The 21 consonants
Sixteen of them sound much as they do in English. The five marked are the ones to practise: they are sounds English simply does not have.
| Letter | Sound | Example |
|---|---|---|
| B | like b in book | bisad cat |
| T | like t in top | tufaax apple |
| J | like j in jam | jalaato ice cream |
| X new sound | a strong h from deep in the throat | xanjo chewing gum |
| KH new sound | like the ch in Scottish loch | khudaar vegetables |
| D | like d in door | doon boat |
| R | a rolled r | rooti bread |
| S | like s in sun | subag butter |
| SH | like sh in ship | shukumaan towel |
| DH new sound | a d with the tongue curled back | dhar clothes |
| C new sound | a voiced sound from deep in the throat | caano milk |
| G | like g in go | geri giraffe |
| F | like f in fish | faras horse |
| Q new sound | a hard k made far back in the throat | qalin pen |
| K | like k in kite | kabo shoes |
| L | like l in lion | libaax lion |
| M | like m in moon | moos banana |
| N | like n in net | nal bulb |
| W | like w in water | warqad paper |
| H | like h in hat | hooyo mother |
| Y | like y in yes | yaxaas crocodile |
The five sounds to practise
- X is not the x of box. It is a strong, breathy h from the throat, as in xanjo. Somali names like Xasan and Xaawo start with it.
- KH is the sound in Scottish loch, as in Khamiis, Thursday.
- DH is a d made with the tongue curled back, as in dhar, clothes.
- C is never the c of cat. It is a voiced sound from deep in the throat, as in caano, milk, and Arbaco, Wednesday.
- Q is a hard k made far back, as in qalin, pen.
No P, V or Z
Three English letters do not exist in Somali. When an English word is borrowed, P becomes B, V becomes F and Z becomes S. That is why Pepsi becomes Bebsi, police becomes boliis and pasta becomes baasto. It is not an accident, it is the alphabet.
The five vowels, short and long
Somali has five vowels: a as in father, e as in bed, i as in see, o as in more, u as in moon. Each one can be written twice, and then it is held about twice as long. The length is part of the word, so one extra letter changes the meaning.
Say the vowel once, hold it once. Written twice, hold it twice.
Read buur as a long "boor" and bur as a short "bur", and you will never mix up a mountain and a bag of flour.
Reading it out loud
Somali spelling is regular: a letter always makes the same sound. Once you know the sounds above you can read any Somali word you meet, even one you have never seen. That is why our reading lessons start with the alphabet and get to a short text within a few weeks.
Common questions
How many letters are in the Somali alphabet?
Twenty-six: 21 consonants and 5 vowels. Three of the consonants are written with two letters, KH, SH and DH, and count as one sound each.
Does Somali have the letter P?
No. Somali has no P, V or Z. Borrowed words swap them for B, F and S, which is why Pepsi becomes Bebsi and police becomes boliis.
What does the letter C sound like in Somali?
It is a voiced sound made deep in the throat, the Arabic ayn. It is never the c of cat. You hear it in caano (milk) and Arbaco (Wednesday).
What does X sound like in Somali?
A strong h from the throat, like the Arabic letter haa. It is never the x of box. Xasan and xanjo (chewing gum) both start with it.
Why are some Somali vowels written twice?
A doubled vowel is held about twice as long, and the length changes the word: bur is flour, buur is a mountain.
When did Somali get its alphabet?
The Latin script was adopted as the official writing system in 1972.