Georgian: spelling → sound
Georgian is written in its own alphabet, Mkhedruli, and the alphabet is honest: every letter is one sound, every sound is one letter, nothing is silent, there are no capitals. Learn 33 shapes and you can read anything aloud. The sounds themselves are the challenge: three series of stops — voiced (ბ დ გ), aspirated (ფ თ ქ, with a puff) and EJECTIVE (პ ტ კ, made with the glottis closed so they pop) — plus a uvular ejective ყ /qʼ/ and a uvular ხ /χ/. Consonant clusters can be fierce (გვფრცქვნი gvprtskvni — 'you peel us'). Stress is weak and usually on the first syllable; the five vowels never reduce.
Trace a word
Every box is one rule firing. Hover a box (or open the table) to see why. Rules are applied in order, first match wins — that order is the spelling system. Type Georgian letters (მადლობა). One letter = one sound, always.
Consonants & glides
| IPA | Spelled | Example |
|---|---|---|
| b | ბ | ბავშვი bavʃvi child |
| pʰ | ფ | ფული pʰuli money — Aspirated — a puff of air, like English p in 'pin'. |
| pʼ | პ | პური pʼuri bread — Ejective — no air from the lungs; close the glottis and pop. |
| d | დ | დედა dɛda mother |
| tʰ | თ | თევზი tʰɛvzi fish — Aspirated. |
| tʼ | ტ | ტბა tʼba lake — Ejective. |
| ɡ | გ | გული ɡuli heart |
| kʰ | ქ | ქალი kʰali woman — Aspirated. ქართული /kʰartʰuli/ = Georgian. |
| kʼ | კ | კაცი kʼat͡sʰi man — Ejective. |
| qʼ | ყ | ყავა qʼava coffee — Uvular ejective — made far back, a throaty pop. The hardest sound for learners; ბაყაყი 'frog' is the tongue-twister. |
| m | მ | მადლობა madlɔba thank you |
| n | ნ | ნინო ninɔ Nino (name) |
| v | ვ | ვაშლი vaʃli apple — Often [w] between consonants or after a vowel. |
| z | ზ | ზღვა zɣva sea |
| s | ს | სახლი saχli house |
| ʒ | ჟ | ჟურნალი ʒurnali magazine |
| ʃ | შ | შვილი ʃvili child (son/daughter) |
| ɣ | ღ | ღვინო ɣvinɔ wine — Voiced — like a French r but further forward; the partner of ხ. |
| χ | ხ | ხელი χɛli hand — Uvular — rougher than German ach. |
| h | ჰ | ჰაერი haɛri air |
| d͡z | ძ | ძაღლი d͡zaɣli dog |
| t͡sʰ | ც | ცა t͡sʰa sky — Aspirated. |
| t͡sʼ | წ | წყალი t͡sʼqʼali water — Ejective. წყალი opens with two ejectives in a row. |
| d͡ʒ | ჯ | ჯარი d͡ʒari army |
| t͡ʃʰ | ჩ | ჩაი t͡ʃʰai tea — Aspirated. |
| t͡ʃʼ | ჭ | ჭიქა t͡ʃʼikʰa glass (drinking) — Ejective. |
| l | ლ | ლამაზი lamazi beautiful |
| r | რ | რძე rd͡zɛ milk — Trilled or tapped. |
Vowels
The rules, in order
33 rules. The left column is a pattern (regular expression) matched at the current position of the word; (?=…) looks ahead, (?<=…) looks behind, $ is the end of the word.
| # | Pattern | Sound | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ა | ||
| 2 | ბ | ||
| 3 | გ | ||
| 4 | დ | ||
| 5 | ე | ||
| 6 | ვ | ||
| 7 | ზ | ||
| 8 | თ | aspirated t | |
| 9 | ი | ||
| 10 | კ | ejective k | |
| 11 | ლ | ||
| 12 | მ | ||
| 13 | ნ | ||
| 14 | ო | ||
| 15 | პ | ejective p | |
| 16 | ჟ | ||
| 17 | რ | ||
| 18 | ს | ||
| 19 | ტ | ejective t | |
| 20 | უ | ||
| 21 | ფ | aspirated p | |
| 22 | ქ | aspirated k | |
| 23 | ღ | ||
| 24 | ყ | uvular ejective | |
| 25 | შ | ||
| 26 | ჩ | aspirated ch | |
| 27 | ც | aspirated ts | |
| 28 | ძ | ||
| 29 | წ | ejective ts | |
| 30 | ჭ | ejective ch | |
| 31 | ხ | ||
| 32 | ჯ | ||
| 33 | ჰ |