How to read and say Kinyarwanda
Letters, sounds and stress from Wikivoyage's Kinyarwanda phrasebook. Then hear the phrases and practice them, free.
▶ Practice Kinyarwanda phrasesVowels
a
like in father. (: a)
e
like in set. (: ɛ)
i
like in see. (: i)
o
like in boat. (: o)
u
like in food. (: u)
Consonants
b
like in boy. (: b)
c
like in chalk. (: tʃ)
d
like in do. (: d̪)
f
like in foot. (: f)
g
like in go. (before "a", "o", "u"; : g), like sabotage (before "e" and "i"; : ʒ)
h
like in hi. (: h)
j
like in second pronunciation of g.
k
like in skit. (: k)
l
like in lion. (: l)
m
like in mother. (: m)
n
like in nose. (: n)
p
like in pawpaw. (: p)
r
like in rain. (: r)
s
like in sun. (: s)
t
like in television. (: t)
v
like in vision. (: v)
w
like in way. (: w)
y
like in yellow. (: y)
z
like in zebra. (: z)
Consonant pairings
ts
like in quits (: ts)
nz
like in enzymes (: nz)
by
like in byuns
rw
like in Rwanda (: roo)
nt
like in investment (: nt)
mw
like in farmwork
tw
like in twice
bw
like in subwoofer (: bw)
nk
like in link (: nk)
nj
like in enjoy (:nj)
mp
like in empower (: mp)
ns
like in insane (: ns)
sw
like in swear (: sw)