🇬🇳
Manding Alphabet
N'Ko Script
N'Ko ('I say' in Mande languages) was created in 1949 by Solomana Kante of Guinea for the Mande language family of West Africa. It is written right to left and has 27 letters. It was created to combat the claim that African languages had no writing system. Today it is used for Bambara, Dyula, and other Mande languages.
Written right to leftLetters
| Character | Name | Romanization | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ߐ | A | a | like 'a' in 'father' |
| ߑ | E | e / i | like 'e' in 'they' |
| ߒ | N | n | like 'n' in 'night' |
| ߓ | Ba | b | like 'b' in 'book' |
| ߔ | Pa | p | like 'p' in 'pen' |
| ߕ | Ta | t | like 't' in 'top' |
| ߖ | Ja | j | like 'j' in 'jam' |
| ߗ | Cha | ch | like 'ch' in 'cheese' |
| ߘ | Da | d | like 'd' in 'dog' |
| ߙ | Ra | r | like 'r' in 'run' |
| ߚ | Rra | rr | a rolled 'r' |
| ߛ | Sa | s | like 's' in 'sun' |
| ߜ | Gba | gb | a labial-velar 'gb' sound |
| ߝ | Fa | f | like 'f' in 'fan' |
| ߞ | Ka | k | like 'k' in 'key' |
| ߟ | La | l | like 'l' in 'lamp' |
| ߠ | Na (tonal) | na | nasal 'n' with tone |
| ߡ | Ma | m | like 'm' in 'moon' |
| ߢ | Nya | ny | like 'ny' in 'canyon' |
| ߣ | Na | n | like 'n' in 'night' |
| ߤ | Ha | h | like 'h' in 'house' |
| ߥ | Wa | w | like 'w' in 'water' |
| ߦ | Ya | y | like 'y' in 'yes' |
| ߧ | Nya (tonal) | ny | nasal 'ny' with tone |
| ߨ | Jona | j (tonal) | like 'j' with nasal tone |
| ߩ | Tona | t (tonal) | like 't' with nasal tone |
| ߪ | Ona | o | like 'o' in 'go' |