The Tswefap alphabet


1. Vowels

Tswefap 

IPA

Example

a

[a]

ntap - shoes

e

[ɘ]

tse - tree

eh

[ɛ]

pèh - split

eu

[ɨ]

mveuk - dog

ey

[e]

féy - windscreen

i

[i]

pfi - knife

o

[o]

mo - fire

oh

[ɔ]

loh - dream

u

[u]

su - friend

 

2. consonants

Tswefap 

IPA

Example

ch

[ʃ]

chi - le sol

f

[f]

fè - la plume

g

[ɣ]

gòp - parler

h

[h]

he - donner

k

[k]

kèlòhk - banane plantain

kh

[kʰ]

khep - balayer

kp

[k͡p]

kpeuk - mourir

l

[l]

làk - l'ananas

ly

[ly]

lyòh' - l'igname

m

[m]

 

mb

[ᵐb]

 

n

[n]

 

nd

[ⁿd]

 

nj

[ⁿdʒ]

 

nn

[ŋ]

 

nw

[ŋʷ]

 

ny

[ˈɲ]

 

nz

[ⁿ(d)z]

 

p

[p]

 

pf

[​​p͡f]

 

gh

[​ʁ]

 

s

[s]

 

t

[t]

 

tch

[​t͡ʃ]

 

ts

[​t͡s]

 

v

[v]

 

w

[w]

 

x

[x]

 

y

[j]

 

zh

[​ʒ]

 

ʼ

[​ʔ]

 

IPA = International Phonetic Alphabet