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How to Speak the Igbo Language

Method 1 of 3:

Pronouncing the Igbo Alphabet

  1. Start with the 5 familiar vowels. There are a total of 8 vowels in Igbo. If you speak English or another European language, these 5 letters will be familiar to you. However, in Igbo, these letters have only one sound. They sound the same regardless of where they appear in a word. The first 5 vowels are:[2]
    1. The letter "a," which makes an "ah" sound, similar to the "a" in the English word "father."
    2. The letter "e," which makes an "eh" sound, similar to the "e" in the English word "get."
    3. The letter "i," which makes an "ee" sound, similar to the "ee" in the English word "beet."
    4. The letter "o," which makes an "oh" sound, similar to the "o" in the English word "go."
    5. The letter "u," which makes an "oo" sound, similar to the "oo" in the English word "boot."
  2. Change the sound of 3 vowels if they have a dot under them. The additional 3 vowels in Igbo are the letters "i," "o," and "u," but with a dot underneath them. The dot indicates that these letters are pronounced differently[3]
    1. The letter "ị," which makes an "ih" sound, is similar to the "i" in the English word "fit."
    2. The letter "ọ," which makes an "aw" sound, is similar to the "au" in the English word "author."
    3. The letter "ụ," which makes an "uh" sound, is similar to the "oo" in the English word "soot."

    Tip: In writing, an upper-case "ị" is written with a dot over it also, the same as the lower-case. However, the upper-case is slightly larger than the lower-case letter.

  3. Add consonants that sound roughly the same in Igbo as in English. If you speak English, you won't have any trouble pronouncing most of the consonants in Igbo, because the letters make the same sound as the English letters. However, since Igbo letters always make the same sound regardless of where they appear in a word, some consonants are more restricted than their English counterparts.[4]
    1. The letter "g" makes a hard "g" sound, similar to the "g" in the English word "get" (never a soft "g," as in the English word "manage").
    2. When the letter "n" has a " ˜ " over it, as in "ñ," it sounds like the "n" in the English word "song," but more nasal.
    3. The letter "j" is pronounced similar to the English hard "j," but sounds more like the "dg" in the English word "bridge."
    4. The letter "m" is a nasal letter that always sounds like the "m" in the English word "him" (never a hard "m," as in the English word "miracle").
    5. The letter "r" does not sound like the English "r." Pronounce it by snapping your tongue quickly on the roof of your mouth just behind your front teeth. It makes a sound similar to the "t" in the English word "water."
  4. Work on consonants that don't exist in English. Igbo has 8 additional consonants that technically don't appear in English, although many of them sound the same as English consonant blends. While they look as though they are made up of 2 consonants, they are treated as 1 letter in the Igbo language.[5]
    1. The letter "ch" sounds similar to the "ch" in the English word "cheese."
    2. The letter "sh" sounds similar to the "sh" in the English word "ship."
    3. The letter "kw" sounds similar to the "qu" in the English word "queen."
    4. The letter "ny" sounds similar to the "ny" in the English word "canyon."
    5. The letter "gw" sounds similar to the "gw" in the Welsh name "Gwyn."
    6. The letter "nw" makes a sound that doesn't exist in English. It sounds somewhat like the "waah" you might use to describe a baby's cry, but more nasally.
    7. The letter "gb" makes a sound that doesn't exist in English. To approximate this sound, pronounce a "b" while shaping your mouth as you would to pronounce a "g."
    8. The letter "kp" makes a sound that doesn't exist in English. To approximate this sound, pronounce a "p" sound while shaping your mouth as you would to pronounce a "k."
  5. Exhale a puff of air when a letter is followed by a " ' ." The character " ' " looks similar to an apostrophe in English. However, in written Igbo, this character tells you to aspirate — that is, to exhale a short puff of air as you pronounce the consonant preceding it. If you speak English, you may naturally aspirate after some of these consonants, although others will be new to you.[6]
    1. For example, you're likely familiar with aspirating while pronouncing a "k" (as in the English word "kick") or "g" (as in the English word "get").
    2. For some letters, on the other hand, it can be difficult to get the flow of breath correct, such as with an aspiration after the letter "d" or the letter "j." It can take some practice to get the sound and the pronunciation right.

    Tip: Practice saying the letters while holding a tissue or a piece of paper in front of your mouth. If it moves after you pronounce the consonant, you're aspirating correctly.

Method 2 of 3:

Practicing Igbo Tones

  1. Listen to spoken Igbo to identify high and low tones. The Igbo language has 2 tones: a high tone and a low tone. Particularly if you're coming from English or another European language, you might have difficulty with a highly tonal language such as Igbo. Listening to native speakers will help you understand the tones and how to pronounce them.[7]
    1. Tones are extremely important in Igbo and can change the definition of a word that is otherwise spelled the same. Contrast this with English, in which the tone of your voice generally only rises or falls to express emotion, or if you're asking a question.

    Tip: Technically there is also a middle tone, but this is only used when you have two high tones or two low tones right next to each other in a word.

  2. Change the position of your tongue to pronounce the tones. Igbo tones are high or low in relation to the preceding syllable. The real difference in the way the tone is pronounced is the position of your tongue when you speak.[8]
    1. For the high tone, bend your tongue towards the roof of your mouth as you pronounce the syllable, similar to how you would when pronouncing the English word "rule."
    2. For the low tone, flatten your tongue low against the bottom of your mouth as you pronounce the syllable, similar to how you would when pronouncing the English word "father."
  3. Group the vowels into high and low tone groups. Vowels are the foundation of Igbo tones. The 8 vowels are split into 2 groups, referred to as closed vowels and open vowels. With closed vowels, your jaw is more tense, whereas it is naturally more lax when pronouncing open vowels. There are 2 closed vowels and 2 open vowels in each tone.[9]
    1. The closed vowels "i" and "u" and the open vowels "ị" and "ụ" have a high tone.
    2. The closed vowels "e" and "o" and the open vowels "a" and "ọ" have a low tone.
  4. Decline your pitch level in steps as you speak. "High" and "low," when used to describe Igbo tones, don't refer to an absolute pitch level. Rather, the pitch is either high or low relative to the preceding syllable. As you speak a phrase or sentence, your pitch gets progressively lower.[10]
    1. If you listen to native speakers, you'll gradually pick up on this. Search for Igbo language videos on YouTube or similar sites and simply listen. After listening, try to mimic their speech. Copy not only what they say but how they say it.
Method 3 of 3:

Having Simple Conversations

  1. Use "kedụ" as a general greeting. Having conversations with native speakers, either in person or online, is the best way to quickly learn how to speak any language. If you want to speak to a native Igbo speaker, start by saying "kedu," which means "hello."[11]
    1. "Kedu" is a rather all-purpose greeting that also means "how are you?" To ask after the person's well-being separately, though, you could add "kedụ ka ọ dị?" or "kedu ka ịmere?" To reply to either of those phrases, say either "ọ di mụ mma" or "a di mụ mma."
  2. Switch up your greeting based on the time of day. Like most other languages, in addition to the general greeting, there are also Igbo greetings that are only used at specific times of the day. These greetings are:[12]
    1. "Ụtụtụ ọma" (good morning)
    2. "Ehihie ọma" (good afternoon)
    3. "Mgbede ọma" (good evening)

    Tip: If someone says one of these greetings to you, the proper reply is "ndewo," which basically means "same to you."

  3. Say "aham bu" followed by your name to introduce yourself. The phrase "aham bu" means "my name is." There's no need to attempt to "translate" your name into Igbo — just pronounce it however you normally would.[13]
    1. To ask the person their name, say "Kedu aha gị?"
    2. When the other person introduces themselves, you might say "ọ dị m obi ụtọ izute gị," which means "pleased to meet you."
  4. Ask questions to get to know the person better. The best way to keep a conversation going is to ask the person questions so they can talk about themselves. Some basic Igbo questions you might ask are:[14]
    1. "Kedụ ebe ị si?" (Where are you from?)
    2. "Kedụ ebe ị bi?" (Where do you live?)
    3. "Gịnị ka ị na arụ?" (What do you do for a living?)
    4. "Arọ one k'ịdị?" (How old are you?)
  5. Let the person know if you don't understand what they're saying. When you're talking to a native speaker, they might speak too fast or use words that you don't know yet. If you need some help understanding them, you might say:[15]
    1. "Gịnị ka ị chere?" (What do you mean?)
    2. "A ghọtaghị m" (I don't understand)
    3. "Kedụ ihe a n'akpọ okwu a na asụsụ bekee?" (What does that word mean in English?)
    4. "Biko, jiri nwayo kwuo okwu" (Please speak more slowly)
    5. "Biko, kwuo ihe i kwuru ozo" (Please say that again)[16]
  6. Include polite words and phrases to show respect. When you're chatting with native speakers, they'll be much more patient with you if you're polite. Be respectful and mind your manners by including the following words and phrases in your speech where appropriate:[17]
    1. Biko (please)
    2. Dalụ (thank you)
    3. Ndewo (similar to "you're welcome;" reply to "thank you")
    4. Biko, chetu (excuse me, when getting someone's attention)
    5. Biko, e wel iwe (excuse me, when begging someone's pardon)
    6. Ndo (sorry)
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