Language/Tigrinya/Grammar/Pronunciation-Rules

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◀️ Tigrinya Alphabet — Previous Lesson Next Lesson — Numbers 1-10 ▶️

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Tigrinya → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Alphabet and Pronunciation → Pronunciation Rules

Introduction

In this lesson, we will cover the basic rules of Tigrinya pronunciation, including vowel and consonant sounds, stress patterns, and common pronunciation mistakes. As a Tigrinya language teacher with over 20 years of experience, I will also provide cultural information and interesting facts about Tigrinya language and culture. By the end of this lesson, you should be able to correctly pronounce Tigrinya words and avoid common pronunciation mistakes.

Tigrinya Vowel Sounds

Tigrinya has seven vowel sounds, which are represented by the following symbols:

Tigrinya Pronunciation English
ኣ a father
እ ē they
ዝ u rule
ዐ ʿä hat
ኸ ḫa loch
ዑ ū soon
ኦ o four

Note: Vowels in Tigrinya words are pronounced somewhat shorter than English vowels.

Tigrinya Consonant Sounds

Tigrinya has thirty-two consonant sounds, which are represented by the following symbols:

Tigrinya Pronunciation English
ሀ ha hat
ለ lē let
ሐ ḥa hot
መ me met
ሜ mē map
ሠ se set
ረ re red
ሰ se set
ሸ ša she
ኀ ḫa loch
ነ ne net
ኘ ni nip
አ ʾa art
ከ ka cat
ኸ ḫa loch
ወ wä swept
ዐ ʿä hat
ኬ ḵa kit
ኰ kʷa queen
ኸ ḫa loch
ዘ zä zebra
ከ ke kettle
ዠ ye yet
የ yä yet
ደ de den
ድ dä den
ዶ do dog
ይ yē yes
ዽ ẗa the
ፀ ṣä son
ጸ sä set

Note: Some Tigrinya consonant sounds do not exist in English sounds, and may be difficult to pronounce.

Stress Patterns

In Tigrinya, stress is placed on the second-to-last syllable of a word. If a word is one syllable long, it is stressed. For example:

  • ብልጽግና (bləstǝgna) - development
  • ነገር (nägär) - thing
  • ሰው (säwu) - man
  • ስም (säm) - name
  • ወይም (waym) - or

Common Pronunciation Mistakes

Some consonant sounds and combinations may be particularly difficult for English speakers to pronounce correctly in Tigrinya. Here are some common mispronunciations to avoid:

  • The sound "ts" is pronounced as a single sound, like "ts" in "cats", not "t" and "s" separately.
  • The "kh" sound is a guttural sound made in the back of the throat, like the Scottish "loch".
  • Keep "w" and "y" pure sounds. Do not add a vowel sound after them.
  • "tz" and "ṣ" are pronounced with the tongue at the front of the teeth, but "s" and "z" are pronounced with the tongue behind the teeth.

Conclusion

In this lesson, we covered the basic rules of Tigrinya pronunciation, including vowel and consonant sounds, stress patterns, and common pronunciation mistakes. Remember to practice your pronunciation regularly, and listen to native Tigrinya speakers to improve your accent. In the next lesson, we will cover Tigrinya numbers and time.

Table of Contents - Tigrinya Course - 0 to A1


Greetings and Introductions


Alphabet and Pronunciation


Numbers and Time


Basic Sentence Structure


Common Verbs and Actions


Asking Questions


Food and Dining


Tigrinya Culture and Traditions


Nouns and Pronouns


Family and Relationships


Adjectives and Adverbs


Travel and Transportation


Geography and History


Other Lessons


Sources


◀️ Tigrinya Alphabet — Previous Lesson Next Lesson — Numbers 1-10 ▶️

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