Harrison, Barbara J. ed. Learning About India. the University of the State of New York, 1977. p 312-313.

A Guide to Pronouncing Indian Words

     From the Western point of view the sounds found in Indian languages are of two types: those we are used to pronouncing
and distinguishing, and those we are not.  Since Indian languages are generally written phonically (spelled the way they sound),
we can transliterate them into English script with a good approximation of the way they are pronounced.  However, some
letters from Indian alphabets designate sounds we are not used to pronouncing or distinguishing.  Further, Indian vowels are
more specific than English vowels.  In English the letter 'a' can be pronounced as in 'ball', 'bay' or 'bag'.  In Indian languages
there is a separate letter for each vowel sound.

i -- the sound in the word 'sit'

ī -- the sound in the word 'beet'

e -- the sound in the word 'day'

ai -- the sound in the word 'aisle'

o -- the sound in the word 'boat'

au -- the sound in the word 'how'

ri, a vowel -- the sound in the word 'friction'

     The consonants in Indian languages fall largely into two groups: aspirated (using more air than our consonants) and
unaspirated (using less air).  Thus in Indian scripts we find a letter for two kinds of 'k', two kinds of 'ch', etc.  To differentiate
them we put an 'h' after the aspirated form of the consonant.  Hence, the reader will find both 'k' and 'kh', 'g' and 'gh', 'ch' and
'chh' and so on.  Unless the reader has already learned the proper pronunciation of these sounds by knowing an Indian
language, he will do best by ignoring the 'h' after consonants when trying to produce the sounds.  Finally, Indian languages
distinguish between 't' and 'th' and 'ṭ' and ' tḥ' ; 'd' and 'dh' and 'ḍ' and 'dḥ'.  Again, one does best to pronounce all the 't' sounds
the same and all the 'd' sounds the same instead of exaggerating the difference.  Similarly, 'sh' and 's' are both pronounced like
'sh' for all practical purposes.

Just a reminder:

Gandhi rhymes with Dondi, not candy

ahimsa has the sound of 'wince' in it

dhoti rhymes with goaty

sari sounds like sorry

No attempt should be made to stress one syllable in preference to another

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