Pronunciation reference table (Cyrillic letter | Latin letter):
А а | A a [/ɑ/] (father)
Ә ә | Ä ä [/æ/] ( apple, man)
Б б | B b [/b/] ( bed)
В в | V v [/v/] (very)
Г г | G g [/ɡ/] (get)
Ғ ғ | Ğ ğ [/ʁ/] (backlingual glottal consonant)
Д д | D d [/d/] (day)
Е е | E e [/e/] (yes, get)
Ё ё | Yo yo [/jo/] (yawn)
Ж ж | J j [/ʒ/] (measure)
З з | Z z [/z/] (as in zone)
И и | Ï ï /ɯj/, /ɪj/ ( feet, sheet, beef)
Й й | Y y [/j/] (ray)
К к | K k [/k/] (kind)
Қ қ | Q q [/q/] (lingual glottal fricative sound)
Л л | L l [/l/] (hard as in element or soft as in limo)
М м | M m [/m/] (main)
Н н | N n [/n/] (pen)
Ң ң | Ñ ñ [/ŋ/] (song)
О о | O o [/o/] (hot, August)
Ө ө | Ö ö [/ø/] (early)
П п | P p [/p/] (park)
Р р | R r [/r/] (Spanish rolling r as in Raul)
С с | S s [/s/] (as in miss)
Т т | T t [/t/] (as in ten)
У у | W w [/w/, /ʊw/, /ʉw/] (as in tool)
Ұ ұ | U u [/ʊ/] (acoustically resembles u in full, while pulling the back part of the tongue backwards)
Ү ү | Ü ü [/ʉ/] (while saying pool, try to raise the front part of the tongue as high as possible to the front, while mouth is half closed)
Ф ф | F f [/f/] ( four)
Х х | X x [/x, χ/] (khan)
Һ һ | H h [/h/] (hat)
Ц ц | C c [/ts/] (its)
Ч ч | Ç ç [/tʃ/] (check)
Ш ш | Ş ş [/ʃ/] (like English sh)
Щ щ | Şş şş [/ʃtʃ/, /ʃː/] (she)
Ы ы | I ı [/ɯ/] (around)
І і | İ i [/ɪ/] (till)
Э э | Ee [/e/] (send]
Ю ю | Yu yu [/jʉw/, /jʊw/] (as in yule)
Я я | Ya ya [/jɑ/] (as in yah)
*Note, stress is always on the last syllable
Oy eñbek salası [oy yeng-biek sa-la-sı] – field of mental work
Öndiris salası – field of industry/production
Öner salası – field of art
Turmıstıq qızmet körsetw salası – Field of service
Awıl şarwaşılıq salası [a-wıl sha-roo-a-sh-l-q sa-la-sı] – field of agriculture
Şaştarazşı [shash – ta- raz – shı ] – hairdresser/barber
Hairdresser - Şaştarazşı
Säwletşi – architect
Archtect - Säwletşi
Qurılısşı – builder
Builder - Qurılısşı
Kenşi – miner
Miner - Kenşi
Satwşı [sa-too-shı] – seller
Seller - Satwşı
Jürgizwşi [almost like joor-gz-oo-shi]- driver
Driver - Jürgizwşi
Aspaz – cook
Cook - Aspaz
Zerger – jeweler
Jeweler - Zerger
Änşi – singer
Singer - Änşi
Bïşi [bee-shi] – dancer
Dancer - Bïşi
Shopan – shepherd
Sheperd - Shopan
Eginşi – grain-grower
Grain-grower - Eginşi
Balıqşı – fisherman
Fisherman - Balıqşı
Bağban – gardener
Gardener - Bağban
Jawınger – soldier
Soldier - Jawınger
Ormanşı – gamekeeper
Gamekeeper - Ormanşı
Ğalım – scientist
Scientist - Ğalım
Maman – specialist/professional
Mamandıq – profession
Jumıs – work
Jumısşı – worker, employee (usually related to labor work)
Jumısker – employee
Qızmet – service, duty, employment
Qızmetker – employee
Bilimdi – educated
Bedeldi – prestigious
Adal -conscientious, honest
Jawaptı – responsible
Jawapsız – irresponsible
Isker (adj) – related to business, having business
Bayandaw – to report
Istew, jasaw – to do, to implement
Armandaw – to dream
Demalw [de – ma – loo] – to rest
Bastaw – to start
Ayaqtaw – to finish
Jürw – to walk, to go
Şarşaw – to get tired
Erte – early
There are 42 letters in Kazakh alphabet, including 33 Russian letters and 9 distinctly Kazakh letters.
Latin Kazakh alphabet was used between 1927 to 1940, and later was replaced by Cyrillic alphabet.
Modern Kazakh language is officially written in Cyrillic. However, for English learners it’s easier to read Kazakh in latin letters. Here we present the most widely used latin Kazakh alphabet version that is published in the Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazakh_alphabet.
Cyrillic – Latin [sound transcription] (English words with that sound) – examples (cyrillic – latin – translation):
А а — A a [/ɑ/] (as in father): ана – ana – mother, айна – ayna – mirror, анар – anar – pomegranate, alma – apple
Б б — B b [/b/] (as in bed): bet – face/page, beyne – image, bas – head, bastı – main
В в — V v [/v/] (as in very): vagon – wagon
Г г — G g [/ɡ/] (as in got): gül – flower, adamgerşilik – humanity, mergen – archer, ögey-ana – step-mother
Ғ ғ — Ğ ğ or Gh gh [/ʁ/] (no English equiv, backlingual glottal consonant): ğarış – outer space (cosmos), ağa – elder brother or uncle, ağaş – tree, toğız – nine, ğılım – science, ğalım – scientist
Д д — D d [/d/] (as in day): dop – ball, dana – wise, dala – an outside place, outside street or outside field (basically outside of the house)
Е е — E e [/e/] (in Kazakh e is pronounced as if there is [y] before it, as in English yes, get): eger – if. eden – floor, eşki – goat, eski – old
Ё ё—Yo yo [/jo/] (as in yawn): only in Russian words, such as yolka – fur tree
Ж ж — J j or Zh zh [/ʒ/] (as in measure): jaz – summer, jazu – writing (n) or to write (v), jañbır – rain, jinalıs – meeting, jihaz -furniture, äwejay – airport
З з — Z z [/z/] (as in zone): zäytün – olive, zerger – jeweler, arzan – cheap
И и — Ï ï /ɯj/, /ɪj/ (sounds like ee in indeed, feet, sheet, beef): ïne – needle, ïgi – noble/benevolent/good/useful/good/frank/valuable, ïrek – curved, Älïya – girl’s name
Й й — Y y [/j/] (only used in combination with a vowel, as in ray): ay – moon, saray – palace, Quday – God
К к — K k [/k/] (as in kind): kitap – book, keş (1) – evening, keş (2) – late, keme – ship, keleşek – future
Қ қ — Q q [/q/] (lingual glottal fricative sound): qar – snow, qoy – sheep, aqşa – money, qıs – winter, aqıl – intelligence/reason/mind, qarındas – little sister of/for a male person
Л л — L l [/l/] (can be hard as in element, and soft as in limo): alma – apple, öleñ – song, alaw – flame, Almatı – Almaty (former capital of Kazakhstan)
М м — M m [/m/] (as in main): may – butter/oil, men – I, märmär – marble, mal – livestock
Н н — N n [/n/] (as in pen): neke – Muslim marriage, öner – art, on – ten
Ң ң — Ñ ñ or Ng ng [/ŋ/] (as in English swimming, song, wrong): öleñ – song, eñbek – [hard] work/labor/merit, añ – wild animal/predator, alañ – square (as in Times Square, Red Square), oñ – right
О о — O o [/o/] (as in hot): orman – forest, ojaw – ladle, oy – thought, oñ – right
П п — P p [/p/] (as in park): Patşa – King, perişte – angel, payda – profit/income/use, pende – individual
Р р — R r [/r/] (Spanish rolling r as in Raul): arıstan – lion, orıs – Russian, resmï – formal, ara (1) – bee, ara (2) – saw(n)
С с — S s [/s/] (as in miss): senim – faith, siñili – little sister of/for a female person, astana – capital, aspan – sky, serik – companion/partner/associate/fellow campaigner/satellite
Т т — T t [/t/] (as in ten): täwelsizdik – independence, tañ – morning, tañerteñ – early morning (usu. of today or tomorrow), tas – stone, teñ – equal
У у — W w [/w/, /ʊw/, /ʉw/] (as in tool): waqıt – time, awa – air, wayım – worry, qarw – weapon
Ұ ұ — U u [/ʊ/] (acoustically resembles u in full, and pull the back part of the tongue more backwards): ul – son, un – flour, uzın (sounds like uzun) – long
Ү ү — Ü ü [/ʉ/] (while saying pool, try to raise the front part of the tongue as high as possible to the front, while mouth is half closed): üki [sounds more like ükü] – owl, ükimet – government, ülgi [sounds more like ülgü] – example, üstel – table, üş – three
Ф ф — F f [/f/] (as in four): sounds same as in English. Fatima – girl’s name
Х х — X x [/x, χ/] (as in khan. Do not confuse with English ‘x’): Xat [khat] – letter, xalıq [khalıq] – people/nation
Һ һ — H h [/h/] (as in hat): There are not more than 10 words having this sound in kz language: qaharman – hero, qahar – anger, aidahar – dragon, gawhar – diamond/pearl
Ц ц — C c [/ts/] (as in its): sound came from Russian and used only in Russian words]: aceton – acetone
Ч ч — Ç ç [/tʃ/] (as in check): sound came from Russian and used only in Russian words]: Çukotka – Chukotka