3. Vowels and the hidden i
🟢 Beginner · Lesson 3 of 23
The vowel letters
Sorani has eight vowels. Six are written with their own letters, one is written with a double letter, and one is not written at all:
| letter | Latin | IPA | sounds like | example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ا | a | aː | a in father, long | باران rain |
| ە | e | æ | a in cat | ئەسپ horse |
| ێ | ê | eː | ay in say, without the glide | سێو apple |
| ۆ | o | oː | o in more | ڕۆژ day |
| وو | û | uː | oo in food | بوون to be |
| و | u | u / ʊ | u in put (between consonants) | کورد Kurd |
| ی | î | iː | ee in see (between consonants) | شیر milk |
| · | i | ɯ | a short, central i (the bizroke) | not written: من min “I” |
| Kurdish | Latin | IPA | syllables | meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| باران | baran | /baːɾaːn/ | baː.ɾaːn | rain |
| ئەسپ | esp | /ʔæsp/ | ʔæsp | horse |
| سێو | sêw | /seːw/ | seːw | apple |
| ڕۆژ | roj | /roːʒ/ | roːʒ | day; sun |
| بوون | bûn | /buːn/ | buːn | to be, to become |
| کورد | kurd | /kuɾd/ | kuɾd | Kurd |
| شیر | şîr | /ʃiːɾ/ | ʃiːɾ | milk; lion |
و and ی have two jobs
و and ی are vowels or consonants, depending on what is around them:
| position | و | ی |
|---|---|---|
| next to a vowel letter | consonant w · ئاو aw “water” | consonant y · پیاو pyaw “man” |
| between consonants | vowel u · کورد kurd | vowel î · شیر şîr |
| at the end, after a consonant | written وو, long û · چوو çû, مێژوو mêjû | vowel î · ماسی masî |
| doubled | long û · وو in بوون bûn | î + y where a vowel meets a glide · ماسییەکە masîyeke “the fish” |
zimankit’s pronunciation engine applies exactly these rules (skills_ckb/phonology_ipa.py), so you can check any word:
| Kurdish | Latin | IPA | syllables | meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ئاو | aw | /ʔaːw/ | ʔaːw | water |
| پیاو | pyaw | /pjaːw/ | pjaːw | man |
| چاو | çaw | /tʃaːw/ | tʃaːw | eye |
| خواردن | xwardin | /xwaːɾd(ɯ)n/ | xwaːɾ.dɯn | to eat |
| چای | çay | /tʃaːj/ | tʃaːj | tea |
| ماسی | masî | /maːsiː/ | maː.siː | fish |
| کوردی | kurdî | /kuɾdiː/ | kuɾ.diː | Kurdish (language) |
Notice چای tea (çay): the final ی comes right after the vowel ا, so it is the consonant y. In ماسی fish (masî) it follows the consonant س, so it is the vowel î.
The bizroke: the vowel you do not write
Sorani has an eighth vowel, a very short i (IPA ɯ) called the بزرۆکە (“the hidden one”). It is really there in speech but has no letter in this alphabet, so readers supply it:
| written | consonants | said | meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| من | m-n | min | I |
| کتێب | k-t-ê-b | kitêb | book |
| بزن | b-z-n | bizin | goat |
| کردن | k-r-d-n | kirdin | to do |
The rule zimankit uses (and that native readers follow without thinking) is:
- A syllable may start with one consonant, or a consonant + w/y (خوا xwa, پیا pya), and at the start of a word also s/ş + consonant (ستێرە stêre), and in a few words three consonants (ستران stran).
- A syllable may end with one consonant, or a falling cluster such as rd, nd, st, şk.
- Wherever this is impossible, insert i, building syllables from the end of the word.
In the IPA column the inserted vowel appears as (ɯ), so you can see where it goes:
| Kurdish | Latin | IPA | syllables | meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| من | min | /m(ɯ)n/ | mɯn | I |
| کتێب | kitêb | /k(ɯ)teːb/ | kɯ.teːb | book |
| بزن | bizin | /b(ɯ)z(ɯ)n/ | bɯ.zɯn | goat |
| کردن | kirdin | /k(ɯ)ɾd(ɯ)n/ | kɯɾ.dɯn | to do, to make |
| مشک | mişk | /m(ɯ)ʃk/ | mɯʃk | mouse |
| کوردستان | kurdistan | /kuɾd(ɯ)staːn/ | kuɾ.dɯs.taːn | Kurdistan |
| هەڵبژاردن | hellbijardin | /hæɫb(ɯ)ʒaːɾd(ɯ)n/ | hæɫ.bɯ.ʒaːɾ.dɯn | to elect, to choose; election |
Long and short
Vowel length changes meaning, so hold the long vowels (ا ێ ۆ وو ی) a little longer than ە, و (u) and the hidden i:
| Kurdish | Latin | IPA | syllables | meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| کەر | ker | /kæɾ/ | kæɾ | donkey |
| کار | kar | /kaːɾ/ | kaːɾ | work, job |
| شیر | şîr | /ʃiːɾ/ | ʃiːɾ | milk; lion |
| شەر | şer | /ʃæɾ/ | ʃæɾ | war, fight |
Practice
- Is the ی in پیاو a vowel or a consonant? And in شیر?
- Where does the hidden i go in بزن and کردن?
- Pronounce: ئاو، سێو، ڕۆژ، بوون، کورد.
Answers
- پیاو: consonant y (before the vowel ا) → pyaw. شیر: vowel î (between ش and ر) → şîr.
- bizin (b-i-z-i-n), kirdin (k-i-r-d-i-n).
- aw, sêw, roj, bûn, kurd.
Summary
- Written vowels: ا ە ێ ۆ وو, plus و (u) and ی (î) between consonants.
- و and ی are w and y next to a vowel letter.
- The short i (bizroke) is never written; insert it to break up impossible consonant clusters, working from the end of the word.