Adele Alphabet

Q: How many letters does this Adele alphabet have?

This chart has 29 letters . Nine are vowels and twenty are consonants. It follows the alphabet printed in Rongier’s Togo dictionary , including t. [1] The complete charts show both cases.

Q: Where is Adele spoken?

Adele is spoken in Togo and Ghana . [2] It is also recorded under names such as Gidire and Bedere in language catalogues. ASJP lists 37,400 speakers . [3] Treat this as a database estimate, rather than a current population count.

Q: Which language family does Adele belong to?

Adele belongs to Niger-Congo. Glottolog places it in a Basila–Adele grouping within Na-Togo. [2] The ASJP entry also records a Kwa classification. [3] Classification labels can differ between catalogues.

Q: Are ɛ, ɩ, ɔ and ʋ just accented English letters?

These are separate vowel letters in the chart. They appear alongside e, i, o and u. Rongier’s vowel table distinguishes their sounds. [1] Practise each pair separately, using the English hints as approximations.

Q: How do I pronounce gb, kp and ny?

Gb and kp combine closures at the lips and the back of the tongue. Gb is voiced , while kp is unvoiced . [1] Ny resembles the middle sound in English canyon. Try to produce one joined consonant rather than two separate syllables.

Q: What do the acute and grave accents mean?

In Rongier’s dictionary, the acute accent marks high tone. The grave accent marks low tone. [1] The special-character chart places each mark on a dotted circle. That circle is a display aid and is not part of the spelling.

Q: Are these Adele letter names or pronunciation guides?

The labels are approximate sound guides . They are not presented as documented Adele letter names. They paraphrase the sound distinctions in Rongier’s phonological tables. [1] A fluent speaker can help refine sounds that have no exact English equivalent.

Q: Why can Adele number words have different prefixes?

The dictionary lists several forms for numbers such as one, two, three and four. Their prefixes vary with noun class . [1] The digit chart gives one documented form per number from one to nine. Zero is labelled in English because an Adele form was not verified.

Adele Alphabet at a Glance

29 letters: 9 vowels and 20 consonants are shown in this Togo alphabet. ^[1]
Adele is spoken in Togo and Ghana. ^[2]
ASJP lists an estimated 37,400 speakers. This figure is not a current census. ^[3]
Glottolog groups Adele with Basila within Na-Togo, part of Niger-Congo. ^[2]
The extended vowel letters ɛ, ɩ, ɔ and ʋ distinguish sounds from e, i, o and u.
The chart includes the consonant digraphs gb, kp and ny.
Rongier’s dictionary marks high tone with an acute accent and low tone with a grave accent. ^[1]

Adele vowels (uppercase):

[ah]

[ay]

[eh]

[ee]

[ih]

[oh]

[aw]

[oo]

[short oo]

[ah]

Sounds like a in father. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[ay]

Sounds like the vowel in day, held steady without a final glide. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[eh]

Sounds like e in bed. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[ee]

Sounds like ee in see. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[ih]

Sounds approximately like i in sit. Keep it distinct from i. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[oh]

Sounds like the vowel in go, held steady without a final glide. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[aw]

Sounds approximately like aw in saw. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[oo]

Sounds like oo in food. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[short oo]

Sounds approximately like oo in foot. Keep it distinct from u. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

Adele vowels (lowercase):

[ah]

[ay]

[eh]

[ee]

[ih]

[oh]

[aw]

[oo]

[short oo]

[ah]

Sounds like a in father. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[ay]

Sounds like the vowel in day, held steady without a final glide. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[eh]

Sounds like e in bed. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[ee]

Sounds like ee in see. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[ih]

Sounds approximately like i in sit. Keep it distinct from i. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[oh]

Sounds like the vowel in go, held steady without a final glide. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[aw]

Sounds approximately like aw in saw. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[oo]

Sounds like oo in food. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[short oo]

Sounds approximately like oo in foot. Keep it distinct from u. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

Adele consonants (uppercase):

[b]

[ky]

[d]

[f]

[g]

[gb]

[gy]

[k]

[kp]

[l]

[m]

[n]

[ny]

[ng]

[p]

[r]

[s]

[t]

[w]

[y]

[b]

Sounds like b in boat. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[ky]

A k-like sound made with the tongue against the hard roof of the mouth. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[d]

Sounds like d in dog. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[f]

Sounds like f in fish. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[g]

Sounds like g in go. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[gb]

Close the lips and the back of the tongue together, then release them as one voiced sound. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[gy]

A g-like sound made with the tongue against the hard roof of the mouth. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[k]

Sounds like k in skin. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[kp]

Close the lips and the back of the tongue together, then release them as one unvoiced sound. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[l]

Sounds like l in leaf. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[m]

Sounds like m in moon. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[n]

Sounds like n in net. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[ny]

Sounds like ny in canyon, spoken as one consonant. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[ng]

Sounds like ng in sing, without a following hard g. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[p]

Sounds like p in spin. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[r]

Tap the tongue tip briefly behind the upper teeth. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[s]

Sounds like s in sun. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[t]

Sounds like t in stop. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[w]

Sounds like w in wet. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[y]

Sounds like y in yes. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

Adele consonants (lowercase):

[b]

[ky]

[d]

[f]

[g]

[gb]

[gy]

[k]

[kp]

[l]

[m]

[n]

[ny]

[ng]

[p]

[r]

[s]

[t]

[w]

[y]

[b]

Sounds like b in boat. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[ky]

A k-like sound made with the tongue against the hard roof of the mouth. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[d]

Sounds like d in dog. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[f]

Sounds like f in fish. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[g]

Sounds like g in go. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[gb]

Close the lips and the back of the tongue together, then release them as one voiced sound. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[gy]

A g-like sound made with the tongue against the hard roof of the mouth. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[k]

Sounds like k in skin. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[kp]

Close the lips and the back of the tongue together, then release them as one unvoiced sound. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[l]

Sounds like l in leaf. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[m]

Sounds like m in moon. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[n]

Sounds like n in net. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[ny]

Sounds like ny in canyon, spoken as one consonant. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[ng]

Sounds like ng in sing, without a following hard g. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[p]

Sounds like p in spin. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[r]

Tap the tongue tip briefly behind the upper teeth. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[s]

Sounds like s in sun. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[t]

Sounds like t in stop. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[w]

Sounds like w in wet. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[y]

Sounds like y in yes. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[eh]

[gb]

[ih]

[kp]

[ny]

[ng]

[aw]

[short oo]

◌́

[high tone]

◌̀

[low tone]

[eh]

Sounds like e in bed. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[gb]

Close the lips and the back of the tongue together, then release them as one voiced sound. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[ih]

Sounds approximately like i in sit. Keep it distinct from i. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[kp]

Close the lips and the back of the tongue together, then release them as one unvoiced sound. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[ny]

Sounds like ny in canyon, spoken as one consonant. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[ng]

Sounds like ng in sing, without a following hard g. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[aw]

Sounds approximately like aw in saw. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[short oo]

Sounds approximately like oo in foot. Keep it distinct from u. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

◌́

[high tone]

The acute accent marks a high tone in the dictionary.

◌̀

[low tone]

The grave accent marks a low tone in the dictionary.

[zero]

[eh-kee]

[ah-nyawn]

[ah-see-yeh]

[eh-naa]

[tawn]

[kaw-raw n]

[kaw-rawn-kee]

[nee-yeh]

[nyeh-kee]

[zero]

English label only. No Adele word for zero was verified in the cited dictionary.

[eh-kee]

A dictionary form for 1. Prefixes can vary with the noun being counted. The English sound guide is approximate.

[ah-nyawn]

A dictionary form for 2. Prefixes can vary with the noun being counted. The English sound guide is approximate.

[ah-see-yeh]

A dictionary form for 3. Prefixes can vary with the noun being counted. The English sound guide is approximate.

[eh-naa]

A dictionary form for 4. Prefixes can vary with the noun being counted. The English sound guide is approximate.

[tawn]

A dictionary form for 5. Prefixes can vary with the noun being counted. The English sound guide is approximate.

[kaw-raw n]

A dictionary form for 6. Prefixes can vary with the noun being counted. The English sound guide is approximate.

[kaw-rawn-kee]

A dictionary form for 7. Prefixes can vary with the noun being counted. The English sound guide is approximate.

[nee-yeh]

A dictionary form for 8. Prefixes can vary with the noun being counted. The English sound guide is approximate.

[nyeh-kee]

A dictionary form for 9. Prefixes can vary with the noun being counted. The English sound guide is approximate.

[ah]

[b]

[ky]

[d]

[ay]

Ɛɛ

[eh]

[f]

[g]

Gbgb

[gb]

[ee]

Ɩɩ

[ih]

[gy]

[k]

Kpkp

[kp]

[l]

[m]

[n]

Nyny

[ny]

Ŋŋ

[ng]

[oh]

Ɔɔ

[aw]

[p]

[r]

[s]

[t]

[oo]

Ʋʋ

[short oo]

[w]

[y]

[ah]

Sounds like a in father. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[b]

Sounds like b in boat. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[ky]

A k-like sound made with the tongue against the hard roof of the mouth. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[d]

Sounds like d in dog. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[ay]

Sounds like the vowel in day, held steady without a final glide. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

Ɛɛ

[eh]

Sounds like e in bed. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[f]

Sounds like f in fish. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[g]

Sounds like g in go. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

Gbgb

[gb]

Close the lips and the back of the tongue together, then release them as one voiced sound. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[ee]

Sounds like ee in see. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

Ɩɩ

[ih]

Sounds approximately like i in sit. Keep it distinct from i. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[gy]

A g-like sound made with the tongue against the hard roof of the mouth. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[k]

Sounds like k in skin. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

Kpkp

[kp]

Close the lips and the back of the tongue together, then release them as one unvoiced sound. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[l]

Sounds like l in leaf. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[m]

Sounds like m in moon. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[n]

Sounds like n in net. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

Nyny

[ny]

Sounds like ny in canyon, spoken as one consonant. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

Ŋŋ

[ng]

Sounds like ng in sing, without a following hard g. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[oh]

Sounds like the vowel in go, held steady without a final glide. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

Ɔɔ

[aw]

Sounds approximately like aw in saw. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[p]

Sounds like p in spin. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[r]

Tap the tongue tip briefly behind the upper teeth. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[s]

Sounds like s in sun. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[t]

Sounds like t in stop. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[oo]

Sounds like oo in food. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

Ʋʋ

[short oo]

Sounds approximately like oo in foot. Keep it distinct from u. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[w]

Sounds like w in wet. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

[y]

Sounds like y in yes. This is a sound guide, not a documented Adele letter name.

Expand All Collapse All

How many letters does this Adele alphabet have?

Where is Adele spoken?

Which language family does Adele belong to?

Are ɛ, ɩ, ɔ and ʋ just accented English letters?

How do I pronounce gb, kp and ny?

What do the acute and grave accents mean?

Are these Adele letter names or pronunciation guides?

Why can Adele number words have different prefixes?

References:

[1] Jacques Rongier. Dictionnaire français–adélé (1998). Alphabet chart, sound tables, tone marks and number entries. Retrieved from French–Adele dictionary.
[2] Glottolog. Adele. Classification, alternative names and country distribution. Retrieved from Glottolog: Adele.
[3] ASJP Database. Wordlist Adele. Compiled by Viveka Velupillai; lists 37,400 speakers. This is a database estimate, not a current census. Retrieved from ASJP: Adele.