggô.
• As the last member of a conjunct, the curled top of ধ dhô is replaced by a straight downstroke to the right, taking the form of ঝ ǰhô instead: গ্ধ gdhô দ্ধ ddhô ন্ধ ndhô ব্ধ bdhô.
• As the first member of a conjunct, র rô appears as a diagonal stroke above the following member: র্ক rkô র্খ rkhô র্গ rgô র্ঘ rghô, etc.
• As the last member of a conjunct, র rô appears as a wavy horizontal line under the previous member: খ্র khrô গ্র grô ঘ্র ghrô ব্র brô, etc.
• * In some fonts, certain conjuncts with রফলা rôfôla appear using the compressed form of the previous consonant: জ্র ǰrô ট্র ṭrô ঠ্র ṭhrô ড্র ḍrô ম্র mrô স্র srô.
• * In some fonts, certain conjuncts with রফলা rôfôla appear using the abbreviated form of the previous consonant: ক্র krô ত্র trô ভ্র bhrô.
• As the last member of a conjunct, য jô appears as a wavy vertical line to the right of the previous member: ক্য "kyô" খ্য "khyô" গ্য "gyô" ঘ্য "ghyô" etc.
• * In some fonts, certain conjuncts with যফলা jôfôla appear using special fused forms: দ্য "dyô" ন্য "nyô" শ্য "shyô" ষ্য "ṣyô" স্য "syô" হ্য "hyô".

  Exceptions

• When followed by র rô or ত tô, ক kô takes on the same form as ত tô would with the addition of a curl to the right: ক্র krô, ক্ত ktô.
• When preceded by the abbreviated form of ঞ ñô, চ chô takes the shape of ব bô: ঞ্চ ñchô
• When preceded by another ট ṭô, ট is reduced to a leftward curl: ট্ট ṭṭô.
• When preceded by ষ ṣô, ণ ṇô appears as two loops to the right: ষ্ণ ṣṇô.
• As the first member of a conjunct, or when at the end of a word and followed by no vowel, ত tô can appear as ৎ: ৎস "tsô" ৎপ tpô ৎক tkô etc.
• When preceded by হ hô, ন nô appears as a curl to the right: হ্ন "hnô".
• Certain combinations must be memorised: ক্ষ "kṣô" হ্ম "hmô".

  Certain compounds

• উ u
• * When following গ gô or শ shô, it takes on a variant form resembling the final tail of ও o: গু gu শু shu.
• * When following a ত tô that is already part of a conjunct with প pô, ন nô or স sô, it is fused with the ত to resemble ও o: ন্তু ntu স্তু stu প্তু ptu.
• * When following র rô, and in many fonts also following the variant রফলা rôfôla, it appears as an upward curl to the right of the preceding consonant as opposed to a downward loop below: রু ru গ্রু gru ত্রু tru থ্রু thru দ্রু dru ধ্রু dhru ব্রু bru ভ্রু bhru শ্রু shru.
• * When following হ hô, it appears as an extra curl: হু hu.
• ঊ u
• * When following র rô, and in many fonts also following the variant রফলা rôfôla, it appears as a downstroke to the right of the preceding consonant as opposed to a downward hook below: রূ rū গ্রূ grū থ্রূ thrū দ্রূ drū ধ্রূ dhrū ভ্রূ bhrū শ্রূ shrū.
• ঋ ri
• * When following হ hô, it takes the variant shape of ঊ u: হৃ hri.
• Conjuncts of three consonants also exist, and follow the same rules as above: স sô + ত tô +র rô = স্ত্র strô, ম mô + প pô + র rô = ম্প্র mprô, জ ǰô + জ ǰô + ব bô = জ্জ্ব "ǰǰbô", ক্ষ "kṣô" + ম mô = ক্ষ্ম "kṣmô".
• Theoretically, four-consonant conjuncts can also be created, as in র rô + স sô + ট ṭô + র rô = র্স্ট্র rsṭrô, but they are not found in native words.

  Diacritics and other symbols

Digits and numerals

Punctuation marks

Characteristics of the Bengali text

Standardization

Romanization

Sample texts

Unicode