The Foundation – Mastering the Khmer Script

Module 1: Mastering the Khmer Script (អក្ខរក្រមខ្មែរ) Welcome, dedicated learner, to the first and most important module in your Khmer language journey. Here, we will build the foundation for everything that follows by mastering the Khmer alphabet. Take your time, practice each lesson, and you will be reading and writing before you know it. Lesson 1.1: The Golden Rule – Understanding the Two-Series System Before we look at a single letter, we must understand the "golden rule" of the Khmer script: the two-series system . Every consonant belongs to one of two series: The 'a-series' (អឃោសៈ - 'âk-gho-sak') The 'o-series' (ឃោសៈ - 'gho-sak') Why is this so important? The series of the consonant changes the sound of the vowel that is attached to it. The consonant acts like a switch. Master this concept, and you have mastered the key to Khmer pronunciation. Lessons 1.2 - 1.7: The Khmer Consonants (ព្យញ្ជនៈ) We will now learn all 33 consonants, group by grou…