When I started working with the Hindi alphabet, I was overwhelmed by all different sounds that could be made. Taking a linguistics class while learning a new language has been very helpful, as it has shown me the existence of a phenomenon that I have long been aloof to: the ubiquitous, but oft-overlooked, retroflex flap. In English, speakers use the RF in words like beauty and little; instead of a crisp "t" sound with the a puff of air as the tongue touches the alveolar ridge, the tongue briefly touches just behind that area, "flapping" quickly to produce a more muted sound. It can be hard for English speakers to differentiate between t's, d's, and un/voiced RFs, as they are interchangeable in spoken English, and few recognize that there is a difference.
In Hindi, there is a marked difference between the sounds--they make up completely different phonemes. Aspiration also leads to different phonemes for t and d pronunciations. As I learned more letters, I found that n's were doing a similar thing. Then finally it all came together: each tongue position has its own n-t-d grouping, with r's as multiple flaps of the retroflex grouping. Thus, they are as follows: at the back of the teeth, or dental (unvoiced त and partner थ, voiced द and ध, and nasal न) and retroflex (unvoiced ट and aspirated partner ठ, voiced ड and partner ढ, flap ड़ and partner ढ़, multiflapped र, and nasal ण). I'm still working on differentiating the flap from the t and d in retroflex position, especially when I listen to others speak. I suppose it should be thought of as the "r" with only one flap, but it will require practice!
Replies