Pronunciation
Words are spelled with diacritics (IAST) so they can be read as said. A line over a vowel makes it long. A dot under a consonant means the tongue curls back.
Short a is the u in “but”. Long ā is the a in “father”.
RāgaRAA-guhShort i as in “pin”, long ī as in “feet”. Short u as in “put”, long ū as in “pool”.
ŚrutiSHROO-teee as in “say”, o as in “go”. Carnatic names use ē and ō to mark these as long.
MēcakalyāṇiMAY-chuh-kul-YAA-neeai as in “aisle”, au as in “loud”.
BhairavBHAI-ruvDot below: curl the tongue back to the roof of the mouth. Harder than English t, d, n.
ṢaḍjaSHUD-juhNo dot: tongue against the back of the teeth. Softer than English.
TālaTAA-luhA puff of air, never a new sound. th is t + breath (not “thin”), bh is b + breath (not v).
ThāṭT’HAATAlways ch, as in “church”.
CakraCHUK-ruhBoth are sh. ṣ is said with the tongue curled back.
ŚaṅkarābharaṇaṁSHUNG-kuh-RAA-bhuh-ruh-numṅ is ng as in “sing”. ñ is ny as in “canyon”.
PañcamaPUN-chuh-muhNasalises the vowel before it, close to m or n.
HaṁsadhvaniHUM-suh-dhvuh-neeA short ri, as in “rich”.
ṚṣiRISH-eeA retroflex l, from Tamil and Telugu. Curl the tongue back.
MāyāmāḷavagauḷaMAA-yaa-MAA-luh-vuh-GOW-luhBetween English v and w.
VādīVAA-deeCommon words
Capitals mark the longer syllable. Stress is light in both languages.- Rāga
- RAA-guhA set of notes and how to move through them
- Rāgam
- RAA-gumCarnatic form of the same word
- Svara
- SWUH-ruhA note
- Śruti
- SHROO-teeFine pitch; the drone pitch
- Thāṭ
- T’HAATHindustani parent scale
- Melakarta
- MAY-luh-KUR-tuhCarnatic parent scale
- Janya
- JUN-yuhA rāga derived from a melakarta
- Ārohaṇa
- AA-ro-huh-nuhAscent
- Avarohaṇa
- UH-vuh-RO-huh-nuhDescent
- Gamaka
- GUH-muh-kuhOrnamented movement
- Mīṇḍ
- MEENDGlide between notes
- Tāla
- TAA-luhRhythmic cycle
- Vādī
- VAA-deeMost important note
- Pakaḍ
- PUH-kudSignature phrase
- Kalyāṇi
- kul-YAA-neeCarnatic rāga, mela 65
- Yaman
- YUH-munHindustani rāga, Kalyāṇ thāṭ
Rāga names
Waiting on a native speaker’s check; corrections welcome.- Kalyāṇi
- kul-YAA-neeCarnatic
- Mōhanam
- MO-huh-numCarnatic
- Śaṅkarābharaṇaṁ
- SHUNG-kuh-RAA-bhuh-ruh-numCarnatic
- Kharaharapriya
- KHUH-ruh-huh-ruh-PRI-yuhCarnatic
- Māyāmāḷavagauḷa
- MAA-yaa-MAA-luh-vuh-GOW-luhCarnatic
- Haṁsadhvani
- HUM-suh-dhvuh-neeCarnatic
- Ābhōgi
- AA-bho-geeCarnatic
- Mōhana Kalyāṇi
- MO-huh-nuh kul-YAA-neeCarnatic
- Sāranga
- SAA-run-guhCarnatic
- Hamīr Kalyāṇi
- huh-MEER kul-YAA-neeCarnatic
- Yamuna Kalyāṇi
- YUH-moo-nuh kul-YAA-neeCarnatic
- Bilahari
- bi-luh-HUH-reeCarnatic
- Kēdāram
- KAY-daa-rumCarnatic
- Śrīrañjani
- shree-RUN-juh-neeCarnatic
- Rītigauḷa
- REE-ti-GOW-luhCarnatic
- Malahari
- MUH-luh-huh-reeCarnatic
- Sāvēri
- SAA-vay-reeCarnatic
- Bauḷi
- BOW-leeCarnatic
- Yaman
- YUH-munHindustani
- Bhūpālī
- BHOO-paa-leeHindustani
- Alhaiyā Bilāval
- ul-HAI-yaa bi-LAA-vulHindustani
- Kāfī
- KAA-feeHindustani
- Bhairav
- BHAI-ruvHindustani
- Durgā
- DOOR-gaaHindustani
- Bāgeśrī
- BAA-gay-shreeHindustani
- Śuddh Kalyāṇ
- SHOODH kul-YAANHindustani
- Hamīr
- huh-MEERHindustani
- Kedār
- kay-DAARHindustani
- Deśkār
- DAYSH-kaarHindustani
- Haṁsadhvani
- HUM-suh-dhvuh-neeHindustani
- Bhīmpalāsī
- BHEEM-puh-laa-seeHindustani
- Brindābanī Sāraṅg
- brin-DAA-buh-nee SAA-rungHindustani
- Ahīr Bhairav
- uh-HEER BHAI-ruvHindustani
- Rāmkalī
- RAAM-kuh-leeHindustani
- Jogiyā
- JO-gee-yaaHindustani