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The Tigrinya Vowel System

There are seven vowels  in the Tigrinya alphabet. Each vowel is attached to the preceding letter as follows

 

 1. The first vowel or the Geez vowel  as in the English vowel "e" as in red 

Look  back at the Tigrinya alphabet page for the first Tigrinya vowel system. Click here to see the alphabet

 2.The second vowel or the Kaib vowel  as in the English vowel 'u' or 'oo' as in root  (A hyphen ' - 'at the mid of the right side of the letter)

Vowels with regular pattern 

Vowels with irregular pattern
example meaning example meaning
tu click to hear sound tu tufa'h  tufaḥ apple ru click to hear sound ru ruba river
bu click to hear sound bu bun  bun coffee fu click to hear sound fu ful
 peanut
du click to hear sound du dur   dur forest
mu click to hear sound mu muz  muz banana

Test your knowledge of Tingynya vowel 'u' or  'oo'.

 3. The third vowel or the Sals vowel  as in the English vowel "i"  pronuonced as "ee" as in feet 

(An underscore ' _ ' at the bottom of the right side of the letter)

Sample of vowels with regular pattern

Vowels with irregular pattern
example meaning example meaning
tee click to hear sound tee dstee dstee dish mee click to hear sound mee  lomi   lomee today
bee click to hear sound bee nhbee nhbee bee hee click to hear sound hee  ahshi    shahee tea
dee click to hear sound dee deenamo deenamo dynamo yee click to hear sound yee  steyee steyee drink (for female)
'tee click to hear sound 'tee gus'tee  gus'tee punch 'ee click to hear sound 'ee bl'ee bl'ee food
ree click to hear sound ree 'qetree 'qetree mid-day
fee click to hear sound fee  feedel  feedel alphabet
Test your knowledge of Tingynya vowel 'i' or 'ee'.

 4. The fourth vowel or the Rab vowel  as in the English vowel "a" as in rat  

(The right leg of the letter is longer)              

Sample of vowels with regular pattern

Vowels with regular pattern
example meaning example meaning
ba click to hear sound ba s'eba 'seba milk ta click to hear sound ta pasta  pasta  pasta
da click to hear sound da dawit  dawit david 'a click to hear sound 'a 'alem  'alem world
'ha click to hear sound ḥa ḥarmaz ḥarmaz elephant fa click to hear sound fa fadus  fadus noon
wa click to hear sound wa wa'ta   wa'ta eritrean violin
ya click to hear sound ya guya    guya  run
na click to hear sound na natna  natna ours
qa click to hear sound qa qantsha  qantsha algae
ga click to hear sound ga ganta  ganta team
ra click to hear sound ra raǝy    raǝy vision
Test your knowledge of Tingynya vowel 'a'.

 5. The fifth vowel or the ḥams vowel  pronounced as "ie"  (A small circle  at the bottom of the right side of the letter)

Sample of vowels with regular pattern

Sample of vowels with irregular pattern
example meaning example meaning
mie click to hear sound mie miela   miela method
me click to hear sound bie biet  biet home
gie click to hear sound gie giega   giega mistake
'tie click to hear sound 'tie 'tie 'tiel goat
Test your knowledge of Tingynya vowel 'ie'.

 6. The sixth vowel or the Sads vowel  "(ǝ)" it is silent

This is different for every every letter click here for more   

 7. The seventh vowel or the sabǝ vowel  as in the English vowel 'o' as in pot  

(The left leg of the letter is longer) 

Sample of vowels with regular pattern

Sample of vowels with irregular pattern
bo click to hear sound bo abo  abo father ho click to hear sound ho nguho  nguho morning
so click to hear sound so  siso siso a quarter yo click to hear sound yo eeyob  eeyob job (name)
mo click to hear sound mo  mogogo   mogogo oven ro click to hear sound ro  gororo  gororo throat
'so click to hear sound 'so  ma'ǝ'so ma'ǝ'so   door fo click to hear sound fo golfo golfo sweater
go click to hear sound go gobo   gobo mountain
'o click to hear sound 'o mert'o  mert'o evidence
qo click to hear sound qo qobi'ǝ  qobi'ǝ hat
lo click to hear sound lo lomi  lomi today
no click to hear sound no  nora nora limestone
nyo click to hear sound nyo spunyo  spugnyo sponge
lo click to hear sound wo habwo    habwo give him
to click to hear sound to binto  binto bridge
cho click to hear sound cho chokolata chokolata chocolate
Test your knowledge of Tingynya vowel 'o'.

 

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