The charts below show the way in which the IPA is used to transcribe the Nguni languages such as Xhosa, Zulu, and Swazi.
A superscript X marks a sound or spelling found specifically in Xhosa, and Z specifically in Zulu. Sounds marked * are only in loanwords.
| Consonants
|
Vowels
|
Tones
|
| Non-click
|
| IPA |
Orthography
|
| bʱ
|
bh
|
| ɓ
|
b
|
| dʱ
|
d
|
| d̠ʲʱ
|
dyx
|
| dzʱ
|
dz*
|
| dʒʱ
|
j
|
| f
|
f
|
| ɡʱ
|
ghz, gx
|
| ɠ
|
gz
|
| h
|
h
|
| ɦ
|
hh
|
| j
|
y
|
| jʱ
|
yh
|
| kʰ
|
kh
|
| kʼ
|
k
|
| kxʼ
|
klz, krx
|
| l
|
l
|
| lʱ
|
lhx
|
| ɬ
|
hl
|
| ɮʱ
|
dl
|
| m
|
m
|
| mʱ
|
mh
|
| n
|
n
|
| nʱ
|
nh
|
|
| Non-click
|
| IPA |
Orthography
|
| n̠ʲ
|
ny
|
| n̠ʲʱ
|
nyh
|
| ŋ
|
ng'
|
| ŋʱ
|
ngh*
|
| pʰ
|
ph
|
| pʼ
|
p
|
| r
|
r*
|
| rʱ
|
r*
|
| s
|
s
|
| ʃ
|
sh
|
| tʰ
|
th
|
| t̠ʲ
|
tyx
|
| t̠ʲʰ
|
tyhx
|
| tʼ
|
t
|
| tsʼ
|
tsx
|
| tsʰ
|
tshx or thsx
|
| tʃʼ
|
tsh
|
| tʃʰ
|
tshx or thshx
|
| vʱ
|
v
|
| w
|
w
|
| wʱ
|
wh
|
| x
|
rhx
|
| ɣʱ
|
grx
|
| zʱ
|
z
|
| ʒʱ
|
zh*
|
|
| Click
|
| IPA |
Orthography
|
| ǀ
|
c
|
| ǁ
|
x
|
| ǃ
|
q
|
| ǀʰ
|
ch
|
| ǁʰ
|
xh
|
| ǃʰ
|
qh
|
| ǀʱ
|
gc
|
| ǁʱ
|
gx
|
| ǃʱ
|
gq
|
| ǀ̃
|
nc
|
| ǁ̃
|
nx
|
| ǃ̃
|
nq
|
| ǀʱ̃
|
ngc
|
| ǁʱ̃
|
ngx
|
| ǃʱ̃
|
ngq
|
| ǀ̃ˀ
|
nkcX
|
| ǁ̃ˀ
|
nkxX
|
| ǃ̃ˀ
|
nkqX
|
|
| Vowel
|
| IPA |
Orthography
|
| a
|
a
|
| ɛ
|
e
|
| e
|
e
|
| i
|
i
|
| ɔ
|
o
|
| o
|
o
|
| u
|
u
|
| ː
|
|
|
| Tone mark
|
Tone Bar
|
| Tones
|
| á
|
˦
|
| à
|
˨
|
| âː
|
˥˩
|
| ǎ̤
|
˨˦
|
| à̤
|
˨
|
| a̤᷈ ː
|
˨˧˨
|
|
|
|---|
|
| Comparisons | |
|---|
| Introductory guides | |
|---|