Golok Dialect Phonetics

Updated: Sep 18, 2025

Golok Dialect Pronunciation Guide, Updated June 5, 2024
Based on phonetics rules, Updated Oct. 21, 2023

Enter Tibetan:

Enter Central Dialect Phonetics:
https://thlib.org/terms/#/terms/phonetics
— Choose “handle each syllable separately”
— Choose “THL Simplified Phonemic Transcription”
Use latest draft: -öd and -oog

Enter translation (optional):


Combine Tibetan, Phonetics and Translation (optional)
Combine using THL Phonetics

Test 1 (Om) Test 2 (Shower) Test 3 (Bodhicitta)

Result / Golok Dialect Phonetics:
This converter is a work in progress: please review the results carefully, especially if mantras are included.

Tips: Formatting and debugging text for converter inputs:

  • VS sadhanas can be found in the debugging spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1a6oDYDAwa-j-3l3mEwZqKsR1nZbelyaoHaGhFSXQlw8/edit?usp=sharing
  • Remove visarga terma marks: ཿ\n
    • In Google Docs, use find and turn on regex to remove: ཿ\n
    • Also add space after ཿ in the middle of a line to keep the syllable count accurate: replace ཿ with ཿ + space
  • In Google Docs, you can select text based on styles:
    • right click on Tibetan > Format Options > Select all Matching — now you can copy paste to a new doc or spreadsheet
    • do the same for bold text / pronunciation from existing sadhanas
  • Put the two lists side by side in a spreadsheet to make it easy to get rid of line mismatches.
    • For example, remove commentary which doesn’t need pronunciation.
    • Remove or edit mantras where many syllables are turned into a word like sa ma ya -> samaya.