The alphabet

The Swahili alphabet has 24 letters, consisting of a modified Latin alphabet that excludes the letters Q and X. The letter C is used, but only as part of the digraph CH. Each letter has a consistent, phonetic pronunciation, with vowels always pronounced as a short, single sound.

The Swahili alphabet has 24 consonants, which are represented by single letters and digraphs (two-letter combinations). Unique consonant sounds include ch, dh, gh, ng', ny, sh, and th, while common consonants include b, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w, y, and z. The letters q and x are not used in Swahili.

Digraphs (two-letter combinations)

• ch: (as in chai for "tea")
• dh: (as in dhahabu for "gold")
• gh: (as in ghafla for "commotion")
• ng': (as in ng'ombe for "cow")
• ny: (as in nyanya for "tomatoes")
• sh: (as in shanga for "to be surprised")
• th: (as in thelathini for "thirty")

Pronunciation guide

• A: like the "a" in "father"
• E: like the "e" in "bed"
• I: like the "ee" in "see"
• O: like the "o" in "go"
• U: like the "oo" in "boot"
• CH: like the "ch" in "chair"
• R: slightly rolled, similar to Spanish

Key differences from the English alphabet

1. No Q or X: These letters are not used in the Swahili alphabet.
2. Digraph for \"Ch\": The "ch" sound is a single digraph, CH, rather than being represented by two separate letters.
3. Consistent vowel sounds: Unlike in English, vowels are always pronounced as a single, short sound and do not form diphthongs.

Vokali

Swahili has five vowels: a, e, i, o, and u. These vowels are pronounced consistently, unlike in English, and their sounds are similar to the vowels in Spanish or Italian.

• A: as in "father" (e.g., mbe)
• E: as in "elephant" (e.g., mbe)
• I: as in "machine" (e.g., ima)
• O: as in "ostrich" (e.g., oga)
• U: as in "rule" or "Ubuntu" (e.g., uma)