Brahma: in chanting

[H.B.Dave]

Krishna Kalale wrote:
>
> I thought that sanskrit is phonetic - ie. you speak as you write unlike
> english ( which has silent letters and difference in pronunciation
> depending on the words letters are used).
>
> For example why is Brahma written in sanskrit like brah-ma  rather than
> bram-ha.  it is usually pronounced as bram-ha even in vedic chants.  This
> makes the language less phonetic.
> for example this is the case in most gita verses : bramharparnam bramha
> havih bramhagnau brahmhana hutam....
>
> Krishna Kalale

If someone is heard chanting brahma as bramha, then either the listner
or one who chants is wrong. Is should not be and is not chanted as
bramha. The way such words are written in Devangari is similar for other
compound sounds also, like ghna kle etc. etc.
-- Himanshu