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How To Learn The Yoruba (Nigerian) Alphabet

If you want to be able to read and write in Yoruba then the first step is learning the alphabet. 

This can be daunting at first but with the right resources you’ll master it in no time.

This guide will give you the resources you need and tell you how to learn the Yoruba alphabet.

Please note that there are 2 different Yoruba alphabets, one used in Nigeria and one used in Benin. This guide focuses on the alphabet used in Nigeria as this is the most used.

So, how much do you actually need to learn?

How Many Letters Are There In The Yoruba Alphabet?

There are 2 different alphabets used to write Yoruba. Both are Latin alphabets, one is used in Nigeria and the other is used in Benin.

This guide focuses on the Nigerian Yoruba alphabet.

The Yoruba alphabet consists of 25 letters. Many of these are similar to the English alphabet however Yoruba doesn’t have the letters C, Q, V, X or Z. It does have 4 additional letters that we don’t have in English. These are Ẹ, Ọ, Ṣ and Gb.

Whilst many of the letters do look the same as the English alphabet, many have a different pronunciation so it’s important to ensure you’re pronouncing them correctly. 

Yoruba is a tonal language so accent marks and glyphs known as diacritics are used to indicate tone. 

This might sound complicated but there are plenty of resources out there to help you learn the Yoruba alphabet. There’s lots of variety and different resources that meet different peoples needs.

Let’s have a look at some.

Learn The Yoruba Alphabet Online

There’s plenty of great online resources that will help you learn the Yoruba alphabet, many of which are completely free.

Memrise

Memrise is an online language learning app that uses fun games to help it’s users learn their chosen language. 

They have a free Yoruba alphabet course that will teach you to recognise the Yoruba letters and the sounds they make. It’s really interactive and gradually introduces all the letters slowly so you have time to consolidate them all.

This course goes into lots of detail on the tones which is great because tones can be difficult for new speakers. There’s also plenty of opportunities to practice what you’ve learnt.

Quizlet

Quizlet is an online learning tool that uses flashcards and games to help you learn! 

They have a free flashcard deck featuring the Yoruba alphabet. There’s loads of different ways to study the flashcards with Quizlet. 

I’d recommend using the ‘Learn’ feature which creates a personalised study plan just for you and uses spaced repetition to help you master the alphabet. You can also learn with games such as ‘Match’ where you match the corresponding letters.

Naijish

This website is a great reference point for the Yoruba alphabet. It shows all the letters in a handy table. 

The best part is that you can click on any letter and hear the pronunciation.

Click here to visit their website.

Learn The Yoruba Alphabet With YouTube Videos

YouTube is a fantastic resource for learning any language as there are so many videos uploaded everyday from all around the world. 

Videos are really useful resources as they will help you to improve your pronunciation. It’s important to know how to say the letters of the alphabet correctly. 

I’ve selected a few handy videos that you can use to help you learn the Yoruba alphabet.

Video Resource 1

This video by Blessing Kayode gives a fantastic overview of the Yoruba alphabet. She goes through the alphabet slowly showing you the pronunciation. She goes through it a few times to ensure understanding. 

Check it out below:

Video Resource 2

This video by ‘Yoruba Basics’ is another handy video that goes into lots of detail on the alphabet. It goes through each letter, showing you the pronunciation and it also gives plenty of examples of words which use that letter. 

Check it out below:

Video Resource 3

The video below gives an excellent explanation of the accents and tones of the Yoruba language. You’ll notice lots of accent marks when you read Yoruba, this video explains exactly what they mean and how they change the pronunciation of the words. 

Check it out below:

Yoruba Alphabet Song

This fun Yoruba alphabet song video aimed at kids is a great way to remember the Yoruba alphabet as it’s super memorable. Sing along and learn the alphabet. 

Check it out below:

Thanks for reading this guide on how to learn the Yoruba alphabet. I’ve covered a range of different resources for all different types of learners, hopefully you found something useful that suits your learning style. 

If you want to learn some beginner phrases, try learning how to say how are you?’ in Yoruba.

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