Those dots….
In Turkish, the vowels ö and ü, adorned with dots, are sounds not typically found in English, with the ö being particularly challenging for native English speakers. The ö is akin to the German ö or French eu, pronounced with rounded lips and situated between the English vowels in “bird” and “barn.” For instance, in “göz” (eye), the ö is voiced with a rounded, mid-front vowel sound.
The ü, similar to the German ü or French u, requires lip rounding and a high front tongue position, resembling the vowel in French “lune.” An example is “müzik” (music), where ü is articulated like the French pronunciation of “u.”
The elusive ‘I’
A hallmark of Turkish phonetics is the ‘ı’ (undotted ‘i’), a sound absent in English. This vowel, pronounced as a close back unrounded vowel, resembles the first syllable in the English word “roses.” Its position in the mouth is between the English ‘u’ in “full” and the ‘e’ in “roses,” as heard in “sır” (secret).
The whispering ‘J’
The Turkish ‘j’ is pronounced distinctly differently from its English counterpart, closely resembling the ‘j’ in French. This voiced postalveolar fricative lends a subtle texture to words like “garaj” and “proje,” where it flows more like the ‘sh’ sound in ‘leisure’ or ‘measure.’ It’s much less abrupt and sharp compared to the ‘j’ in English.
The R’s that kind of roll
The Turkish language features a rolled ‘r,’ distinct from the rolling r’s in other major languages like Spanish or Italian. The Turkish rolling ‘r’ is a single tap of the tongue against the roof of the mouth, similar but shorter than the Scottish ‘r’ in “butter.” It’s less trilled than in Spanish or Italian. For instance, in “ara” (search), the ‘r’ is lightly tapped, setting it apart from the prolonged trill in Italian “caro” or the vibrant Spanish “perro.”
The ‘V’ with a W twist
The Turkish ‘v’ sound is softer and less labiodental than in English. It lies between the English ‘v’ and ‘w,’ requiring minimal teeth-lip contact. In Turkish, the lips are less rounded, and the upper teeth less engaged than in English. In “ev” (house), for example, the ‘v’ is articulated with a lighter, almost semi-vowel quality, distinct from the firm, friction-filled ‘v’ in the English “vase.”
Making things short and sweet
In conversational Turkish, certain words and verbs often undergo phonetic shortenings and pronunciation shifts, especially in informal contexts. Verbs like “yapacağım” [yah-pah-jah-yim] (I will do) and “geleceğim” [geh-leh-jeh-yim] (I will come), are frequently shortened in casual speech to “yapacam” [yah-pah-jam] and “gelecem” [geh-leh-jim]. It’s the Turkish twist on English’s “gonna” and “wanna” – perfect for laid-back chats but not for your next formal presentation.
Similarly, common words are also abbreviated: “burada” [boo-rah-dah] (here) becomes “burda” [boo-r-dah], “şurada” [shoo-rah-dah] (over there) turns into “şurda” [shoo-r-dah], and “orada” [oh-rah-dah] (there) is often said as “orda” [oh-r-dah]. These shortenings make the language more fluid, as seen in “Kitap burada” becoming “Kitap burda” (The book is here).
These are just a couple examples of how Turkish mutates; the Phrasebook Plus includes a bit of both the textbook and the street-savvy versions.
