Use this guide as a listening session: play a sound, repeat it, and check it again. The recordings below come from Tbilingo’s lessons. Written hints help you find your way, but the sound differences need listening as well as reading.
Listen to the five vowels
Start with ა, ე, ი, ო, უ. Keep each vowel steady as you repeat the recording. English spelling is a poor guide here: avoid turning a single vowel into a long sequence of changing sounds.
| Letter | Reading hint | Listen |
|---|---|---|
| ა | a | |
| ე | e | |
| ი | i | |
| ო | o | |
| უ | u |
Compare consonants that sound similar
Georgian distinguishes voiced, aspirated, and ejective consonants. For an initial comparison, listen to these three groups. The ʰ hint marks aspiration, while ʼ marks an ejective. Treat these as different sounds to learn, rather than louder or quieter versions of one English consonant.
| Voiced | Aspirated | Ejective |
|---|---|---|
| დ d | თ tʰ | ტ tʼ |
| ბ b | ფ pʰ | პ pʼ |
| გ g | ქ kʰ | კ kʼ |
Listen to a pair several times before speaking. Then record yourself on your phone and compare one sound at a time. You do not need to solve every consonant in your first session.
Practice clusters inside short words
A consonant cluster is a sequence of consonants without a vowel between them. In რვა (eight), the opening r and v belong together. Listen for the complete word before slowing down your own attempt; try not to insert an extra vowel between them.
| Georgian | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|
| ოთხიotkhi | 4 | |
| ექვსიekvsi | 6 | |
| რვაrva | 8 | |
| ცხრაtskhra | 9 |
Move from sounds to a phrase
Use a short greeting to practice connected speech. First listen without speaking. Next, read along. Finally, look away and try the whole phrase before checking it once more.
| Georgian | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|
| გამარჯობაgamarjoba | Hello | |
| გამარჯობა, როგორ ხარ?Gamarjoba, rogor khar? | Hello, how are you? |
The Latin line is a reading aid, not a substitute for Georgian text or audio. The alphabet chart helps you connect the letters directly to what you hear.
A five-minute pronunciation session
- Spend a minute listening to two vowels.
- Compare one consonant pair for a minute.
- Read two number words and check their recordings.
- Repeat one greeting at a comfortable pace.
- Note the sound you want to return to next time.
For another beginner reference, the Peace Corps Georgian lessons introduce the sound system and everyday conversation. For more connected listening in Tbilingo, continue with a short story with translations.