If you're trying to learn the Swahili Alphabet which is also called Kiswahili, check our courses about pronunciation, and sound of all letters... to help you with your Swahili 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 Swahili. Enjoy the rest of the lesson!
Learning the Swahili 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 Swahili language.
Below is a table showing the Swahili alphabet and how it is pronounced in English, and finally examples of how those letters would sound if you place them in a word.
| Swahili Alphabet | English Sound | Pronunciation Example |
|---|---|---|
| A a | a | as in car |
| E e | e | as in bed |
| I i | ee | ee as in wheel |
| O o | o | as in off |
| U u | oo | oo as in cool |
| B b | b | as in bat |
| C c | only found H as CH | |
| D d | d | as in duck |
| F f | f | as in far |
| G g | g | as in give |
| H h | h | as in hit |
| J j | j | as in jump |
| K k | k | as in kite |
| L l | l | as in lick |
| M m | m | as in man |
| N n | n | as in not |
| P p | p | as in pea |
| R r | r | as in rake |
| S s | s | as in stop |
| T t | t | as in time |
| V v | v | as in victory |
| W w | w | as in will |
| Y y | y | as in you |
| Z z | z | as in zoo |
| CH ch | ch | ch' as in China |
| DH dh | th | th'as in that |
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:
| Swahili Pronunciation |
|---|
The alphabet and its pronunciation have a very important role in Swahili. Once you're done with the Kiswahili alphabet, you might want to check the rest of our Swahili lessons here: Learn Swahili. Don't forget to bookmark this page.
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