twi

{{Short description|Dialect of the Akan language in Ghana}}

{{merge to|Akan language|discuss=Talk:Akan_language#Merge_Twi_into_Akan_language|date=May 2025}}

{{Other uses|TWI (disambiguation)}}

{{Distinguish|Tiwi language}}

{{Infobox language

| name = Twi

| pronunciation = {{IPA|tw|tɕᶣi|}}

| states = Ghana

| region = Ashanti Region

| ethnicity = {{Unbulleted list|Asante|Akuapem|Bono}}

| familycolor = Niger-Congo

| fam1 = Niger–Congo?

| fam2 = Atlantic–Congo

| fam3 = Kwa

| fam4 = Potou–Tano

| fam5 = Tano

| fam6 = Central Tano

| fam7 = Akan

| stand1 = Asante

| stand2 = Akuapem

| script = Latin

| agency = Akan Orthography Committee

| iso1 = tw

| iso2 = twi

| iso3 = twi

| iso3comment = (see [aka] for Ethnologue description)

| glotto =

| notice = IPA

}}

Twi ({{IPAc-en|tS|w|i:|,_|t|w|i:|,_|tS|i:}};{{Cite OED|term=Twi|id=6964978785|access-date=2025-05-03|access=free}}{{Cite Merriam-Webster|Twi|access-date=2025-05-03}} {{IPA|tw|tɕᶣi|lang}}) is a synonym for the Akan language that is not used by the Fante people. As the name of a literary language, it may be either of the former literary standards, Asante or Akuapem;{{Cite book|last1=Arhin|first1=Kwame|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R9gJAQAAIAAJ&q=twi|title=A Profile of Brong Kyempim: Essays on the Archaeology, History, Language and Politics of the Brong Peoples of Ghana|last2=Studies|first2=University of Ghana Institute of African|date=1979|publisher=Afram|language=en}}

more broadly, it is applied to most if not all non-Fante dialects of Akan, including Ahafo, Akuapem, Akyem, Asante, Assin, Bono, Denkyira and Kwawu. Despite having an ISO code, it is not a linguistic grouping.Dolphyne, Florence Abena (1986) The languages of the Akan peoples. Research review. Vol. 2 No. 1, Pages 1-22[https://n2t.net/ark:/85335/m5dz0640k] University of Ghana.