This is a guide that explains how to read (and pronounce) the Kannada language when it is written using the English alphabet and diacritics. I hope it proves useful.
Vowels:
Letter | Pronounced like | Letter | Pronunced like |
a | another | e | pen |
ā | father | ē | hey |
i | pin | ai | aisle |
ī | need | o | opinion |
u | oops (short u) | ō | yoke |
ū | mood | au | flautist |
ṛ | cruise (rolled r) | am | hum |
Consonants:
Letter | Pronounced like | Letter | Pronounced like |
ka | paprika | tha (aspirate) | pronounced like th (but with an out-breath) |
kha (aspirate, out-breath) | thick honey (imagine pronouncing the two words together very fast) | da | the |
ga | saga | dha (aspirate) | pronounced like the (but with an out-breath) |
gha (aspirate) | big honey | na | cane |
ṅa | ink | pa | epic |
ca | chutney | pha (aspirate) | scoop honey |
cha (aspirate) | much honey | ba | scuba |
ja | japan | bha (aspirate) | rub honey |
jha (aspirate) | raj honey | ma | aroma |
na (pronounced like the regular n) | ninja | ya | employ |
ṭa | turkey | ra | arachnid |
ṭha (aspirate) | borscht honey | la | hula |
ḍa | should | va | swill |
ḍha (aspirate) | should honey | sh | shut (both with and without an out-breath) |
ṇa (retroflex; say n, but get the tongue to touch the roof of the mouth) | NA | sa | suppose |
ta | thing | ha | humble |