The alphabet

Every letter is a syllable, not just a consonant. Take the shape for ለ (l) and change its tail seven ways — one for each vowel.

ግዕዝ

1 · “ä”

the plain sound

ካዕብ

2 · “u”

oo, like 'boot'

ሳልስ

3 · “i”

ee, like 'see'

ራብዕ

4 · “a”

ah, like 'car'

ሓምስ

5 · “e”

ay, like 'day'

ሳድስ

6 · “ə”

a tiny 'uh', or silent

ሳብዕ

7 · “o”

oh, like 'go'

ሀha soft breath — 'ha'

ለllike the l in 'lion'

ሐḥa deeper h, from the throat

መmhum it — 'mmm'

ረra little rolled r

ሰslike a snake, 'sss'

ሸšquiet please — 'shh'

ቀqa k made at the very back

ቐq̈a softer, breathier ቀ

በbpop your lips — 'buh'

ተttap your tongue — 'tuh'

ቸčlike ch in 'chair'

ነnthrough your nose — 'nnn'

ኘñlike the ny in 'canyon'

አʾjust the vowel, no consonant

ከklike k in 'kite'

ኸḵa breathy k, like clearing your throat

ወwround your lips — 'wuh'

ዐʿa squeeze deep in the throat

ዘzbuzz like a bee — 'zzz'

የylike y in 'yes'

ደdlike d in 'drum'

ጀjlike j in 'jump'

ገglike g in 'goat'

ጠṭa punchy t — say it hard

ጨč̣a punchy ch

ጰp̣a punchy p

ጸṣa punchy s — 'ts'

ፈfblow gently — 'fff'

ፐppop it — 'puh'

Row	ግዕዝ	ካዕብ	ሳልስ	ራብዕ	ሓምስ	ሳድስ	ሳብዕ
ሀ h
ለ l
ሐ ḥ
መ m
ረ r
ሰ s
ሸ š
ቀ q
ቐ q̈
በ b
ተ t
ቸ č
ነ n
ኘ ñ
አ ʾ
ከ k
ኸ ḵ
ወ w
ዐ ʿ
ዘ z
የ y
ደ d
ጀ j
ገ g
ጠ ṭ
ጨ č̣
ጰ p̣
ጸ ṣ
ፈ f
ፐ p

The “-wa” letters

A handful of letters carry a built-in w. They sit outside the seven columns but turn up in very ordinary words.