Pronunciation Guide
Turkish uses the Latin alphabet (since 1928, thanks to Atatürk) with some special letters:
| Letter | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Ç / ç | like "ch" | Çay = Chai (tea) |
| Ş / ş | like "sh" | Şeker = Sheker (sugar) |
| Ğ / ğ | silent (lengthens the previous vowel) | Dağ = Daa (mountain) |
| I / ı | muffled "ö" (without a dot!) | Sıcak = Söjak (hot) |
| İ / i | like the German "i" (with a dot) | İstanbul |
| Ö / ö | like German "ö" | Göreme |
| Ü / ü | like German "ü" | Ürgüp |
| C / c | like "j" | Cami = Jami (mosque) |
| J / j | like French "j" (voiced sh) | Jandarma |
Stress: Usually on the last syllable. Place names on the penultimate.