Help:IPA/Nguni

The charts below show the way in which the IPA is used to transcribe the Nguni languages Swazi, Xhosa, and Zulu. For a guide to adding IPA characters to Wikipedia articles, see Template:IPA and {{section link|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Pronunciation#Entering IPA characters}}.

A superscript ^{{sc|x}} marks a sound or spelling found specifically in Xhosa, ^{{sc|s}} in Swazi, and ^{{sc|z}} specifically in Zulu. Sounds marked * only appear in loanwords.

style="vertical-align:top;" \| {\| class="wikitable" width = "100%"; style="margin: 1em; text-align: center;" ! colspan="5"\|Consonants
colspan="5"\|Non-click
width="15%"\| IPA	Orthography	English approximation
{{IPA link\|b}} \| bh \|book
{{IPA link\|ɓ}} \| b \|bag, but implosive
{{IPA link\|d}} \| d \|dip
{{IPA link\|dʒ}} \| j \|just
{{IPA link\|dz}} \|dz \|dads
{{IPA\|dv}} \|dv^{{sm\|s}} \|hand valve
{{IPA link\|f}} \| f \|find
{{IPA link\|ɡ}} \| g \|give
{{IPA link\|ɠ}} \| k^{{sm\|z}} \|good, but implosive
{{IPA link\|h}} \| h \|have
{{IPA link\|ɦ}} \| hh \|behind
{{IPA link\|j}} \| y \|yet
{{IPA link\|k}} \| kh \|can
{{IPA link\|kʼ}} \| k \|back, with glottalization
{{IPA\|k̬}} \|k^{{sm\|s}} \|Glottalized bag
{{IPA link\|kxʼ}} \|kl^{{sm\|z}}, kr^{{sm\|x}} \|No English equivalent
{{IPA link\|kʟ̝̊}} \|kl^{{sm\|z}}, kr^{{sm\|x}} \|Similar to clinic
{{IPA link\|l}} \| l \|like
{{IPA link\|ɬ}} \| hl \| No English equivalent; Welsh llwyd
{{IPA link\|ɮ}} \| dl \|No English equivalent; Welsh llwyd, but voiced
{{IPA link\|m}} \| m \|mode
{{IPA link\|n}} \| n \|night
{{IPA link\|ŋ}} \|ngʼ^{{sm\|x}}, ng^{{sm\|z}}^{{sm\|s}}The velar nasal [ŋ] may be pronounced as [ŋg] in Swazi. \|sing
{{IPA link\|ɲ}} \| ny \|canyon
{{IPA link\|p}} \| ph \|pin
{{IPA link\|pʼ}} \| p \|lip, with glottalization
{{IPA link\|r}} \| r \|right, but trilled
{{IPA link\|s}} \| s \|see
{{IPA link\|ʃ}} \| sh \|ship
{{IPA link\|t}} \| th \|tip
{{IPA link\|tʼ}} \| t \|bit, with glottalization
{{IPA link\|ts}} \| ts \|cats
{{IPA\|tf}} \|tf^{{sm\|s}} \|thoughtful
{{IPA link\|tsʼ}} \| ts \|cats, with glottalization
{{IPA link\|tʃʼ}} \| tsh \|catch, with glottalization
{{IPA link\|v}} \| v \|vine
{{IPA link\|w}} \| w \|wind
{{IPA link\|x}} \| rh^{{sm\|x}} \| Scottish loch
{{IPA link\|ɣ}} \| gr^{{sm\|x}} \| No English equivalent; Spanish amigo
{{IPA link\|ʒ}} \|zh^{{sm\|x}} \|pleasure
{{IPA link\|z\|z}} \| z \|zip
{{IPA link\|ʔ}} \|(ʔ)^{{sm\|x}} \|Pause in uh-oh!
colspan=4\|ClickThe click consonants do not have any equivalent phoneme in English. The nearest equivalents to English-speakers are the Tut-tut or Tsk! Tsk!, tchick!, and clip-clop! interjections.
colspan="2"\| IPA	Orthography
colspan="2"\| {{IPA link\|ᵏǀ}} \| c
colspan="2"\| {{IPA\|ᵏǀ}}{{IPA link\|ʼ}} \| c
colspan="2"\| {{IPA link\|ᵏǁ}} \| x
colspan="2"\| {{IPA\|ᵏǁ}}{{IPA link\|ʼ}} \| x
colspan="2"\| {{IPA link\|ᵏǃ}} \| q
colspan="2"\| {{IPA\|ᵏǃ}}{{IPA link\|ʼ}} \| q
colspan="2"\| {{IPA link\|ǀ̬\|ᶢǀ}} \| gc
colspan="2"\| {{IPA link\|ǁ\|ᶢǁ}} \| gx
colspan="2"\| {{IPA link\|ǃ̬\|ᶢǃ}} \| gq
colspan="2"\| {{IPA link\|ᵑǀ}} \| nc
colspan="2"\| {{IPA link\|ᵑǁ}} \| nx
colspan="2"\| {{IPA link\|ᵑǃ}} \| nq
colspan="3"\| Other symbols
colspan="2"\| {{IPA\|◌̃}} \|nasalisation (placed above consonant)
colspan="2"\| {{IPA\|◌ʰ}} \|Aspirated consonant (placed after consonant)
colspan="2"\| {{IPA\|◌ʱ}} \|Breathy voice (placed after consonant)
colspan="2"\| {{IPA\|◌ʲ}} \|Palatalisation (placed after consonant)
colspan="2"\| {{IPA\|◌̠}} \|Retracted consonant (placed below consonant)
colspan="2"\| {{IPA\|◌̤ }} / ◌̈ / {{IPA\|◌̥ }} / {{IPA\|◌̊ }} \|slack voice (placed above or below consonant)

style="vertical-align:top;" |

{| class="wikitable" width = "100%"; style="margin: 1em; text-align: center;"

! colspan="5"|Consonants

colspan="5"|Non-click

width="15%"| IPA

Orthography

English approximation

| bh

|book

| b

|bag, but implosive

| d

|dip

| j

|just

|dz

|dads

|dv^{{sm|s}}

|hand valve

| f

|find

| g

|give

| k^{{sm|z}}

|good, but implosive

| h

|have

| hh

|behind

| y

|yet

| kh

|can

| k

|back, with glottalization

|k^{{sm|s}}

|Glottalized bag

|kl^{{sm|z}}, kr^{{sm|x}}

|No English equivalent

|kl^{{sm|z}}, kr^{{sm|x}}

|Similar to clinic

| l

|like

| hl

| No English equivalent; Welsh llwyd

| dl

|No English equivalent; Welsh llwyd, but voiced

| m

|mode

| n

|night

|ngʼ^{{sm|x}}, ng^{{sm|z}}^{{sm|s}}The velar nasal [ŋ] may be pronounced as [ŋg] in Swazi.

|sing

| ny

|canyon

| ph

|pin

| p

|lip, with glottalization

| r

|right, but trilled

| s

|see

| sh

|ship

| th

|tip

| t

|bit, with glottalization

| ts

|cats

|tf^{{sm|s}}

|thoughtful

| ts

|cats, with glottalization

| tsh

|catch, with glottalization

| v

|vine

| w

|wind

| rh^{{sm|x}}

| Scottish loch

| gr^{{sm|x}}

| No English equivalent; Spanish amigo

|zh^{{sm|x}}

|pleasure

| z

|zip

|(ʔ)^{{sm|x}}

|Pause in uh-oh!

colspan=4|ClickThe click consonants do not have any equivalent phoneme in English. The nearest equivalents to English-speakers are the Tut-tut or Tsk! Tsk!, tchick!, and clip-clop! interjections.

colspan="2"| IPA

Orthography

colspan="2"| {{IPA link|ᵏǀ}}

| c

colspan="2"| {{IPA|ᵏǀ}}{{IPA link|ʼ}}

| c

colspan="2"| {{IPA link|ᵏǁ}}

| x

colspan="2"| {{IPA|ᵏǁ}}{{IPA link|ʼ}}

| x

colspan="2"| {{IPA link|ᵏǃ}}

| q

colspan="2"| {{IPA|ᵏǃ}}{{IPA link|ʼ}}

| q

colspan="2"| {{IPA link|ǀ̬|ᶢǀ}}

| gc

colspan="2"| {{IPA link|ǁ|ᶢǁ}}

| gx

colspan="2"| {{IPA link|ǃ̬|ᶢǃ}}

| gq

colspan="2"| {{IPA link|ᵑǀ}}

| nc

colspan="2"| {{IPA link|ᵑǁ}}

| nx

colspan="2"| {{IPA link|ᵑǃ}}

| nq

colspan="3"| Other symbols

colspan="2"| {{IPA|◌̃}}

|nasalisation (placed above consonant)

colspan="2"| {{IPA|◌ʰ}}

|Aspirated consonant (placed after consonant)

colspan="2"| {{IPA|◌ʱ}}

|Breathy voice (placed after consonant)

colspan="2"| {{IPA|◌ʲ}}

|Palatalisation (placed after consonant)

colspan="2"| {{IPA|◌̠}}

|Retracted consonant (placed below consonant)

colspan="2"| {{IPA|◌̤ }} / ◌̈ / {{IPA|◌̥ }} / {{IPA|◌̊ }}

|slack voice (placed above or below consonant)

| style="vertical-align:top;" |

class="wikitable" width = "100%"; style="margin: 1em; text-align: center;"
colspan=4\|Vowels
width="15%"\| IPA	Orthography	English approximation
{{IPA\|a}}{{IPA\|/a/}} is phonetically realised as an open front unrounded vowel [{{IPA link\|a}}] in Swazi, an open central unrounded vowel [{{IPA link\|ä}}] in Zulu and an open back unrounded vowel in Xhosa [{{IPA link\|ɑ}}]. \| a \|cat or fatherRealized similar to cat in Swazi, similar to father in Xhosa, and in between the two in Zulu
{{IPA link\|ɛ}} \| e \|bed
{{IPA link\|e}} \| e \|bay
{{IPA link\|i}} \| i \|beat
{{IPA link\|ɔ}} \| o \|British English off
{{IPA link\|o}} \| o \|story
{{IPA link\|u}} \| u \|cool
{{IPA link\|ː}} \| \|long vowel

class="wikitable" width = "100%"; style="margin: 1em; text-align: center;"

colspan=4|Vowels

width="15%"| IPA

Orthography

English approximation

{{IPA|a}}{{IPA|/a/}} is phonetically realised as an open front unrounded vowel [{{IPA link|a}}] in Swazi, an open central unrounded vowel [{{IPA link|ä}}] in Zulu and an open back unrounded vowel in Xhosa [{{IPA link|ɑ}}].

| a

|cat or fatherRealized similar to cat in Swazi, similar to father in Xhosa, and in between the two in Zulu

| e

|bed

| e

|bay

| i

|beat

| o

|British English off

| o

|story

| u

|cool

|long vowel

class="wikitable" width = "100%"; style="margin: 1em; text-align: center;" ! colspan=3 \| Tones
Tone mark ! Tone Bar
style="text-align:center;" \|{{IPA\|á}} \| {{IPA\|˦}}
style="text-align:center;" \|{{IPA\|à}} \| {{IPA\|˨}}
style="text-align:center;" \|{{IPA\|âː}} \| {{IPA\|˥˩}}
style="text-align:center;" \|{{IPA\|ǎ̤}} \| {{IPA\|˨˦}}
style="text-align:center;" \|{{IPA\|à̤}} \| {{IPA\|˨}}
style="text-align:center;" \|{{IPA\|a̤᷈ː}} \| {{IPA\|˨˧˨}}

class="wikitable" width = "100%"; style="margin: 1em; text-align: center;"

! colspan=3 | Tones

Tone mark

! Tone Bar

style="text-align:center;" |{{IPA|á}}

| {{IPA|˦}}

style="text-align:center;" |{{IPA|à}}

| {{IPA|˨}}

style="text-align:center;" |{{IPA|âː}}

| {{IPA|˥˩}}

style="text-align:center;" |{{IPA|ǎ̤}}

| {{IPA|˨˦}}

style="text-align:center;" |{{IPA|à̤}}

| {{IPA|˨}}

style="text-align:center;" |{{IPA|a̤᷈ː}}

| {{IPA|˨˧˨}}

Help:IPA/Nguni

Notes

See also