Nasalization:
Nasalization can bring about change in meaning of words. Some vowels can be nasalized no matter the environment in which they occur while others are nasalized depending on the environment in which they occur. Examples of the former are i, e, a, o, u while the latter is made up of כ and e.
Examples:
- fi(ri)(come from) fi͂ (dirt)
- fe (vomit) (e)fe͂ (comb)
- ka (bite) ka͂ (say)
- hu (to blow air) hu͂ (to see)
- foo (cheap) fo͂o͂ (silent)
Vowel lengthening:
Vowel lengthening is a phenomenon where a vowel is doubled or tripled. Vowel lengthening can bring
about difference in meaning.
Examples: i. da (never) daa (everyday)
ii. fo (climb) foo (cheaply)
iii. pe (love) pee (exactly adverb-intensifier)
iv. fe (vomit) fee (adverb-intensifier)
Sometimes vowel lengthening can indicate that the verb in question is in the past.
Examples: i. Meda ha (I sleep here) Medaa ha (I slept here).
ii. Mekɔ hɔ (I go there) Mekɔɔ hɔ (I went there).
iii. ɔfa sika (He/she takes money) ɔfaa sika (He/she took money).
Tones:
Twi is a tonal language. The tone with which a word is said can bring about difference in meaning.
All vowels in Akan are tone bearing.
Examples: i. paÛpaÛ (good) paÝpaÛÛ (father)
ii. daÛ (sleep) daÝ (never)
iii. koÛraÛaÛ (entirely) koÝraÝaÝ (calabash)
iv. koÛkoÛ (mountain) koÝkoÝ (Chest)
Points to note about vowels:
- Orthographically, there are seven vowels but there are ten in speech (ten distinctive sounds).
- The vowels a, o, e, have two sounds each.
- Nasalization, tone and vowel lengthening are distinguishing features.
Vowels in Twi are tone bearing
Nasalization:
Nasalization can bring about change in meaning of words. Some vowels can be nasalized no matter the environment in which they occur while others are nasalized depending on the environment in which they occur. Examples of the former are i, e, a, o, u while the latter is made up of כ and e.
Examples:
- fi(ri)(come from) fi͂ (dirt)
- fe (vomit) (e)fe͂ (comb)
- ka (bite) ka͂ (say)
- hu (to blow air) hu͂ (to see)
- foo (cheap) fo͂o͂ (silent)
Vowel lengthening:
Vowel lengthening is a phenomenon where a vowel is doubled or tripled. Vowel lengthening can bring
about difference in meaning.
Examples: i. da (never) daa (everyday)
ii. fo (climb) foo (cheaply)
iii. pe (love) pee (exactly adverb-intensifier)
iv. fe (vomit) fee (adverb-intensifier)
Sometimes vowel lengthening can indicate that the verb in question is in the past.
Examples: i. Meda ha (I sleep here) Medaa ha (I slept here).
ii. Mekɔ hɔ (I go there) Mekɔɔ hɔ (I went there).
iii. ɔfa sika (He/she takes money) ɔfaa sika (He/she took money).
Tones:
Twi is a tonal language. The tone with which a word is said can bring about difference in meaning.
All vowels in Akan are tone bearing.
Examples: i. paÛpaÛ (good) paÝpaÛÛ (father)
ii. daÛ (sleep) daÝ (never)
iii. koÛraÛaÛ (entirely) koÝraÝaÝ (calabash)
iv. koÛkoÛ (mountain) koÝkoÝ (Chest)
Points to note about vowels:
- Orthographically, there are seven vowels but there are ten in speech (ten distinctive sounds).
- The vowels a, o, e, have two sounds each.
- Nasalization, tone and vowel lengthening are distinguishing features.
- Vowels in Twi are tone bearing.
- Consonants:
The consonants in Akan are grouped into two:
- single letters
- diagraphs
i. Single letters:
b – ban (wall), bra (come), bu (break)
p – pra (sweep), pam (sow), pia (push)
m -- mene (swallow), ma (give), mua (close)
t – te (live/pluck), tumi (power), tie (listen)
d – da (sleep), di (eat), du (ten)
f – fa (take), foro (climb), afe (comb)
n-- nom (drink), anan (four), noa (cook/boil)
l -- bɔɔl (ball), lɔre (lorry)
r – pra (sweep), aware(e) (marriage)
s – nsu(o) (water), sa (dance), san (return)
k – kasa (talk/speak), kɔ (go), kari (weigh)
g – gu (to scatter),
h – horo (wash), hu (see)
w – has two sounds-
a. pronounced with a more rounded lip (when followed by a rounded
vowel as in wood. Examples are wo (to give birth), owuo (death) etc.
b. pronounced with a less rounded lip (when followed by an unrounded
vowel as in win. Examples are awi (thief), wen(e) (to weave) etc.
y – yie (well), ye (to do), yera (to vanish) etc.
ii. Anom(u) Nnyegyee Nta (Diagraphs):
dw – dwe (to cool), dwane (to run away), adwene (mud/cut fish) etc.
gy – sounds like j in join. Examples are gyina (to stop), gya (fire), gye (to get) etc.
tw – pronounced ch + w (tw). Examples are twe (to pull), twa (to cut) etc.
kw – sounds like the initial consonant of quite. Examples are akwan (roads/ways), nkwan (soup).
ky – sounds like ch (tʃ) in check. Examples are maakye (good morning), kyia (to greet) etc.
hw – sounds like wh in whip. Examples are ahwehwe (mirror), ahwede(e) (sugar cane) etc.
hy – sounds like sh (in sheep. Examples are hye (to burn), hyeren (to shine) etc.
ny – nya ( to get), nyina (all) etc.
nw – nwinu (cool), nwanwa (wonderful) etc.
