Compounds and Borrowed Words

Foundations

Harmony works inside a single word. In a compound, each part keeps its own vowels.

How It Works

Harmony is a rule about vowels inside one word. A compound is made of two words, so each part follows its own group.

CompoundParts
ụgbọ elu “airplane”ụgbọ (second group) + elu “above, sky” (first group)
ụgbọ mmiri “boat”ụgbọ + mmiri “water”
ọrụ ugbo “farming”ọrụ “work” + ugbo “farm”

Borrowed words are spelled the Igbo way but often keep a mix of groups. In futbọọlụ “football”, u is first group and ọ and ụ are second group.

When a word is new to you, check the dictionary rather than guessing a spelling from harmony. Harmony helps you read and say words, and it is a poor tool for inventing them.

Examples (4)

  1. ụgbọ elu

    airplane

    The first part has second-group vowels and the second part has first-group vowels.

  2. ụgbọ mmiri

    boat

    Ụgbọ is a vehicle and mmiri is water.

  3. ọrụ ugbo

    farming

    Ọrụ is second group and ugbo is first group.

  4. futbọọlụ

    football

    A borrowed word with u from the first group and ọ and ụ from the second.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Compounds and Borrowed WordsFoundations

Learn This First

This row shows where harmony stops, so learners need the plain rule first.

Words in This Pattern

ụgbọ eluụgbọ mmiri