Help:IPA/Swahili

! colspan=3 | Consonants

| baba {{IPA|[ˈɓɑɓɑ]}} 'father'

| bill

| dola {{IPA|[ˈɗɔlɑ]}} 'dollar'

| delta

| dhambi {{IPA|[ˈðɑᵐbi]}} 'sin, offence'Only found in loanwords.

| that

| maji {{IPA|[ˈmɑʄi ~ ˈmɑdʒi]}} 'water'

| jab

| fisi {{IPA|[ˈfisi]}} 'hyena'

| focus

| gani {{IPA|[ˈɠɑni]}} 'what, of which'

| gag

| ghali {{IPA|[ˈɣɑli]}} 'expensive'

| Scottish loch but voiced

| uhuru {{IPA|[uˈhuru]}} 'freedom'

| ahead

| yeye {{IPA|[ˈjɛjɛ]}} 'he/she'

| yellow

| kitabu {{IPA|[kiˈtɑbu]}} 'book'

| scald

| lakini {{IPA|[lɑˈkini]}} 'but'Swahili {{IPA|/r/}} is either a short trill [r] or more commonly a flap [{{IPA link|ɾ}}] in many areas. The distinction between {{IPA|/l/}} and {{IPA|/r/}} is a recent one, and many speakers have only a single sound, often an alveolar lateral flap {{IPAblink|ɺ}}

| lack

| damu {{IPA|[ˈɗɑmu]}} 'blood'

| mocha

| mtoto {{IPA|[m̩ˈtɔtɔ]}} 'child'

| rhythm

| mbali {{IPA|[ˈᵐbɑli]}} 'far'

| clamber

| mvinyo {{IPA|[ˈᶬviɲɔ]}} 'spirits'

| Humvee

| nini {{IPA|[ˈnini]}} 'what'

| ninny

| nchi {{IPA|[ˈn̩tʃi]}} 'country'

| even (syllabic nasal)

| muhindi {{IPA|[muˈhiⁿdi]}} 'corn, maize'

| handy

| ngoma {{IPA|[ˈᵑɡɔmɑ]}} 'drum'

| finger

| injili {{IPA|[iˈⁿdʒili]}} 'gospel'

| range

| kwanza {{IPA|[ˈkwɑⁿzɑ]}} 'to begin'

| pansy

| nyoka {{IPA|[ˈɲɔkɑ]}} 'snake'

| canyon

| ng'ombe {{IPA|[ˈŋɔᵐbɛ]}} 'cow, ox'

| sing

| kikapu {{IPA|[kiˈkɑpu]}} 'basket'

| spill

| rafiki {{IPA|[rɑˈfiki]}} 'friend'

| N. Am. and Australian atom

| sisi {{IPA|[ˈsisi]}} 'we'

| stole

| shamba {{IPA|[ˈʃɑᵐbɑ]}} 'farm, field'

| shell

| moto {{IPA|[ˈmɔtɔ]}} 'fire'

| stand

| chumba {{IPA|[ˈtʃuᵐbɑ]}} 'room'

| chase

| thelathini {{IPA|[θɛlɑˈθini]}} 'thirty'

| think

| vitabu {{IPA|[viˈtɑbu]}} 'books'

| vittle

| watu {{IPA|[ˈwɑtu]}} 'people'

| with

| subulkheri {{IPA|[suɓulˈxɛri]}} 'good morning'

| Scottish loch

| maziwa {{IPA|[mɑˈziwɑ]}} 'milk'

| zoo

! colspan=3 | Vowels

| baba {{IPA|[ˈɓɑɓɑ]}} 'father'

| father

| ndege {{IPA|[ˈⁿdɛɠɛ]}} 'bird'

| let

| Kiswahili {{IPA|[kiswɑˈhili]}} 'Swahili (language)'

| meat

| mtoto {{IPA|[m̩ˈtɔtɔ]}} 'child'

| off

| uhuru {{IPA|[uˈhuɾu]}} 'freedom'

| fool

| kondoo {{IPA|[kɔˈⁿdɔː]}} 'sheep'

| vowel length

! colspan="3" | Suprasegmentals

|safari {{IPA|[sɑˈfɑri]}} 'journey'

|stressStress usually falls on the penultimate syllable of a word.