Language/Bambara/Pronunciation/Alphabet-and-pronunciation

Consonants

Consonants
Latin	N’ko	English approximation	Example	Gloss
b	ߓ	bad	bón	‘house’
c	ߗ	Chad	cɛ̌	‘man’
d	ߘ	dog	dɔ̀lɔ́	‘alcohol’
f	ߝ	film	fɔ́lɔ	‘first’
g	-	good	gàribú	‘Quranic student seeking alms’
gb	ߜ	*A labio-velar double occlusive—in essence, an English /g/ and /b/ at the same time	gbò	‘bad’
h	ߤ	hello	hákili	‘idea’
j	ߖ	jump	jàn	‘long’
k	ߞ	call	kélen	‘one’
l	ߟ	lamp	lòkó	‘plantain’
m	ߡ	might	mɔ̀gɔ́	‘person’
n	ߣ	never	náani	‘four
ɲ	ߢ	*Palatal nasal—like enseñar in Spanish	ɲì	‘good’
ŋ	-	king	ŋɔ̀mí	‘fritter’
p	ߔ	power	pán	‘jump’
r	ߙ / ߚ	*a tapped /r/ like pero in Spanish	báara	‘work’
s	ߛ	soup	sàyá	‘death’
t	ߕ	tomato	tìlé	‘sun’
w	ߥ	west	wári	‘money’
y	ߦ	yogurt	yɛ́lɛ	‘laugh’
z	-	zebra	zùwɛ́n	‘June’

Vowels

Vowels
Latin	N’ko	English approximation	Example	Gloss
a	ߊ	wasp	bàbá	‘dad’
e	ߋ	*like manger in French	bèsé	‘machette’
ɛ	ߍ	met	sɛ̀nɛ́	‘farming’
i	ߌ	happy	fili	‘throw’
u	ߎ	goose	dùgú	‘earth’
o	ߏ	*like beau in French	bǒ	‘excrement’
ɔ	ߐ	bought	bɔ̀gɔ́	‘mud, clay’

Syllabic Nasal
Latin	N’ko	English approximation	Example	Gloss
n	ߒ	*Syllabic nasal	ń	‘I’