Consonants
| Labial | Alveolar | Post- alveolar |
Palatal | Velar | Glottal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | m m̤ | n n̤ | ɲ ɲ̈ | ŋ ŋ̈ | ||
| Stop | pʰ pʼ ɓ b̤ | tʰ tʼ d̤ | kʰ kʼ ɠ ɡ̈ | |||
| Affricate | tʃʼ dʒ̈ | kxʼ | ||||
| Fricative | f v̤ | s z̤ | ʃ | h ɦ̤ | ||
| Lat. Fricative | ɬ ɮ̈ | |||||
| Approximant | l | j ȷ̈ | w w̤ | |||
The consonants marked with a diaeresis are depressor consonants, which affect the tone of their syllable. (See below.)
| IPA | Example (IPA) | Example (Written) | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| umama | "my/our mother" | Pronounced as in English. | ||
| unina | "his/her/their mother" | Pronounced as in nine in English. | ||
| inyoni | "bird" | Alveolo-palatal, not quite as in French vignette. | ||
| ingane | "child" | Pronounced as in sing. | ||
| ipipi | "pipe for smoking" | Pronounced as in speech. | ||
| -pheka | "cook" | Pronounced as in pin. | ||
| itiye | "tea" | Pronounced as in "step". | ||
| -thatha | "take" | Pronounced somewhat as in English "top". | ||
| kumnandi | "it is delicious" | Pronounced as in English "skill". | ||
| ikhanda | "head" | Pronounced somewhat like c in "cat". | ||
| -bhala | "write" | Pronounced more or less as in English bed, but fully voiced. | ||
| idada | "duck" | Pronounced more or less as in English duck, but fully voiced. | ||
| ugogo | "grandmother" | Pronounced somewhat like in go, but fully voiced. | ||
| ubaba | "my/our father" | Pronounced with implosion. | ||
| ukuza | "to come" | Pronounced with implosion. | ||
| ifu | "cloud" | Pronounced more or less as in English fun. | ||
| -vala | "close" | Pronounced as in English very. | ||
| isisu | "stomach" | Pronounced as in English say. | ||
| umzuzu | "moment" | As in English "zoo" | ||
| ishumi | "ten" | Pronounced as in English shall. | ||
| -hamba | "go" | Pronounced as in English hand. | ||
| ihhashi | "horse" | Pronounced as in English ahead. | ||
| -lala | "sleep" | Pronounced as in English leaf. | ||
| -hlala | "sit" | Pronounced as in Welsh Llanelli. | ||
| idla | "eat" | Voiced form of . | ||
| utshani | "grass" | Pronounced as the English chin. | ||
| uju | "honey" | Pronounced as the English jump. | ||
| umklomelo | "prize" | Pronunciation varies by speaker. | ||
| uyise | "his/her/their father" | Pronounced as in yes in English. | ||
| wela | "cross" | Pronounced as in wall in English. |
Read more about this topic: Zulu Language, Phonetics