Turkish Language – Lesson 1, Part 1 – Alphabet

In Turkish, there are 8 vowels and 21 consonant letters.
Vowel letters: a, e, ı, i, o, ö, u, ü
Consonant letters: b, c, ç, d, f, g, ğ, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, ş, t, v, y, z

Consonant sounds are divided into voiced and voiceless.
Vowel sounds are divided into hard and soft, as well as rounded and unrounded.

Hard vowels (also called back vowels): [a, ı, o, u]

Soft vowels (also called front vowels): [e, i, ö, ü]

Rounded vowels (Yuvarlak): [o, u, ö, ü]

Unrounded vowels (Düz): [a, ı, e, i]

Broad vowels (geniş): [a, e, o, ö]

Narrow vowels (dar): [ı, i, u, ü]

Long vowels: â, î, û

Voiceless consonants (Tonsuz): [f, s, t, k, ç, ş, h, p]

Voiced consonants (Tonlu): [b, c, d, g, ğ, j, l, m, n, r, v, y, z]

Listen to the audio and read the words

Turkish Word Stress, Special Letters (ğ, ü, ö), and Pronunciation Tips

Word Stress in Turkish:

In the Turkish language, the stress usually falls on the last syllable of the word. Because of this rule, stress is only marked in exceptional cases.

• If a stressed suffix is added (e.g. -yor, -dir), the stress shifts to that suffix.
• If an unstressed suffix is added (e.g. -de, -ler), the stress remains on the last syllable of the root word.

Example:

• kitap – book
  Stress is on the last syllable: ki-TAP

Special Turkish Letters:

1. ğ – “soft g” (yumuşak ge):

• This letter is not pronounced like a typical consonant.
• Instead, it acts as a vowel lengthener, making the preceding vowel longer.
• In modern Turkish pronunciation, it’s often barely heard or silent.

Example:

• ağaç – tree
  Pronounced like: a-aach, with a slightly prolonged “a” sound.

2. ü – close front rounded vowel:

• This sound is between [u] and [ü].
• It’s similar to the German ü or the French u in lune.
• To produce it: shape your lips as if saying “oo” (as in boot), but say “ee” (as in see).

Example:

• ünlü – famous, well-known
  Pronounced like: ün-lü

3. ö – front rounded vowel:

• This is a sound between [o] and [e].
• Similar to the German ö or French eu in bleu.
• To pronounce it: shape your lips like you’re saying “o”, but produce the “e” sound.

Example:

• ömür – life
  Pronounced like: ö-mür

Lesson 1

• Alphabet
• New Vocabulary
• Introduction
• Demonstrative Pronouns
• Vowel and Consonant Harmony
• Yes/No Questions
• Exercises
• Dialogue “At the Bazaar”