Mongolian vowels are short or long. The short vowels are;

a        a       as the “u” in “but”

э        e        as the “e” in “den”

и        i        as the ”i” in “tin”

о        o        as the “o” in the British “hot”

ө        ö        as the “o” in “money”

ү        ü        as the “ou” in “source”

Long vowels are doubled short vowels;
aa      aa      as the “a” in “bar”

ээ      ee      as the “ei” in “deign”

ий      ii        as the “ee” in “teem”

оo      oo      as the “o” in  “horn”

өө      öö      as the “e” in  “fern”

уу      uu      as the “o” in  “bone”

үү      üü      as the “oo” in “soon”

The single vowel “y” is also long;

ы       y     as the “i” in “ill”

It is important to emphasise long vowels since the length differentiates meaning, eg tsas/ tsaas (snow/paper) üd/üüd (noon/door).

Some vowels can start with a y sound (long from in brackets):

я        ya      as the “ya” in “yard” (yaa/яа)

е        ye      as the “ye” in “yes”

ё        yo      as the “ya” in “yacht” (yoo/ёо)

е        yö      as the “yea” in “yearn”

ю       yu      as the “yo” in “yoyo” (yuu/юу)

ю       yü      as the “you” in “you” (yüü/юү)

Vowels  may combine to form dipthongs:

ай      ai       as the “eye” in “eyes”

эй      ei       as the “ay” in “pay”

иа      ia       as the “ia” in “fiat”

ио      io       as the “io” in “senior”

иу      iu       as the “iu” in “union”

ой      oi       as the “oi” in “boy”

уа      ua      as the “ua” in “wonder”

уай     uai     as the “uai” in “wine”

уй      ui       as the “ui” in “week”

үй      üi       as the “oui” in “Louis”

Words ending in the letters ь are written in the pronunciation guide with a short unstressed i after a short or long stressed vowel , eg ail(аль) , goiv (говь), and surguuil (сургууль) “school”.                

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