The isiXhosa sound system is very different to that of your own mother tongue, but you will

master this. I say this because the website modules will provide you with ample examples and
opportunities to practice. In addition, if you are beginning to learn this language in the Eastern
Cape, you are encouraged to listen to mother tongue speakers and to imitate them. Here then
is a brief introduction to some of the sounds unique to isiXhosa.

The Vowels

a- as in the “aaa” used when opening your mouth for the doctor, e.g “abantu – people”
e- as in “egg”, e.g “ewe – yes”
i- as in “peep, e.g “iti – tea”
o- as in “paw”, e.g. “imoto – car”
u- as in “tool, e.g. “umntu – person”

There are some variations on these, but we will discuss them later.

Unique sounds

“hl-“ a voiceless sound articulated by allowing the air to escape out of the side of the mouth,
much as in the Welsh town “Llanelli”. This sound is found in isiXhosa words such as:

-hlala – sit/live
-hlaba – stab
-hlanu – five

“dl-“ this time with voice, again allowing the air to escape out of the side of the mouth
as found in the words:

-dlala – play
-indlu – house
-indlebe – ear

“rh-“ a guttural rasping sound articulated towards the back of the tongue, producing a sound
similar to that when expressing displeasure and saying “Ga!”
Examples are:

iTinarha - Uitenhage – following the Afrikaans pronunciation

eRhawutini – in, to, from Johannesburg
eRhini – in, to, from Grahamstown

“kr-“ an even more harsh, guttural sound articulated right at the back of the throat [more or
less where you gargle]. This sound is found in words such as:

-krakra – bitter [the word even has a bitter sound to it]

-krwada – unripe, raw, uncouth
-kroba - peep

The Click Sounds

These are generally “feared”, but with practice are quite easy to master. In essence, there are
three basic click sounds in isiXhosa and are best described as “voiceless sucking sounds” –
hence the Afrikaans term “suigklanke”. Each click sound has variations, some of which are
described below.

Firstly, the “c-“. This is articulated by placing the tip of the tongue on the ridge behind the top
front teeth and then making a sucking sound as you pull it away. This sound then is sometimes
referred to as the “dental click”.
Examples of words in which this sound occurs are:

icici - earring
icephe- spoon
-cela - ask for / request

Variations are:

“ch-“ articulated with more air passing out of the mouth, e.g “-cheba – trim”
“gc-“ articulated with voice, e.g. “–gcina – keep/preserve/store”
“nc-“ articulated through the nose, e.g. –ncinci – small / little”

There are two further variations which the unpracticed tongue will find too difficult at this
stage, and for this reason are left for a later stage. Communication however will not be
radically impeded as a result of not having mastered them, so don’t worry.

Secondly, the “q-“. This is articulated by raising the front part of the tongue to the palate and
then sucking downward. The resulting sound should be an audible “pop” sound. This sound is
also sometimes referred to as a “palatal click”
This sound occurs in words such as:

-qonda “understand”
-qala “begin”
iqanda “an egg”

Variations are:

“qh-“ articulated with more air passing through the mouth, e.g. “qha – only / just”
“gq-“ articulated with voice, e.g. “-gqiba – finish / complete”
“nq-“ articulated through the nose, e.g. “nqena – be lazy”
Once more the two more difficult variations will be left for a later stage.

Finally, the “x-“. This is articulated by attaching the side of the tongue to the molars and then
sucking away, resulting in a sound similar to that made when encouraging a horse. [make sure
that you have sufficient saliva in your mouth when you try this – it helps!] This sound is
sometimes referred to as the “lateral click” and occurs in words such as:

-xoka ‘tell lies”

-xela “ tell”
uxolo “peace/ sorry!”

Variations are:

“xh-“ articulated with more air, e.g. “isiXhosa – the Xhosa language”
“gx-“ articulated with voice, e.g. “-gxotha – chase away/ dismiss”
“nx-“ through the nose, e.g. “-nxiba – wear / put on”
“ngx-“ with voice and through the nose, eg. “- ngxola – make a noise”
One more difficult variation is being kept for later.