Fɔ̀n Alphabet & Language Pronunciation Guide
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We will first give the Fɔ̀n alphabet with emphasis on vowel pronunciation. We then go into a deeper explanation of how 𞤬𞤽𞥇𞤲𞤩𞤫𞥊 Fɔ̀ngbè is expressed and the importance of tones. The writing script you see is called 𞤱𞤫𞥊𞥅𞤳𞤭𞤲 𞤳𞤭𞤤𞤽𞤥𞤦𞤮 Wékun Kilɔmbo (the Kilɔmbo writing script) - a script created by us to express Fɔ̀n and several other Afrikan languages and read right to left. Each Latin letter is preceded by the Kilɔmbo script letter. Following in the footsteps of some who came before us in this endeavor, we felt it imperative that we have not only a script to express our languages, but also a script to write our (formerly oral) sacred texts (Odù Ifá and the like). To learn more about and purchase my book on the Fɔ̀n language check out Functional Fɔ̀ngbè for Our Everyday World.
𞤱𞤫𞥊𞥅𞤳𞤵𞤲 𞤣𞤮 𞤬𞤽𞥇𞤲𞤩𞤫𞥊 Wékun do Fɔ̀ngbè me - The Alphabet in Fɔ̀ngbè
Fɔ̀ngbè has 31 alphabets. There are seven oral vowel phonemes and five nasal vowel phonemes, or 𞤢𞤱𞤽𞤲𞤼𞤭𞤲𞤥𞤹 𞤱𞤫𞥊𞥅𞤳𞤵𞤲 awɔntinmɛ wékun.
𞤱𞤫𞥊𞥅𞤳𞤵𞤲 𞤢𞤧𞤭 Wékun Asu - Consonants
There are 25 consonants as follows.
Alpha - 𞤢 a, 𞤦 b, 𞤷 c, 𞤣 d, 𞤣𞥈 ɖ, 𞤫 e, 𞤹 ɛ, 𞤬 f, 𞤺 g, 𞤩 gb, 𞤸 h, 𞤭 i, 𞤶 j, 𞤳 k, 𞥂 kp
Phono -- a b ʧ d ɖ e ɛ f g gb h i ʤ k kp
Alpha - 𞤤 l, 𞤥 m, 𞤲 n, 𞤻 ny, 𞤮 o, 𞤽 ɔ, 𞤨 p, 𞤪 r, 𞤧 s, 𞤼 t, 𞤵 u, 𞤾 v, 𞤱 w, 𞤿 x, 𞤴 y, 𞥁 z
Phono - l m n ɲ o ɔ p r s t u v w h j
The "c" is pronounced like the "tch" in "hitch". The "x" is used to represent the hard gutteral "h" sound in Fɔ̀ngbè. The "z" is pronounced like a dragging "j" sound. The "gb" is pronounced from the back of the throat with the g and b being brought together as one to make a unique sound of its own.
Wékun Asi (Vowels) 𞤮𞥇 õ, 𞤮𞥊𞥅 ó, 𞤢𞥈 à, 𞤽𞥇 ɔ́, 𞤽𞥇 ɔ̀, 𞤽 ɔ, 𞤢𞥉 á, 𞤹 ɛ, 𞤹𞥇 ɛ́, 𞤹𞥇 ɛ̀, 𞤫𞥊 è, 𞤫𞥊𞥅 é, 𞤭𞥊𞥅 í, 𞤭𞥊 ì, 𞤵𞥊𞥅 ú, 𞤵𞥊 ù
Vowels like “ɔ” and “ɛ” are what are considered open vowels. They are often nasal. The “ɔ” (ọ in Yọrùbá) is pronounced more like “aw” and the “ɛ” (ẹ in Yọrùbá) is pronounced more like “eh” but from the back of the throat causing the open sound as the “a” in bat.
“e” is pronounced “eh” and not like “ee” in the word “seen”.
“u” is pronounced like the “oo” in “food”.
“a” is pronounced like the “a” in “father”.
“i” is pronounced like the “ee” in the word “seen”.
Tonal system and grammatical structure of Fɔ̀ngbè
One of the most distinctive features of Fɔ̀ngbè is its sophisticated tonal system. As in many other Afrikan languages, tones in Fɔ̀ngbè play a crucial role in word meaning. The same word can have entirely different meanings depending on the tone used. For example, a word spoken in a high tone can mean something entirely different if it is spoken in a low tone. This tonal dimension adds a layer of complexity to learning and using the language, but it also allows for increased expressiveness, as tones can convey implicit emotions and intentions. Thus, proper pronunciation is crucial to the proper use and meaning of words. You don't want to mistakenly curse someone when you're actually trying to speak praises on them.
Grammatically, Fɔ̀ngbè has a complex structure that relies on the use of prefixes, suffixes, and verbal morphemes to mark various aspects of the verb, such as tense, aspect, mood, and polarity. Unlike some European languages, where these categories are explicitly expressed by separate words, in Fɔ̀ngbè these distinctions are often built directly into the verb through morphological modifications. For example, a single verb can have several different forms depending on whether it is conjugated in the past, present, or future tense, and these forms can also indicate whether the action is completed or in progress, thus adding important semantic depth.
Our languages are not just a bunch of thrown together words to make sounds as in, for example, English. We always state that the language is the culture and the culture is the language.
A tone language is one in which pitch—the relative height of sounds—plays a distinctive role in word meaning. Unlike languages where meaning depends primarily on segments (such as consonants and vowels), in a tone language, variations in pitch can lead to differences in meaning, which can be very crucial in relation to what you mean to say versus what you end up saying.
In Fɔ̀ngbè, the tones are low, high, mid, and the variations on those are short, rising, falling, and falling-rising. This is a fascinating aspect of the linguistic diversity of our ancestors because it introduces a musical dimension to speech and can make understanding a little trickier for non-native speakers. For instance, take the two Fɔ̀n words gbà and gbá. If one is not paying particular attention to tones, it would appear that they are pretty much pronounced the same, right? Yet, 𞤩𞤢𞥉 gbá (high tone "a") means "build" and 𞤩𞤢𞥈 gbà (low tone "a") means "destroy". For example, 𞤵𞤲 𞤶𞤤𞤮𞥊𞥅 𞤲𞤢𞥉 𞤩𞤢𞥉 𞤱𞤫 Un jló ná gbá we - I wish to build you (up). That versus 𞤵𞤲 𞤶𞤤𞤮𞥊𞥅 𞤲𞤢𞥉 𞤩𞤢𞥉 𞤱𞤫 Un jló ná gbá we - I wish to build you Un jló ná gbà we - I wish to destroy you. You see?
This means the pitch must be correct. Think of pitch as a melody embedded in each word. In these languages, voice pitch isn't simply a matter of emotional expression; it carries a semantic charge. A change in pitch can completely transform the meaning of a word, adding a subtle but crucial layer to communication. It's as if music is woven into the very structure of the language. Maintaining the correct pitch is essential. A misplaced pitch can lead to amusing misoverstandings or, in more serious situations, total misovererstanding (remember gbá vs gbà).
As you study more, we acknowledge the difficulty in this as those trying to learn may often not recognize the change up in tones or the proper pronunciation of sounds like the "gb" in Fɔ̀ngbè. This means you have to train your ear to actually head and internalize Fɔ̀ngbè. Don't look at it as this great difficulty that can't be conquered. Look at it as a fascinating journey towards ReAfrikanization!