This lesson goes over the differences among G, Gb, Gh, and Gw in the Igbo alphabet.
G, g
Igbo word example: oge (“time”)
Sounds like:
Saying the letter: gee (hard g)
Saying the letter in a word: English sound example – go
Gb, gb
Igbo word example: ịgba egwu (“dancing”)
Sounds like:
Saying the letter:
*Note*: I have heard at least 2 different ways to say this letter by itself.
- g + bee (Act like you are going to pronounce the hard English sound the letter g makes and then pronounce the English sound the letter b makes)
- g + bay (Act like you are going to pronounce the hard English sound the letter g makes and then say bay)
Saying it in a word: Similar to combining g+b sound (say a very soft g sound and then the sound B makes at the beginning of a word)
Gh, gh
Igbo word example: agha (“war”)
Sounds like:
Saying the letter:
*Note*: I have heard at least 4 different ways to say this letter by itself.
- g-yee (Similar to the Igbo letter g, but softer with a slight y sound added to it or say it with the back of your throat)
- pronounce the letter with a ray sound (from the back of your throat like you are almost gargling)
- lee
- g + huh: Try to combine the sound the letter g makes + the sound a letter H makes in the beginning of English words
Saying it in a word: Similar to combining g+h sound (say a very soft g sound and then an English H sound)
Saying the letter in a word: English sound example – spaghetti
Gw, gw
Igbo word example: egwu (“song”)
Sounds like: g + w (Try combining the sound the letter g makes with the sound the letter w makes) or gwee
Saying the letter in a word: English sound example – Gwen