Turkish Vocabulary VII: Quick Review & Pronunciation Guide
Overview
This short guide reviews 30 intermediate-to-advanced Turkish words grouped by theme, with brief definitions, example sentences, and a simple pronunciation key using familiar English approximations. Use it for quick revision and speaking practice.
How to use
- Read each word and pronunciation aloud.
- Listen to native speech (apps or recordings) and mimic rhythm.
- Practice the example sentence, then replace the bold word with synonyms.
Themes & Word List
| # | Turkish | Pronunciation (approx.) | English | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | alışveriş | ah-lish-veh-REESH | shopping | Hafta sonu alışverişe çıkacağım. (I’ll go shopping this weekend.) |
| 2 | anlaşmak | ahn-LAHSH-mak | to agree; get along | Onlarla kolayca anlaşırım. (I get along with them easily.) |
| 3 | artırmak | ar-tuhr-MAK | to increase | Fiyatları artırmak zorunda kaldılar. (They had to increase prices.) |
| 4 | bahsetmek | bahsh-ET-mek | to mention, talk about | Toplantıda ondan bahsettiler. (They mentioned him at the meeting.) |
| 5 | başarmak | bah-shar-MAK | to succeed, accomplish | Projeyi zamanında başardık. (We completed the project on time.) |
| 6 | beğenmek | beh-YEN-mek | to like, appreciate | Bu kitabı çok beğendim. (I liked this book a lot.) |
| 7 | çevre | CHEV-reh | environment, surroundings | Çevre temizliği önemli. (Environmental cleanliness is important.) |
| 8 | dikkat | dee-KAT | attention, care | Dikkatli ol, kaygan zemin var. (Be careful, the floor is slippery.) |
| 9 | gelişme | geh-LISH-meh | development, progress | Son aylarda büyük gelişme oldu. (There has been great progress recently.) |
| 10 | güven | goo-VEN | trust, safety | Ona tamamen güveniyorum. (I trust him completely.) |
| 11 | haberleşme | hah-BER-lesh-meh | communication | Haberleşme sorunları çözüldü. (Communication issues were resolved.) |
| 12 | hızlandırmak | hiz-lahn-DIR-mak | to accelerate | Süreci hızlandırmamız gerekiyor. (We need to speed up the process.) |
| 13 | ikna etmek | ik-NAH et-MEK | to persuade | Onu ikna etmek kolay olmadı. (It wasn’t easy to persuade him.) |
| 14 | imkân | IM-kahn | possibility, opportunity | Bu iş için imkân var mı? (Is there a possibility for this job?) |
| 15 | isteksiz | is-TEK-siz | reluctant, unwilling | Öğrenciler biraz isteksizdi. (The students were somewhat reluctant.) |
| 16 | katılmak | kah-TIL-mak | to join, participate | Seminere katılmak istiyorum. (I want to attend the seminar.) |
| 17 | karşılaştırmak | kar-shuh-lahsh-TIR-mak | to compare | Fiyatları karşılaştırmak iyi olur. (It’s good to compare prices.) |
| 18 | kapsam | kahs-AHM | scope, coverage | Projenin kapsamı geniş. (The project’s scope is broad.) |
| 19 | kaynak | kahn-KAHY | source, resource | Bu bilgi güvenilir bir kaynaktan geldi. (This information came from a reliable source.) |
| 20 | karar | kah-RAR | decision | Karar vermek zorundayız. (We must make a decision.) |
| 21 | katma değer | KAHT-mah DEH-er | added value | Yeni özellik katma değer sağladı. (The new feature provided added value.) |
| 22 | çözüm | choh-ZOOM | solution | Bu problem için hızlı bir çözüm bulundu. (A quick solution was found for this problem.) |
| 23 | önemsemek | oh-NEM-seh-mek | to care about, consider important | İnsanları önemsemek gerekir. (You should care about people.) |
| 24 | seçkin | sechk-KIN | elite, distinguished | Seçkin konuklar davetliydi. (Distinguished guests were invited.) |
| 25 | sorgulamak | sor-goo-LAH-mak | to question, query | Verileri sorgulamak faydalı oldu. (Querying the data was useful.) |
| 26 | sürdürülebilir | soor-doo-REEL-eh-bil | sustainable | Sürdürülebilir enerjiye yatırım yapıyoruz. (We invest in sustainable energy.) |
| 27 | tavsiye | tav-SI-yeh | advice, recommendation | Doktorun tavsiyesine uy. (Follow the doctor’s advice.) |
| 28 | teşvik | TEHSH-vik | incentive, encouragement | Yeni teşvik paketleri açıklandı. (New incentive packages were announced.) |
| 29 | uyum | oo-YOOM | harmony, compatibility | Takım içinde iyi bir uyum var. (There is good harmony within the team.) |
| 30 | yenilik | yeh-NEE-lik | innovation, novelty | Yenilik yapmak şirket için önemli. (Innovation is important for the company.) |
Quick Pronunciation Tips
- “ğ” (soft g) lengthens preceding vowel; don’t pronounce as a separate consonant (e.g., “ağır” ≈ ah-UR).
- “ı” is a back, unrounded vowel — approximate with an unstressed “uh” (e.g., “kızıl” ≈ kuh-ZIL).
- “ş” = “sh”, “ç” = “ch”, “j” ≈ the “s” in “measure”.
- Stress usually falls on the last syllable for many Turkish words, but there are exceptions—listen to native speakers.
Short Practice Drill (5 minutes)
- Read aloud words 1–10 once, focusing on vowel length.
- Read 11–20 replacing the Turkish word with its English translation after each sentence.
- Read 21–30, then invent one new sentence for each word.
Resources for Listening
- Use a Turkish text-to-speech or phrasebook app and compare your pronunciation.
- Watch short Turkish news clips or vlogs and shadow sentences.
Quick Review Checklist
- Practice soft g (ğ) and ı regularly.
- Focus on vowel harmony and syllable stress.
- Repeat example sentences aloud daily for retention.
If you want a printable flashcard set or audio recordings for these words, say which format you prefer.
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