Some Turkish pronunciation questions
Merhaba!

Can someone please tell me what're the correct pronunciations of the following letters in Turkish?
1. "ğ". For example, "ağa", "sağa", "ineği", "Beyoğlu". Seems that it simply doesn't pronounce? Or actually it pronounces but with a very faint / blur-ish voice?
2. "r". For example, "Hürrem". Is the double "r" here pronounced like the "r" in "genre", such that "Hürrem" is pronounced something like "üdgem"? And what about "sehir"?
3. "ı". For example, "savaşı". Is it always pronounced like "e" in "lebron"?

çok teşekkür ederim!

Question

Some Turkish pronunciation questions
Merhaba!

Can someone please tell me what're the correct pronunciations of the following letters in Turkish?
1. "ğ". For example, "ağa", "sağa", "ineği", "Beyoğlu". Seems that it simply doesn't pronounce? Or actually it pronounces but with a very faint / blur-ish voice?
2. "r". For example, "Hürrem". Is the double "r" here pronounced like the "r" in "genre", such that "Hürrem" is pronounced something like "üdgem"? And what about "sehir"?
3. "ı". For example, "savaşı". Is it always pronounced like "e" in "lebron"?

çok teşekkür ederim!

Answer

1) Ğ is the hardest sound for foreigners. It is most closer to french R (voiced uvular fricitive). But for the beginners. You can just read ğ same as the vowel preceeding it. Thus making a long vowel with it.

For example: Ağrı > Aarı
Beyoğlu > Beyooğlu

2) Hürrem. If there is any double R in any word you can pronounce it like Spanish R. Voiced Alveolar Trill.

3) Yep. Turkish I is like the schwa sound English. Like LeBron

Answer

Merhaba,
1)''ğ''(yumuşak g) pronounciation is very faint. Listen up from some words contain ''ğ". In Turkish if you ignore "ğ"  when you pronunce a word by "ğ".Most people can understand you mean.Letter "ğ" is very soft,you must pronounce it as if no "ğ".

2) Hürrem's pronounce is "Hürrem." Maybe you sound letter "ü" diffirentness that is how it sounds to you.But letter "r" always clear."r" is not like arabic(hard R ) "R".Tongue vibrates  when we say "r" so the how harder vibrate tongue,"r" is harder then.

3)"ı" this letter always same just like "e" in "lebron".

Answer

thank you Gökhan!

Answer

Here is the formula for ğ:

If it's between two vowels, ignore it. (oğul -> oul)

If it's not between to vowels, strecth the pervious vowel (doğru -> dooru)

And yes, it's always after a vowel.