Twi Vowels

Level 1

Seven vowel letters, a e ɛ i o ɔ u, spell about ten vowel sounds. Nasal vowels are real but not written, and a doubled vowel is a long vowel.

How It Works

Seven letters, more sounds. Twi has about ten oral vowels, made in tense and relaxed pairs, plus five nasal vowels. The seven letters share the work:

  • i as in feet; u as in food.
  • e is either close to the a in hate or a relaxed sound close to the i in dip.
  • o is either close to the o in old or a relaxed sound close to the u in foot.
  • a is usually like the a in father, but before a tense i or u it is raised a little, toward the a of man.
  • ɛ as in bed; ɔ as in law. See ɛ and ɔ.

Which of the two sounds you hear usually depends on the other vowels in the word. See vowel harmony.

Nasal vowels. Some vowels are said with air through the nose. This can be the only difference between two words, and Asante spelling does not mark it. Ka (bite) has a plain vowel, while ka (say) has a nasal one. Both have the past form kaa, so Ɔkraman no kaa me (The dog bit me) and Ɔkaa sɛ ɔbɛba (She said that she would come) look alike on paper. Vowels after m, n and ny often sound nasal too. Learn these by ear.

Long vowels. A doubled letter is a longer vowel, and the length can change the meaning: Meda ha (I sleep here) but Medaa ha (I slept here). The past of many verbs lengthens the last vowel. See past with object.

Two different vowels together. Say both, gliding smoothly from one to the other: fie (home), dua (tree), nsuo (water).

Examples (5)

  1. Medaa ha ɛnnora.

    I slept here yesterday.

    Word by Word: I-slept here yesterday.

    Daa, with a long vowel, is the past of da (sleep). Meda ha would mean I sleep here.

  2. Ɔkraman no kaa me.

    The dog bit me.

    Word by Word: Dog the bit me.

    Kaa is the past of ka (bite), which has a plain vowel.

  3. Ɔkaa sɛ ɔbɛba.

    She said that she would come.

    Word by Word: She-said that she-will-come.

    Here kaa is the past of ka (say), whose vowel is nasal. It is spelled the same as kaa (bit).

  4. Dua no ware.

    The tree is tall.

    Word by Word: Tree the is-tall.

    In dua, u and a are both said, one gliding into the other.

  5. Ɔfaa sika no.

    She took the money.

    Word by Word: She-took money the.

    Faa, with a doubled a, is the past of fa (take).

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving the past vowel short.

    Meda ha ɛnnora.
    Medaa ha ɛnnora.

    Ɛnnora (yesterday) needs the past. The past of da doubles its vowel to daa, while Meda ha means I sleep here.

How It Connects

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

Twi VowelsLevel 1

Learn This First

The full vowel system extends the letters ɛ and ɔ.