Emphatic Sounds “ṣ,” “ḍ” and “ṭ”

Emphatic consonants

The sounds ṣ, ḍ, and ṭ are emphatic versions of s, d, and t.

Tongue position

1. Begin with the tip of the tongue behind the upper teeth.
2. Move it slightly backwards to the hard ridge behind the teeth.
3. Place the tip of the tongue against this ridge.
4. Lower the rest of the tongue inside the mouth.
5. Raise the back and root of the tongue toward the roof of the mouth.

All three emphatic sounds use this position.

Important characteristics

Emphatic sounds have a lower pitch, use more muscular tension, tighten the mouth and throat, and affect nearby vowel sounds. The surrounding vowels may sound deeper because of the emphatic consonant.

Example

3ṭini means “Give me.” Some learners may hear the middle vowel as “ay.” However, the vowel is really “i.” It sounds different because the emphatic ṭ changes the quality of the nearby vowel.