Burmese words are spelt according to the Government system of transliteration. Consonants have the same power as in English. Y after g combines to form a sound approximating to j: gyi = “jee”; after every other consonant it is short—my?o. Yw is pronounced “yu.” Vowels and diphthongs have the sounds given below: | a= | a in “Ma.” | | e= | a in “bane.” | | È= | e in French “pÈre,” without any sound of r following. | | i= | ee in “feet.” | | o or Ô= | o in “bone.” | | u= | oo in “fool.” | | au= | ow in “cow.” | | ai= | i in “line.” | | ei= | ei in “vein.” | | aw= | aw in “law.” | Every letter, except y after g, is sounded separately, including final vowels. Thus, lu-gale is pronounced “loo-ga-lay.” These instructions are crude and unscientific, and may excite the derision of purists. They will enable anyone to pronounce Burmese words with some approach to correctness. In the case of Shan names I have as a rule adopted the Burmese forms rather than the Shan forms in official use, which no one who does not know the language can pretend to pronounce properly.
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