Two-Letter Consonants
A pair such as kp or gb is one letter with one sound. Do not read it as two.
How It Works
Nine pairs act as single letters.
| Pair | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ch | achịcha | bread |
| gb | gba ọsọ | run |
| gh | ghọ | become |
| gw | ọgwụ | medicine |
| kp | nkpụrụ | seed |
| kw | kwuo | say, speak |
| nw | nwa | child |
| ny | nye | give |
The pair sh is the rarest, and you will meet it mostly in borrowed words. The letters c, q and x are not Igbo letters on their own, so a lone c in a message usually comes from an English word or name.
Practice by reading the table aloud, one pair at a time, and then say the same words again without looking.
Examples (5)
- achịcha
bread
The pair ch sounds like the first sound in English chair.
- ọgwụ
medicine
Gw is one sound, with the lips rounded as you say g.
- nkpụrụ
seed
Kp is made with both lips, with no separate k or p.
- nwa
child
Nw is one letter at the start of the word.
- nye
give
Ny sounds like the ny in canyon.
How It Connects
Learn This First
These consonants are letters of the alphabet written with two signs, so the alphabet comes first.
Related Patterns
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice Two-Letter Consonants in Bubblegum
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