Reference Grammar

Section 2.1.1: Consonants


Each character (with some exceptions) has an isolated form, and initial, medial, and final forms. Those that don't have a medial form will break the flow of a word.
LetterName of Letter
IPA & transcription
Pronunciation
Consonants


d
dog, dentist


k
cat, car


t
taco, toad


m
marker, harm


f
fork, flag


j
as "y" in young, yes
lago

l
love, stall
ra

r
rolled "r" as in Spanish or Arabic
ga

g
go, goldfish
thàmò

th
voiceless "th" as in thing, thought
va

v
voice, vibration
wa

w
now, west
zama

z
zone, lizard
sho

sh
shoe, wash
khama

kh
as in Scottish loch or German J. S. Bach
qofo

q
like "k", but further back in the throat, as in Arabic
bu

b
boy, morbid
neng

or n or ng
syllable initial: nose, fine
syllable/word final: as any English word ending in "ing"
tsavû

ts
cat soup (say it quickly), plants


s
sausage, spam
porê

p
pasta, stop
xi

x
as in German ich, lustig
ìdzamo

dz
dudes, red xylophone (say it fast)
che

ch
watch, chomp
zhola

zh
Elijah, French je
hada

h
hello, house
ìdjamo

dj
budge, knowledge
dhè

dh
voiced "th" as in the, that
dha wamagò

'
as in the syllable break in the exclamation "uh-oh"
Carrier Vowels
ikada

i
feet, seat, repeat
ème

è
bet, America
ûkêdi

û
but, cut, monkey
ûkêdi noljè

ê
the, what
òmò

ò
dog, lock