Malagasy pronunciation
Malagasy pronunciation is not complicated. Words are pronounced essentially as they are written. Exceptions in pronunciation are summarized in the table below. The final vowel a and certain final syllables are almost silent. The final e and o are, however, always pronounced. In its written form, the i at the end of the word is substituted by y. In compound words, it again becomes i, as in marary - mararin-teny. In the following table, the pronunciation is marked with formal phonetic alphabet IPA in square brackets. In examples, whenever possible, it is marked in an informal way by approximate equivalents in English.
Words, including monosyllables, have their proper stress. It is usually placed on the penultimate syllable. If a word ends with two vowels (e.g. mahay), the stress is placed on the last syllable. For words ending with -na, -ka or -tra the stress shifts to the third syllable from the end. Words borrowed from foreign languages may have irregular stress. In the following examples, the stressed syllable is underlined.
h ⇒ [h] almost silent, ex: ahy ⇒ /ahy/
j ⇒ [dz], ex: mijery ⇒ /midzeri/
ô ⇒ [o], ex: hôtely ⇒ /
hoteli/
o ⇒ [u], ex: folo ⇒ /fulʷ/
s ⇒ [ʃ], between /s/ and /sh/, ex: saka ⇒ /shahkə/
ao ⇒ [o], ex: taona ⇒ /tonə/
ao ⇒ [au] end of word, ex: manao ⇒ /manau/
oa ⇒ [o], ex:
toaka ⇒ /tokə/
oa ⇒ [uə] end of word, ex: roa ⇒ /ruə/
ts ⇒ [ʈʂ] ex: betsaka ⇒ /beʈʂakə/
tr ⇒ [ʈʳ] /trsh/, ex: trano ⇒ /ʈʳanu/
dr ⇒ [ɖʳ] /drsh/, ex: andro ⇒ /anɖʳu/
ñ, n̈ ⇒ [ɲ], as Spanish /ñ/, in dialectal words, ex: mañelo ⇒ /mañelu/
A
adala♫
adana♫
adiny♫
adiresy♫
afaka♫
afakampitso♫
afakomaly♫
afa-tsy♫
afo♫
afobe♫
afokasoka♫
afovoany♫
aho♫
ahoana?♫
aisy♫
aiza?♫
ajanona♫
akaiky♫
akama♫
akanga♫
akanjo♫
akany♫
akio♫
akipaho♫
akohokely♫
akoholahy♫
akohovavy♫
akondro♫
akorandriaka♫
alahady♫
alahelo♫
alalana♫
alarobia♫
alatsinainy♫
alika♫
aloa♫
aloka♫
alona♫
amalona♫
aman-dreny♫
ambany♫
ambara♫
ambasady♫
amboarina♫
ambokony♫
ambony♫
amidy♫
aminao♫
aminay♫
amintsika♫
amorona♫
amoron-dranomasina♫
ampahazatony♫
ampahefany♫
ampalibe♫
ampiana♫
ampio♫
ampondra♫
ampy♫
amy♫
anabavy♫
anana♫
anankiray♫
anantsinahy♫
anao♫
anarana♫
anareo♫
anatra♫
anay♫
andafy♫
andavanandro♫
ando♫
andra♫
andrana♫
andrefana♫
Andriamanitra♫
andriamatoa♫
androany♫
angaha♫
angano♫
angarina♫
angatahina♫
angidina♫
Angletera♫
angona♫
an'i♫
anie♫
anilany♫
anio♫
anjara♫
ankavanana♫
ankavia♫
ankehitriny♫
ankina♫
ankizy♫
ankoatra♫
anokanana♫
anoloana♫
anomezana♫
antenatenany♫
antibiôtika♫
anti-panahy♫
antoandro♫
antsa♫
antsantsa♫
antsasany♫
antsika♫
antso♫
antsoina♫
antsy♫
ao♫
aogositra♫
aorina♫
aotra♫
apetraka♫
aprily♫
arabe♫
araka♫
aretina♫
aretin-doha♫
areti-nify♫
aretin-kibo♫
aretin-tenda♫
arina♫
arintany♫
aritra♫
arivo♫
aro♫
aroa♫
aromoka♫
arovy♫
asiana♫
atao♫
ataovy♫
atidoha♫
ato♫
atody♫
atolotra♫
atosika♫
atrehina♫
atsimo♫
atsinanana♫
atsy♫
avana♫
avaratra♫
avela♫
aviavy♫
avo♫
avoka♫
avokoa♫
avy hatrany♫
avy misakafo♫
azafady♫
azo♫
azoko♫
B
ba betsaka♫
baba ra♫
Baiboly♫
bala♫
banjino♫
banky♫
baolina♫
baranjely♫
basia♫
basivava♫
batemy♫
be♫be dia be♫be fo♫be loatra♫be saina♫be sitrapo♫
bebaka♫
bebekokoa♫
belza♫
Belza♫
besavily♫
betsaka♫
bibikely♫
bibilava♫
biby♫
biriky♫
bisikilety♫
bitro♫
bodofotsy♫
boky♫
bolo♫
boloky♫
bomba♫
boronono♫
bozaka♫
D
dada♫
dadabe♫
dadafara♫
dadatoa♫
daholo♫
danika♫
daty♫
desambra♫
diakona♫
dibera♫
dieny♫
dihy♫
dimampolo♫
dimanjato♫
dimy♫dimy ambin'ny folo♫dimy amby roapolo♫
dinta♫
dio♫
dipoavatra♫
dite♫
divay♫
do♫
dokotera♫
domohina♫
drafitra♫
E
efa♫
efajato♫
efapolo♫
efatra♫efatra ambin'ny folo♫efatra amby roapolo♫
efitra♫efitra♫ efitra fandroana ♫
efitrano♫
ekena♫
emboka♫
enga♫
enimpolo♫
eninjato♫
entana♫
eran'ny siny♫
erotra♫
ery♫
esorina♫
eto♫
etry♫
etsy♫
ety♫
ezaka♫
F
fafa♫
fahadisoam-panantenana♫
fahafaliana♫
fahafinaretana♫
fahalavorary♫
fahamarinana♫
faharoa♫
fahasalamana♫
fahatsiarovana♫
fahatsorana♫
fahavaratra♫
fahazavana♫
fahefany♫
fahendrena♫
fahosana♫
fakantsary♫
famafa♫
famaizana♫
famaky♫
famantarana♫
famantaranandro♫
fambolena♫
famelana♫
famindra♫
fampitsitsirana♫
fan-♫
fanafody♫
fanahy♫fanahy♫ Fanahy Masina ♫
fanaintainana♫
fanajana♫
fanalahidy♫
fanambadiana♫
fanandramana♫
fanantenana♫
fanao♫
fanapahan-kevitra♫
fandeferana♫
fandriam-pahalemana♫
fandriana♫
fandroana♫
fanetren-tena♫
faneva♫
fanihy♫
fanilo♫
fanindroa♫
farany♫
farihy♫
fe♫
febroary♫
fety♫
fianakaviana♫
fiangonana♫
fify♫
fijanonana♫
firy?♫
fitonjato♫
fitopolo♫
fivarotam-panafody♫
fivoahana♫
fo♫
fohy♫
folo♫
fotsy♫
G
gana♫
gara♫
gazety♫
gisa♫
H
handrina♫
hariva♫
hatraiza♫
havanana♫
havia♫
herinandro♫
hopitaly♫
I
ianao♫
ianareo♫
inona♫
isika♫
iza♫
izahay♫
izaho♫
J
janoary♫
jolay♫
jona♫
jono♫
K
kafe♫
kahie♫
kakao♫
kamo♫
kaopy♫
kely♫
kibo♫
kiraro♫
kitapo♫
L
labiera♫
labozia♫
lakana♫
lakile♫
lalana♫
lalàna♫
lalina♫
lalitra♫
lanitra♫
latabatra♫
lehibe♫
lehilahy♫
lela♫
liona♫
lobaka♫
loha♫
loso♫
lovia♫
M
madio♫
mafana♫
mafy♫
mahantra♫
mahay♫
mahitsy♫
mailo♫
mainty♫
maitso♫
maizina♫
maka sary♫
malefaka♫
malemy♫
maloto♫
mamita♫
mamo♫
mamoha♫
mampifaly♫
mamy♫
manakatona♫
manana♫
mananasy♫
manandrana♫
manao♫
mandray♫
mandre♫
mangatsiaka♫
maninona♫
mankaiza♫
manohy♫
manomboka♫
manome♫
manontany♫
manoratra♫
maraina♫
marary♫
marikivy♫
marina♫
maro♫
martsa♫
masaka♫
maso♫
masoandro♫
matory♫
maty♫
mavesatra♫
mavo♫
mavokely♫
may♫
mazava♫
mazoto♫
mena♫
miady varotra♫
miainga♫
mianatra♫
miaramila♫
miasa♫
mifaly♫
mihaona♫
mihinana♫
mihomehy♫
mijery♫
milomano♫
mipetraka♫
misakafo♫
misotro♫
miteny♫
mitondra♫
mitsangantsangana♫
mivarotra♫
mivavaka♫
mividy♫
mody♫
mofo♫
mofomamy♫
moka♫
mora♫
moramora♫
mosara♫
mpampianatra♫
mpianatra♫
mpitsabo♫
N
nahoana♫
neny♫
ngeza♫
nify♫
nono♫
nosy♫
novambra♫
O
ohatrinona♫
oktobra♫
omaly♫
ondana♫
orona♫
osy♫
oviana♫
ovy♫
P
paiso♫
paoma♫
parasy♫
poara♫
R
rahampitso♫
rahoviana♫
ramatoa♫
ramatoakely♫
ranjo♫
ranomasina♫
ranomboankazo♫
ranomboasary♫
rantsantanana♫
raoby♫
ratsy♫
renirano♫
rindrina♫
roanjato♫
roapolo♫
ronono♫
S
sabotsy♫
saka♫
sakafo♫sakafo antoandro♫sakafo hariva♫sakafo maraina♫
sakay♫
sambo♫
sandry♫
sarotra♫
sekoly♫
septambra♫
servieta♫
seza♫
simba♫
sira♫
siramamy♫
sivifolo♫
sivinjato♫
soa♫
soavaly♫
sofina♫
sokatra♫
somizo♫
soroka♫
sotro♫
sotrobe♫
sotrokely♫
T
tafo♫
takariva♫
takotra♫
taksy borosy♫
talata♫
tanana♫
tanàna♫
tanety♫
tanimbary♫
tavoahangy♫
telonjato♫
telopolo♫
tenda♫
tendrombohitra♫
tetezana♫
tohatra♫
tolakandro♫
tonga♫
tongotra♫
trano♫
trondro♫
tsara♫
tsena♫
tsindrona♫
tsy azo atao♫
V
valo♫valo♫ valo ambin'ny folo♫
valonjato♫
valopolo♫
vaovao♫
varavarana♫
varavarankely♫
vary♫
vava♫
vavahady♫
vehivavy♫
vidy♫
vilany♫
vilia♫
vitsy♫
voaloboka♫
voalohany♫
voankazo♫
voaroy♫
voasary♫
voay♫
voky♫
vola♫
volombitsika♫
volomparasy♫
volondavenona♫
volontsokola♫
vorona♫
Z
zanaka♫zanaka lahy♫zanaka vavy♫
zato♫
zazakely♫
zazamena♫
zipo♫
zomà♫