Learning Aramaic Pronunciation

[abudar2000]

breekh ramsho oH Andrew (aka Kingskeep),

The recording is in the Western Syriac Accent; this incidentally happens to be the same accent that I use and is recited by a fellow Syriac Maronite.

Here are a few tricks to get around this whole Eastern/Western Syriac-Aramaic accent (in the classical):

-The following letters can take more than one pronunciation depending on their place in a word and what precedes them according to certain rules:
b,g,d,k,p,t
b -> v
g -> gh (no English equivalent)
d -> dh ("the" in English)
k -> kh (no English equivalent)
p -> ph ("ph" in Philippe)
t -> th ("th" in three)

-In neo-Eastern Syriac-Aramaic => b -> w
-In Classical Eastern Syriac-Aramaic => b -> v
-In Eastern Syriac-Aramaic the p is only pronounced as "p" and never "ph"
-In Eastern Syriac-Aramaic the "Heth" is pronounced as "KHeth" by some and "Heth" by others
-In Western Syriac-Aramaic the "Heth" is only pronounced as "Heth"
-In Western Syriac-Aramaic the "v" is pronounced as "b" by some and "v" by others
-In Western Syriac-Aramaic the p is only pronounced as "ph" and never "p??? (unless you develop a belief like me that "p" and "ph" have their place according to the rules)
-In Western and some Eastern Syriac-Aramaic the d is only pronounced as "d" and never "dh"

-The vowels differ in the following:
Short a => "a" in Eastern and "a" in western
Long a => "A" in Eastern and "O" in western
Short e => "??" in Eastern and "??" in western
Long e => "??" in Eastern and "??" in western
Short i => "i" in Eastern and "i" in western
Long i => "ee" in Eastern and "ee" in western
Short u => "o" in Eastern and "u" in western
Long u => "oo" in Eastern and "oo" in western

I hope you find this helpful!
keefa-morun