Phonology and orthography

African has 6 vowels: /i/, /u/, /e/, /o/, /a/, /ə/ and 23 consonants: /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, /t͡ʃ/, /d͡ʒ/, /k/, /g/, /f/, /v/, /s/, /z/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/, /x/, /m/, /n/, /ɲ/, /l/, /j/, /w/, /ɾ/, /r/

The vowels /e/ and /o/ are pronounced [ɛ] and [ɔ] in closed syllables.

/x/ is pronounced [ɣ] within a word.

The maximal syllable structure is (s)(C)(C)V(C)(C)(C).

Sometimes words can have an historical /s/ reappear if followed by a word starting in a vowel or a /j/ and /w/ from a Latin origin.

The orthography uses the 28 letters: the Latin script letter except "k" plus the letter "ñ", "ġ" and "ǝ" pronounced /ɲ/, /x/ and /ə/.

The letters "c" and "g" are always pronounced /k/ and /g/ even after "e" and "i".

The letter "q" is used to write /k/ in some Arabic loanwords and when this sound used to be /kʷ/ in Latin.

The letters "t", "d", "s" and "z" alongside the digraph "st" represent /t͡ʃ/, /d͡ʒ/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/ and /ʃt/ before "i".

The sounds /j/ and /w/ are represent by the letter "y" and "w" at the start of a word and between vowel ; and by the letter "i" and "u" between a consonant and a vowel.

The digraph "ll" represents the phoneme /j/.

The letter "r" can either represent /ɾ/ or /r/ depending on the context.

The phoneme /r/ is always written "rr" in intervocalic position.

The grave accent can be marked on every vowel letter except "ǝ" to distinguish homophones and mark irregular stress.

"h" is never pronounced but is put between two vowels in hiatus.