Consonants - Aspirated

Question 1

What is an aspirated letter?

Answer 1

A letter sound made by more breath coming out of the lungs

Question 2

How can you tell when you are aspirating a letter?

Answer 2

By placing your palm in front of your mouth when you say the letter. You should feel more air hit your palm.

Question 3

ਖ

Answer 3

sound: aspirated k as in “kangaroo”
name: khakh‘khaa

Question 4

ਛ

Answer 4

sound: aspirated ch as in “chew”
name: chhachh‘chhaa

Question 5

Practicing aspiration

Answer 5

1. Put your palm in front of your mouth and say “car”. Naturally, you should feel little to no air. There are no aspirated letters in the word car.
2. Put your palm in front of your mouth and say “chronic”. You should feel air escaping as you say the “ch” in chronic. Those letters are aspirated.

Question 6

ਥ

Answer 6

sound: aspirated t as in “tank”
name: thath‘thaa