The Eight Vowels
Eight vowels: a e i ị o ọ u ụ. The dotted ones sound different from the plain ones.
How It Works
Igbo vowels fall into two groups, and the groups matter later for vowel harmony.
| Group | Vowels | How they feel |
|---|---|---|
| One | i u e o | tight and bright (i is close to ee in see) |
| Two | ị ụ ọ a | looser and more open (ị is close to the i in sit) |
The letter y is a consonant, as in English yes. Every vowel can start a word: ụlọ “house”, ọrụ “work”, ihe “thing”, ebe “place”.
Writers disagree about where a belongs, but most teaching material puts it with ị ụ ọ, and so do these lessons. The English comparisons are rough guides for two vowels only, because English has no matching vowel for every Igbo one. Listen to the audio for the rest.
Examples (5)
- ụlọ
house
It holds ụ and ọ, both from the second group.
- ọrụ
work
It starts with ọ and ends with ụ.
- ihe
thing
It holds i and e, both from the first group.
- ebe
place
It holds only e, a first-group vowel.
- akwụkwọ
book
It holds a, ụ and ọ together.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The eight vowels are letters of the alphabet, so the alphabet comes first.
Related Patterns
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice The Eight Vowels in Bubblegum
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