Bengali consonant clusters


Consonant clusters in Bengali are very common word-initially due to a long history of borrowing from English and Sanskrit, two languages with a large cluster inventory. A smaller number of words with word-final clusters have also been borrowed from English and Persian. A handful of words from non-standard dialects of Bengali include native clusters.

Syllable-initial clusters

Native Bengali words do not allow initial consonant clusters; the maximum syllabic structure is CVC. Many speakers of Bengali restrict their phonology to this pattern, even when using Sanskrit or English borrowings, such as গেরাম geram for গ্রাম gram "village" or ইস্কুল iskul for স্কুল skul "school".
Sanskrit words borrowed into Bengali, however, possess a wide range of clusters, expanding the maximum syllable structure to CCCVC. Some of these clusters, such as the mr in মৃত্যু mrittu "death" or the sp in স্পষ্ট spôshṭo "clear", have become extremely common, and can be considered legal consonant clusters in Bengali.
English and other foreign borrowings add even more cluster types into the Bengali inventory, further increasing the syllable capacity to CCCVCCCC, as commonly used loanwords such as ট্রেন ṭren "train" and গ্লাস glash "glass" are now even included in leading Bengali dictionaries.
ClusterSource languageExample in
orthography
Example in
transliteration
Translation
krSanskrit
English
কৃমি
ক্রিকেট
krimi
krikeṭ
worm
cricket
klSanskrit
English
ক্লান্তি
ক্লাস
klanti
klash
fatigue
class
khrGreek খ্রিস্টানkhrishṭanChristian
grSanskrit
English
গ্রাম
গ্রিক
gram
grik
village
Greek
glSanskrit
English
গ্লানি
গ্লাস
glani
glash
sorrow
glass
ṭrEnglishট্রেনṭrentrain
ḍrEnglishড্রাইভারḍraibhardriver
trSanskritত্রিশtrishthirty
thrEnglishথ্রুthruthrough
drSanskritদৃশ্যdrishshoview
dhrSanskritধ্রুবতারাdhrubotaraNorth star
nrSanskritনৃতত্ত্বnritôttoanthropology
prSanskrit
English
প্রশ্ন
প্রেশার
proshno
preshar
question
pressure
plSanskrit
English
প্লাবন
প্লেন
plabon
plen
flood
plane
frEnglishফ্রান্সfransFrance
flEnglishফ্লাইটflaiṭflight
brSanskrit
English
বৃষ্টি
ব্রাশ
brishṭi
brash
rain
brush
blEnglishব্লাউজblaujblouse
bhrSanskritভ্রুbhrubrow
mrSanskritমৃত্যুmrittudeath
mlSanskritম্লানmlanmelancholy
skSanskrit
English
স্কন্ধ
স্কুল
skôndho
skul
shoulder
school
skrEnglishস্ক্রুskruscrew
skhSanskritস্খলনskhôlonslip
sṭEnglishস্টেশনsṭeshonstation
sṭrEnglishস্ট্রেটsṭreṭstraight
stSanskritস্তম্ভstômbhotower
strSanskritস্ত্রীstriwoman
sthSanskritস্থানীয়sthaniolocal
snSanskrit
English
স্নান
স্নো
snan
sno
bath
snow
spSanskrit
English
স্পষ্ট
স্পেশাল
spôshṭo
speshal
clear
special
sprSanskrit
English
স্পৃহা
স্প্রিং
spriha
spring
desire
spring
sfSanskritস্ফূর্তিsfurtidelight
smEnglishস্মার্টsmarṭsmart
srSanskritশ্রমিকsromiklaborer
slSanskrit
English
শ্লীলতা
স্লোগান
slilota
slogan

chant
hrSanskritহৃদয়hridôeheart
hlSanskritহ্লাদিনীhladini

Syllable-final clusters

Final consonant clusters are rare in Bengali. Most final consonant clusters were borrowed into Bengali from English, as in লিফ্‌ট lifṭ "lift, elevator" and ব্যাংক bêngk "bank". However, final clusters do exist in some native Bengali words, although rarely in standard pronunciation. One example of a final cluster in a standard Bengali word would be গঞ্জ gônj, which is found in names of hundreds of cities and towns across Bengal, including নবাবগঞ্জ Nôbabgônj and মানিকগঞ্জ Manikgônj. Some nonstandard varieties of Bengali make use of final clusters quite often. For example, in some Purbo dialects, final consonant clusters consisting of a nasal and its corresponding oral stop are common, as in চান্দ chand "moon". The Standard Bengali equivalent of chand would be চাঁদ chãd, with a nasalized vowel instead of the final cluster.
ClusterSource languageExample in
orthography
Example in
transliteration
Translation
kṭEnglish
ktPersianওয়াক্তoaktMuslim prayer time
kfPersianওয়াক্‌ফoakfwaqf
kshPersian
ksEnglishট্যাক্সṭêkstax
ngkEnglishব্যাংকbêngkbank
nchEnglishলঞ্চlônchsteamboat
njdialectalগঞ্জgônjmarketplace
nṭEnglishপ্যান্টpênṭpants
nḍEnglishপাউন্ডpaunḍpound
nddialectalচান্দchandmoon
ndhdialectalকান্ধkandhshoulder
nsPersian
English

চান্স

chans

chance
fṭEnglishলিফ্‌টlifṭelevator/lift
fsPersianনাফ্‌সnafsself
mpEnglishল্যাম্পlêmplamp
rkPersian
English

পার্ক

park

park
rchEnglishটর্চṭôrchtorch
rjEnglishলাঠি-চার্জlaṭhi-charjbaton-charge
rṭEnglishশার্টsharṭshirt
rḍEnglishবোর্ডborḍ board
rthEnglish
rdPersianফর্দfôrdinventory sheet
rnEnglishহর্ণhôrn horn
rpEnglish
rbEnglish
rbhEnglishনার্ভnarbh/narvnerve
rmEnglishফর্মfôrmform
rlEnglishআর্লarlearl
rsEnglishনার্সnarsnurse
rsṭEnglishফার্স্টfarsṭfirst
rshPersian
lṭEnglishবেল্টbelṭbelt
skEnglishরিস্কriskrisk
sṭEnglishলাস্টlasṭlast
stPersianদোস্তdostfriend
shtPersianগোশ্তgoshtmeat