How to make the sounds in Wolof - Consonants

c  caabi  The middle of the tongue makes contact with the hard palate. The tip is usually held down. The lips are not rounded ([ʧ] is rounded). This is not the same as "ch" [ʧ] in English, which is an aspirated grooved affricate. Is is approximately the same as the French "ti" in "tiens". The mechanism of production lies between [t] and [k].
Try saying [ta] [ca] [ka] [qa]; [t] [c] [k];
[tu] [cu] [ku]; [t] [c] [k]; [ti] [ci] [ki]; where, for each series, the only part that moves is the point of contact of the tongue with the roof of the mouth.
It does not occur as a single consonant at the end of a word, but note that j in final position preceded by a vowel is usually voiceless (i.e [c]).

g  When it occurs at the end of a word preceded by a vowel it is unreleased and often voiceless ([k]), or may be produced as an implosive.

j  janq  When it occurs at the end of a word preceded by a vowel it is unreleased and often voiceless ([c]), or may be produced as an implosive. The middle of the tongue makes contact with the hard palate. The tip is usually held down. The lips are not rounded ([ʤ] is rounded). It is approximately the same sound as the French "di" in "Dieu". This is not the same of as "j" [ʤ] of judge in English, which is an aspirated grooved affricate. The mechanism of production lies between [d] and [g].
Try saying [da] [ja] [ga]; [d] [j] [g];
[du] [ju] [gu]; [d] [j] [g]; [di] [ji] [gi]; where, for each series of three, the only part that moves is the point of contact of the tongue with the roof of the mouth.

mb  A prenasalised sound begins as a nasal with the air stream escaping through the nose, but the velum rises to close the velic passage just as the articulation in the mouth begins, so that there is effectively a very short nasal onset to the oral sound.
These two letters represent a single consonant and when in the initial position must be said without adding a vowel in front. One should not say "em-bay", but simply mb + ay. Samba is not said Sam-ba, but rather Sa-mba.

nd  ng   janq  A prenasalised sound begins as a nasal with the air stream escaping through the nose, but the velum rises to close the velic passage just as the articulation in the mouth begins, so that there is effectively a very short nasal onset to the oral sound.
These two letters represent a single consonant and when in the initial position must be said without adding a vowel in front. One should not say "en-dey", but simply nd + ey. In final position the consonant is geminated.
Note "n" before the consonants k, g, q is phonetically [ŋ], bank = [bʌŋk] in Wolof or [bæ:ŋk] in English.

Ò  Say "cannon." Now say "canyon." Lengthen the nasal sounds in the middle of these two words, so you can feel what you are doing. Now as you say "canyon," concentrate on holding the tip of your tongue down and the blade up as you say the sound spelled "ny". The sound is [Ò]. Practice "[aÒa] [oÒo] [uÒu], [Òa] [Òo] [Òu], [aÒ] [oÒ] [uÒ]." As you practice, be sure you are saying Ò with your tongue tip down behind your lower teeth. The point of contact of the tongue is the same as for the plosive [c].

latkoloŋ  The closure is made by the back of the tongue against the velum, in the same place where the sound [g] is made. It appears in English as the "ng" of "sing" or in German as in singen. Since it does not occur in English or German at the beginning of a word, speakers want to put a vowel before it when it starts a word in Wolof. To master beginning a word with this sound practice as follows:
repeat the word "longing";
Leave off the "l" and continue repeating "onging";
Now, pause after the first vowel, so you are now saying "[o-ŋiŋ]";
Now leave off the first vowel and say "[ŋiŋ]".
Practice saying it with different vowels.

mbaq  janq  The tongue back is drawn upwards and backwards to make contact with the uvula.

reer  The Spanish r. The Wolof [r] is articulated as an alveolar vibrant: the tip of the tongue taps against the teeth ridge to give a series of occlusions. The main body of the tongue is neither concave or convex, nor contracted, but loose. It makes no particular effort. All the sound is produced at the apex. The number of vibrations in the only thing varying from one lingual vibration to five or even more. When r is in the initial position there is only one tap with the tip of the tongue concave and the air passing freely through a narrow passage between the concave tip and the teeth-ridge. The Wolof r is normally voiced but may occasionally be unvoiced when at the end of a word. Occasionally [r] is interchanged with [l] or [w].The Wolof r bears no resemblance at all to an English r [ɹ]. Some English speakers can produce the sound by saying "grrrr". It can be mastered by opposition of English and Wolof r's in the following words:

x   ndax   xam  The tongue back rises towards the uvula, but does not make contact. The sound is produced in quite a relaxed manner and the friction is often not very strong. In German, it is the ch sound as in Dach, Loch, Buch.