A first encounter
A little
Sinhala.
Twelve words, three short journeys and a picture quiz. Greetings, food and home for a first encounter with Sinhala.
Discover the words3 journeys12 wordsAt your own pace
New words bring us a little closer.
The Latin line transliterates letters using the ALA-LC table. It helps you read the script, but is not a phonetic transcription or a substitute for listening.
A picture is a good place to start
Look. Match. Remember.
Four words for meeting, thanking and saying goodbye.
Reveal. Swipe. Try again.
Your little deck
0 / 4 set asideTry to remember, then reveal. Words you want to review will come back.
This browser has no Sinhala voice. Cards and the quiz remain available; transliteration is not a substitute for listening.
No grades. Your introductory games last for this page visit.
The words, pictures and sources
An introduction to reading, not a complete course. Spellings and meanings were checked against FSI, Pearson and university materials. Pictures are visual memory aids. ALA-LC transliteration represents letters, not every sound of speech. Native-speaker-reviewed Sinhala recordings are not yet available.
- Foreign Service Institute — Sinhala Basic Course, Module 2: General Conversation
- Pearson Edexcel International GCSE in Sinhala — Specification, Issue 2
- University of Sri Jayewardenepura — English for Fun, Sinhala guide
- Library of Congress — Sinhalese Romanization Table, 2012 version
- U.S. Air Force Culture and Language Center — Sri Lanka field guide