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LINGALAVISION


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Lingala alphabet

Lingala  or Lingála is a Bantu language mostly spoken in Central Africa. Although, there are different alphabets that can be used, Mandombe script is one of them, Lingala is mainly written using the Latin alphabet. The alphabet is divided into:

  • 15 Simple Consonant
  • 17 Double consonants or digraphs
  • 3 Triple consonants or trigraphs
  • 5 simple vowels
  • 2 special vowels

A digraph is two letters combined to make a single sound in written or spoken English. A digraph can consist of consonants and vowels. In the same way, A trigraph is three letters combined. The combined consonants Gb is often time replaced with Gw. As an example, gbagba and gwagwa mean “bridge”.

The letters c, h, j, q, r, and x are rare but present in borrowed words from other languages. In the old spoken Lingala, r was usually replaced by the letter l.

Lingala is a tonal language with has four tones represented by accented letters. There is not such a “Lingala alphabet” but the specificities of the language make the writing quite unique.

If you want to know more about Lingala writing, have a look at our resources page

Consonants

LetterExampleTranslation
bBokonoIllness
dDanguBasket
fFúluBin
gGádiGarden
kKalaLong ago
lLikásuKola nuts
mMbúlaRain
nNgúmaPython
pPépéléLight
sSánzáMoon
tTaúFragile
vVínoWine
wWangílaSesame
yYambí !Welcome
zZálaNest

Graphs

LetterExampleTranslationEnglish sound
gbgbagbaBridgeRugby
kpEkpángbaWarehouseCockpit
kwMokwéteVenusQuick
mbmbanorewardTumble
mfMfútiTaxArmful
mpMpémaBreatheDamp
mvLitamvulaFringeTriumvirate
mwmwambeEightTamworth
ndNdákoHouseGarland
ngNgúluPigTongue
nknkámáCentMonk
nsNsingaThreadUnstick
ntntabaGoatAnt
nynyamaAnimalNew
nzNzáleBuffalo
tsEtsúsélákáGrammarIts
LetterExampleTranslation
ngbNgbáChopper
ngwNgwaaBright
TshTshádiChad

Vowels

LetterExampleMeaningEnglish sound
aBokaniDecisionMat
eEmótuGenderHay
iLisakoliSpeechFee
oMotokiSweatGoat
uKozuzaTo deformCool
LetterExampleMeaningEnglish sound
ɛTɛmbɛlɛStampEgg
ɔMpɔForCot

Accent

LetterType of accentTone indicationExample Translation
aNo accent Low toneKopésaTo give
áAcute accentHigh toneTatáFather
âCircumflex Descending tone SâmbóleEnigma
ǎCaron Rising toneMwǎsiWoman
LetterAccentExamplesTranslation
aá MatátaProblem
âSâmbóleClue
ǎMwǎsiWoman, spouse
eéMésáTable
êNdêWhat
ěMwěséStar
ɛɛ́ Molɛ́ Meal
ɛ̂ Tɛ̂No
ɛ̌
iíKozímaTo deceive
îTea
ǐEsǐFar
oóSóngólóSo-and-so
ôSékôEternally
ǒ
ɔɔ́ Molɔ́ngɔ́ Diarrhea
ɔ̂Sɔ̂lɔ́ Really
ɔ̌Mɔ̌kɔ́ One
uúBúmaBamboo

Phonetic alphabet

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