The penultimate syllable of most Zulu sentences is stressed by lengthening eg ngisafunda isiZulu (I am still learning Zulu)
f is said as in fall -
ifu cloud
v as in van -
vala close
sh as in shall -
shaya hit
tsh somewhat like church
- tshela tell
th much like tea -
thatha take
t somewhat like stream -
intombi girl
ph is aspirated and said as in
pen - pheka cook
p as in spoon but without
aspiration - impisi hyena
kh much like can -
ikhanda head
k - the 'soft-k' is somewhere
between k and g -
ukuvuka wake up
'sharp-k' somwhat like cat but with no
aspiration - inkunzi bull
g more or less as in gain
- ugogo grandmother
ng as in finger -
ingane child
ny like vignette
-inyoni bird
d is said much like duck-
amadoda men
(m)b sounds like bat -
imbuzi goat
b on its own is said with implosion ie a
slightly aggressive air-stream - ubaba father
bh somewhere between ball
and pot (there is no aspiration) -
ibhola ball
h is said as in hand -
hamba go
hh the voiced equivalent of his said
somewhat like ha! - ihhashi horse,
hhayi no!
hl like the Welsh
Llanelli - hlala sit
dl the voiced form of hl eg d+hl -
dlala play
j is said as in just -
ukujabulua to be glad
a as in bark -
ubaba father
e .. i as in bed -
-thengile is bought
e .. a as in cat -
-letha bring
i as in see -
-thi say
o .. a as in saw -
-bona see
o .. i/u as in the French
non - nkosazana miss
u as in food -
ufudu tortoise
w is said as in want -
wena you
y is prounounced as in
yes - yebo yes
c tut! <teeth> -
-cela ask
q <top> - -qala
start
x <side> - -xoxa
talk
ch, qh, xh aspirated
nc, nq, nx nasal
gc, gq, gx voiced
This page - www.newt.clara.co.uk/isizulu/say.htm
31 August 2002