Three Superscript Letters & The Four Subscript Letters

This lesson introduces one of the most important structural systems in the Tibetan language: superscript letters, subscript letters, and stacked letter formations. You will begin by learning the three superscript (surmounted) letters in Tibetan — ར་མགོ་ (RaGo), ལ་མགོ་ (LaGo), and ས་མགོ་ (SaGo) — and understand how they modify pronunciation and spelling through practical examples.

Next, you will explore the four subscript (subjoined) letters — ཡ་ (YaTak), ར་ (RaTak), ལ་ (LaTak), and ཝ་ཟུར། (WaSur) — and learn how they combine with root letters to form more advanced Tibetan syllables.

To strengthen your understanding, this lesson also introduces the seventeen stacked letters and demonstrates how they are formed and pronounced. Finally, you will practice reading the seventeen stacked letters combined with Tibetan vowels, helping you build a stronger foundation in Tibetan reading, pronunciation, and word formation.