The charts below the way in which the IPA is used to transcribe the Nguni languages such as Xhosa, Zulu, and Swati.
A superscript X marks a sound or spelling found specifically in Xhosa, and Z specifically in Zulu. Sounds marked* are only found in loan words.
Consonants |
Vowels |
Tones |
Non-click |
IPA |
Orthography |
bʱ |
bh |
ɓ |
b |
dʱ |
d |
d̠ʲʱ |
dyx |
dzʱ |
dz* |
dʒʱ |
j |
f |
f |
ɡʱ |
ghz, gx |
ɠ |
gz |
h |
h |
ɦ |
hh |
j |
y |
jʱ |
yh |
kʰ |
kh |
kʼ |
k |
Error using {{IPA symbol}}: "k" not found in list |
klz, krx |
l |
l |
lʱ |
lhx |
ɬ |
hl |
ɮʱ |
dl |
m |
m |
mʱ |
mh |
n |
n |
nʱ |
nh |
|
Non-click |
IPA |
Orthography |
n̠ʲ |
ny |
n̠ʲʱ |
nyh |
ŋ |
ng' |
ŋʱ |
ngh* |
pʰ |
ph |
pʼ |
p |
r |
r* |
rʱ |
r* |
s |
s |
ʃ |
sh |
tʰ |
th |
t̠ʲ |
tyx |
t̠ʲʰ |
tyhx |
tʼ |
t |
tsʼ |
tsx |
tsʰ |
tshx or thsx |
tʃʼ |
tsh |
tʃʰ |
tshx or thshx |
vʱ |
v |
w |
w |
wʱ |
wh |
x |
rhx |
ɣʱ |
grx |
zʱ |
z |
ʒʱ |
zh* |
|
Click |
IPA |
Orthography |
ǀ |
c |
ǁ |
x |
ǃ |
q |
ǀʰ |
ch |
ǁʰ |
xh |
ǃʰ |
qh |
ǀʱ |
gc |
ǁʱ |
gx |
ǃʱ |
gq |
ǀ̃ |
nc |
ǁ̃ |
nx |
ǃ̃ |
nq |
ǀʱ̃ |
ngc |
ǁʱ̃ |
ngx |
ǃʱ̃ |
ngq |
ǀ̃ˀ |
nkcX |
ǁ̃ˀ |
nkxX |
ǃ̃ˀ |
nkqX |
|
Vowel |
IPA |
Orthography |
a |
a |
ɛ |
e |
e |
e |
i |
i |
ɔ |
o |
o |
o |
u |
u |
ː |
|
|
Tone mark |
Tone Bar |
Tones |
á |
˦ |
à |
˨ |
âː |
˥˩ |
ǎ̤ |
˨˦ |
à̤ |
˨ |
a̤᷈ ː |
˨˧˨ |
|