How to make the sounds in Wolof

":" indicates a lengthening of the sound. The production of the sound is also usually more tense.

VOWELS

WOLOF LETTER PHONETIC SYMBOL PHONETIC DESCRIPTION WOLOF EXAMPLES NOTES

a ʌ voiced half-open central unrounded and (incense pot)
lal (bed)
xamb (poke a fire)
kaala (turban)
and  xamb  As in English "butter". As in English, in Wolof there is some degree of variation in certain contexts towards [ə] or even [u]. Thus man (can) can be said as [mʌn], [mən] or [mun]. But man (myself) is always [mʌn]. It bears no relation to an English "a" as in "cat", the sound of which does not exist in Wolof. which is [æ].

aa a: baaraam (finger)
aada (tradition) It exists in standard British English as part of the diphthong [a:i] (time, nine). It is different to the normal English long "a" as in star which is [ɑ:].

ý a voiced open front unrounded ýlluwa (writing board)
ýnd (to accompany)
xýmb (spirit shrine)
dýll (shoe)
ýnd  xýmb
Contrast between ýnd & and
Contrast between xýmb & xamb  This is the same as the French a. It exists in standard British English as part of the diphthongs [ai] (life, buy, cry); and [au] (owl).

ã ɑ̃ voiced open central unrounded nasalised sãs (very hot) This is very rare. As for the ɑ̃ in temps, gant in French.

Č e voiced half-close front unrounded
(cardinal 2) bČy (goat)
gČnn (to leave)
dČg (thorn)
dČg  gČnn Same as French Č or the German e. In normal Wolof, there is some variation in pronunciation with drift towards [ə] or [ɪ]. In German as in edikt.

Če e: tČeŇ (cloth for carrying on head)
sČer (skirt)
rČer (to get lost)
rČer

e ɛ voiced half-open front unrounded
(cardinal 3) dem (to go)
deg (type of soil)
genn (a, one)
fen (lie)
estomaa (stomach)
deg  genn
Contrast between gČnn & genn
Contrast between dig, dČg & deg  Same as the English e in bed or the French Ë as in pËre. This is the ” of German as in f”llen, or e as in Teller.

ee ɛ: seede (testimony)
reer (evening meal)
jeex (to be finished)
reer
Contrast between riir, rČer & reer  In German, ” as in the German word g”hnen.

Î ə voiced half-close central unrounded kÎr (house)
Îmb (pregnant)
Îf (to blow)
ə  Same as the French e as in demain. In normal speech this sound may replace [a], [ʌ], [ɛ], [e], [u], or [o] especially when they occur at the end of a word. This is the e of German, as in hacke. It is more closed than the German –.

Îe ə: As in English bird.

i i voiced closed front unrounded
(cardinal 1) cin (cooking pot)
dig (promise)
Ibliis (Satan)
bukki (hyena) The tongue is humped as far forward as possible and as near to the palate as possible without causing any friction. This is like the French "i" rather than the English short "i" [ɩ]. That is in comparison with [ɩ], the lips are less rounded (more spread) and the tongue is more humped, further forward and nearer the palate.

ii i: biir (stomach)
riir (to roar) As in English beat.

o ɔ voiced half-open back rounded
(cardinal 6) bopp (head)
golo (monkey)
oto (car) Same as in English pot hot, not, and the open French o as in pomme. Same as in German doch, offen.

oo ɔ: boot (carry on back)
door (to begin)
woom (to be abundant)
andandoo (to go together)
door  As in the English port, or bought. Hence the English word bought is phonetically the same as the Wolof word boot (carry someone on one's back) and the English word your is said the same as the Wolof yoo (mosquito).

Ű o voiced half-close back rounded
(cardinal 7) jŰge (to come from)
sŰmbi (rice porridge) Same as the closed French o as in beau, chose. Does not exist in English. Sometimes this sound will be interchanged with [u], but when it differentiates between [ɔ] or [o:] it is invariable.

Űo o: wŰom (knee)
dŰor (to hit)
bŰom (to murder)
dŰor   Contrast between dŰor & door
Contrast between wuum, wŰom & woom As in the German word not, Bote, Sohle

u u voiced close back rounded
(cardinal 8) bukki (hyena)
ubbi (to open)
toxu (to relocate) It is the same as the French ou as in vous or the German u as in Mut. Similar to the English [u] in book, except that it is closer, rounder and stronger. The tongue is as far back as possible and as near to the roof as possible so that the opening between the tongue and the palate is as narrow as possible. The lips are heavily rounded.

uu u: buur (king)

Diphthongs:

Wolof has a large number of diphthongs as does English. These include [ai] nay; [ei] bČy; [ɛi] tey; [ɔi] doy; [əi] xÎy; [ui] duy; [ɛu] sew; [iu] diw; [au] daw; [ɔw] sow;

[a:i] baay; [e:i] fČey; [ɛ:i] teey; [ɔ:i] nooy; [o:i] tŰoy;[u:i] fuuy; [e:u] rČew; [ɛ:u] reew; [i:u] siiw; [a:u] baaw; [ɔ:w] soow;

Unlike English the duration of the vowel is important to differentiate minimal pairs such as bay (to cultivate) and baay (father); bČy (goat) and bČey (whitlow). Other minimal pairs include words like rČew (country) and reew (impolite).

As in English the glide is always of the falling type (open vowel moving toward a more closed one).

Because Wolof differentiates length of diphthongs while English doesn't the length of an English diphthong tends to be between a long and short Wolof diphthong. Thus the English speaker needs to shorten how he would say doy [dɔi] or woy [wɔi] in relation to how he says boy [bɔi] which is closer to how theWolof would say booy [bɔ:i] or nooy [nɔ:i].

Back to Sounds | Consonants

VOWELS
WOLOF LETTER	PHONETIC SYMBOL	PHONETIC DESCRIPTION	WOLOF EXAMPLES	NOTES
a	ʌ	voiced half-open central unrounded	and (incense pot) lal (bed) xamb (poke a fire) kaala (turban)	and xamb As in English "butter". As in English, in Wolof there is some degree of variation in certain contexts towards [ə] or even [u]. Thus man (can) can be said as [mʌn], [mən] or [mun]. But man (myself) is always [mʌn]. It bears no relation to an English "a" as in "cat", the sound of which does not exist in Wolof. which is [æ].
aa	a:		baaraam (finger) aada (tradition)	It exists in standard British English as part of the diphthong [a:i] (time, nine). It is different to the normal English long "a" as in star which is [ɑ:].
ý	a	voiced open front unrounded	ýlluwa (writing board) ýnd (to accompany) xýmb (spirit shrine) dýll (shoe)	ýnd xýmb Contrast between ýnd & and Contrast between xýmb & xamb This is the same as the French a. It exists in standard British English as part of the diphthongs [ai] (life, buy, cry); and [au] (owl).
ã	ɑ̃	voiced open central unrounded nasalised	sãs (very hot)	This is very rare. As for the ɑ̃ in temps, gant in French.
Č	e	voiced half-close front unrounded (cardinal 2)	bČy (goat) gČnn (to leave) dČg (thorn)	dČg gČnn Same as French Č or the German e. In normal Wolof, there is some variation in pronunciation with drift towards [ə] or [ɪ]. In German as in edikt.
Če	e:		tČeŇ (cloth for carrying on head) sČer (skirt) rČer (to get lost)	rČer
e	ɛ	voiced half-open front unrounded (cardinal 3)	dem (to go) deg (type of soil) genn (a, one) fen (lie) estomaa (stomach)	deg genn Contrast between gČnn & genn Contrast between dig, dČg & deg Same as the English e in bed or the French Ë as in pËre. This is the ” of German as in f”llen, or e as in Teller.
ee	ɛ:		seede (testimony) reer (evening meal) jeex (to be finished)	reer Contrast between riir, rČer & reer In German, ” as in the German word g”hnen.
Î	ə	voiced half-close central unrounded	kÎr (house) Îmb (pregnant) Îf (to blow)	ə Same as the French e as in demain. In normal speech this sound may replace [a], [ʌ], [ɛ], [e], [u], or [o] especially when they occur at the end of a word. This is the e of German, as in hacke. It is more closed than the German –.
Îe	ə:			As in English bird.
i	i	voiced closed front unrounded (cardinal 1)	cin (cooking pot) dig (promise) Ibliis (Satan) bukki (hyena)	The tongue is humped as far forward as possible and as near to the palate as possible without causing any friction. This is like the French "i" rather than the English short "i" [ɩ]. That is in comparison with [ɩ], the lips are less rounded (more spread) and the tongue is more humped, further forward and nearer the palate.
ii	i:		biir (stomach) riir (to roar)	As in English beat.
o	ɔ	voiced half-open back rounded (cardinal 6)	bopp (head) golo (monkey) oto (car)	Same as in English pot hot, not, and the open French o as in pomme. Same as in German doch, offen.
oo	ɔ:		boot (carry on back) door (to begin) woom (to be abundant) andandoo (to go together)	door As in the English port, or bought. Hence the English word bought is phonetically the same as the Wolof word boot (carry someone on one's back) and the English word your is said the same as the Wolof yoo (mosquito).
Ű	o	voiced half-close back rounded (cardinal 7)	jŰge (to come from) sŰmbi (rice porridge)	Same as the closed French o as in beau, chose. Does not exist in English. Sometimes this sound will be interchanged with [u], but when it differentiates between [ɔ] or [o:] it is invariable.
Űo	o:		wŰom (knee) dŰor (to hit) bŰom (to murder)	dŰor Contrast between dŰor & door Contrast between wuum, wŰom & woom As in the German word not, Bote, Sohle
u	u	voiced close back rounded (cardinal 8)	bukki (hyena) ubbi (to open) toxu (to relocate)	It is the same as the French ou as in vous or the German u as in Mut. Similar to the English [u] in book, except that it is closer, rounder and stronger. The tongue is as far back as possible and as near to the roof as possible so that the opening between the tongue and the palate is as narrow as possible. The lips are heavily rounded.
uu	u:		buur (king)

How to make the sounds in Wolof - Vowels

VOWELS

Diphthongs: