Phonology and Alphabet
All syllables in Shona end in a vowel. Consonants always belong to the next syllable. For example, mangwanani ("morning") is separated like this: ma/ngwa/na/ni; Zimbabwe is Zi/mba/bwe.
All verbs end in -a:
|
|
Shona's five vowels (a, e, i, o, u) are pronounced as in Spanish: . Each vowel is pronounced separately even if they fall in succession. For example, "Uno enda kupi?" (Where do you go?) is pronounced .
The letters of the alphabet are,
| Letter | IPA |
|---|---|
| a | /a/ |
| b | /ɓ/ |
| bh | /b/ |
| ch | /tʃ/ |
| d | /ɗ/ |
| dh | /d/ |
| dy | /dʒɡ/ |
| dzv | /dz͎/ |
| e | /e/ |
| f | /f/ |
| g | /ɡ/ |
| h | /h/ |
| i | /i/ |
| j | /dʒ/ |
| k | /k/ |
| m | /m/ |
| mh | /ʔ/ |
| n’ | /ŋ/ |
| n | /n/ |
| o | /o/ |
| p | /p/ |
| r | /r/ |
| sh | /ʃ/ |
| sv | /s͎ ~ sɸ/ |
| svw | /s͎w/ |
| sw | /sw ~ skw/ |
| t | /t/ |
| tsv | /ts͎/ |
| ty | /tʃk/ |
| u | /u/ |
| v | /ʋ/ |
| vh | /v/ |
| w | /w/ |
| y | /j/ |
| z | /z/ |
| zh | /ʒ/ |
| zv | /z͎ ~ zβ/ |
| zvw | /z͎w/ |
| zw | /zw ~ zɡw/ |
The digraphs ps and bz are pronounced /ps͎/ and /bz͎/, and mbw is /mbɡ/.
Read more about this topic: Shona Language
Famous quotes containing the word alphabet:
“I believe the alphabet is no longer considered an essential piece of equipment for traveling through life. In my day it was the keystone to knowledge. You learned the alphabet as you learned to count to ten, as you learned “Now I lay me” and the Lord’s Prayer and your father’s and mother’s name and address and telephone number, all in case you were lost.”
—Eudora Welty (b. 1909)