Hausa Alphabet
If you're trying to learn the Hausa Alphabet you will find some useful resources including a course about pronunciation, and sound of all letters... to help you with your Hausa grammar. Try to concentrate on the lesson and memorize the sounds. Also don't forget to check the rest of our other lessons listed on Learn Hausa. Enjoy the rest of the lesson!
Hausa Alphabet
Learning the Hausa alphabet is very important because its structure is used in every day conversation. Without it, you will not be able to say words properly even if you know how to write those words. The better you pronounce a letter in a word, the more understood you will be in speaking the Hausa language.
Below is a table showing the Hausa alphabet and how it is pronounced in English, and finally examples of how those letters would sound if you place them in a word.
| Hausa Alphabet | English Sound | Pronunciation Example |
|---|---|---|
| A a | /a/ | short 'a' as in rat, long 'a' as in father |
| B b | /b/ | 'b' as in bed |
| Ɓ ɓ | /ɓ/ | an implosive 'b' |
| C c | /tʃ/ | 'ch' as as in child |
| D d | /d/ | 'd' as in dog |
| Ɗ ɗ | /ɗ/ | representing an implosive 'd' |
| E e | /e/ | short 'e' as in get, long 'a' as in that |
| F f | /ɸ/ | 'f' as in fat |
| G g | /ɡ/ | 'g' as in go |
| H h | /h/ | 'h' as in hat |
| I i | /i/ | short 'i' as in hit, long 'e' as in elephant |
| J j | /(d)ʒ/ | 'j' as in joke |
| K k | /k/ | 'k' as in kit |
| Ƙ ƙ | /kʼ/ | an ejective 'k' |
| L l | /l/ | 'l' as in leg |
| M m | /m/ | 'm' as in man |
| N n | /n/ | 'n' as in nice |
| O o | /o/ | short 'o' as in hot, long 'o' as in tool |
| R r | /r/, /ɽ/ | flapped r' as in Scots English |
| R 'r | /r/, /ɽ/ | flapped r' or 'trilled r' as as in Scots English |
| S s | /s/ | 's' as in smile |
| Sh sh | /ʃ/ | 'sh' as in shout |
| T t | /t/ | 't' as in ten |
| Ts ts | /(t)sʼ/ | 't' as in tutor |
| U u | /u/ | short 'u' as in put, long 'oo' as in look |
| W w | /w/ | 'w' as in win |
| Y y | /j/ | 'y' as in you |
| (Ƴ ƴ) | /ʔʲ/ | y' as in yes |
| Z z | /z/ | 'z' as in zebra |
| ' | /ʔ/ | glottal stop |
Hausa Pronunciation
You saw how a letter is written and might be pronounced, but there is nothing better than hearing the sound of the letters in a video or audio. Below you will be able to hear how the letters above are pronounced, just press the play button:
| Download Hausa Audio Lessons (Click on the file below) |
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Hausa Audio Lessons |
The alphabet and its pronunciation have a very important role in Hausa. Once you're done with Hausa alphabet, you might want to check the rest of our Hausa lessons here: Learn Hausa. Don't forget to bookmark this page.
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