The Mizo Alphabet - Mizo ṭawng Letters, Vowels, Consonants & more

Q: How many letters are in the Mizo alphabet?

The Mizo alphabet uses the Latin script with approximately 29 distinct graphemes [1] , including digraphs (two-letter combinations) such as ch, kh, ng, ph, th, tl, tlh, hl, hm, hn, and hr. In terms of single letters, Mizo uses all standard Latin letters except Q and X.

Q: How many people speak Mizo?

Mizo (also known as Lushai) is spoken by approximately 830,000 native speakers [2] , primarily in Mizoram state in Northeast India. It is the official language and lingua franca of the state. Smaller communities also live in neighbouring Manipur, Assam, and across the border in Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Q: Is Mizo the same as Lushai?

Yes — Mizo and Lushai refer to the same language [3] . The ISO 639-3 code "lus" stands for Lushai, the colonial-era name given by British administrators. The Mizo people prefer the name Mizo, meaning "highlander" or "hill people". The language is officially referred to as Mizo in India, though both names remain in use in linguistic literature.

Q: What makes Mizo consonants unusual?

Mizo has several cross-linguistically rare consonant types [1] : • Voiceless nasals — hm (/m̥/) and hn (/n̥/): nasals produced without vocal cord vibration • Voiceless lateral fricative — hl (/ɬ/): similar to the Welsh "ll" in "Llanelli" • Lateral affricates — tl (/tɬ/) and tlh (/tɬʰ/): found in Nahuatl and some Tibeto-Burman languages These sounds make Mizo phonologically interesting and challenging for speakers of most other languages.

Q: How was Mizo script developed?

The Mizo Latin orthography was developed by Welsh Presbyterian missionaries [2] in the late 19th century, particularly J. H. Lorrain and F. W. Savidge, who arrived in 1894 and translated the Bible into Mizo. The widespread Christian mission activity also led to high literacy rates — Mizoram has one of India's highest literacy rates, currently around 91%.

Q: What language family does Mizo belong to?

Mizo belongs to the Kuki-Chin branch of Tibeto-Burman [1] , part of the Sino-Tibetan language family. Its closest relatives include Hakha Chin, Falam Chin, and Zomi — languages of Chin State, Myanmar and Bangladesh. More distantly, Mizo is related to Tibetan, Burmese, and other Tibeto-Burman languages of South and Southeast Asia.

Q: Is Mizo a tonal language?

Yes, Mizo is a tonal language with two contrastive tones [3] — a high tone and a low tone. Unlike Thai or Mandarin, the standard Mizo orthography does not mark tones directly in writing. Native speakers learn tonal distinctions from spoken context, so two identically spelled words may have different meanings depending on the tone used.

Q: What is the official status of Mizo in India?

Mizo is the official language of Mizoram [2] , one of the eight northeastern states of India. It is used in all state government functions, courts, and public education, and is a recognised Scheduled Language of India. The Mizo Hnam Run (MHR) and various cultural organisations actively work to preserve and enrich the Mizo literary tradition.

Mizo Alphabet at a Glance

Uses the Latin script with about 29 distinct letters and digraphs, including unusual combinations like tl, tlh, hl, hm, and hn ^[1]
Approximately 830,000 people speak Mizo natively. It is the official language of Mizoram state, India. ^[2]
Mizo and Lushai are two names for the same language. "Lushai" was the colonial-era name used by British administrators. ^[3]
Part of the Tibeto-Burman family, Kuki-Chin branch. Closely related to the Chin languages spoken across the border in Myanmar. ^[1]
Has some of the rarest sounds in any language. The sounds hm and hn are whispered nasals, while hl sounds like the Welsh "ll" in Llanelli. ^[1]
The consonants tl and tlh are lateral affricates found in very few languages outside of Nahuatl and parts of Tibet ^[3]
A tonal language with two contrastive tones, though standard Mizo spelling gives no clue which tone applies ^[2]

Mizo Vowels (Uppercase):

[a]

[uh]

[ah]

[eh]

[ee]

[oh]

[oo]

[a]

Sounds like "a" in "father". The most common vowel in Mizo. Example: "awm" (to stay/live).

[uh]

A neutral "uh" sound — like the "a" in "about". Written with a circumflex. Example: "bâr" (time/period).

[ah]

A short, reduced vowel — briefer and more central than regular "a". Written with a breve. Example: "ăng" (right/correct).

[eh]

Sounds like "e" in "bed" but cleaner. Example: "leh" (and/also).

[ee]

Sounds like "ee" in "see". One of the most frequent vowels in Mizo. Example: "ni" (day/sun).

[oh]

Sounds like "o" in "old" — a pure monophthong, not a diphthong as in English. Example: "lo" (field/farm).

[oo]

Sounds like "oo" in "moon". Example: "huan" (garden/yard).

Mizo Vowels (Lowercase):

[a]

[uh]

[ah]

[eh]

[ee]

[oh]

[oo]

[a]

Sounds like "a" in "father". Lowercase of A. Example: "sa" (animal/meat).

[uh]

A neutral "uh" sound — like "a" in "about". Lowercase of Â. Example: "mâl" (jungle/forest).

[ah]

A short, reduced vowel — briefer than regular "a". Lowercase of Ă. Example: "thăm" (to touch/feel).

[eh]

Sounds like "e" in "bed" but cleaner. Lowercase of E. Example: "pe" (to give).

[ee]

Sounds like "ee" in "see". Lowercase of I. Example: "mi" (person/people).

[oh]

Sounds like "o" in "old". Lowercase of O. Example: "zo" (to finish/complete).

[oo]

Sounds like "oo" in "moon". Lowercase of U. Example: "nu" (mother).

Mizo Consonants (Uppercase):

[b]

[chh]

[d]

[f]

[g]

[h]

[hl]

[hm]

[hn]

[hr]

[k]

[kh]

[l]

[m]

[n]

[ng]

[p]

[ph]

[r]

[s]

[t]

[th]

[tl]

Tlh

[tlh]

[v]

[z]

[b]

Sounds like "b" in "boy". Example: "beng" (head).

[chh]

Same sound as Ch — an aspirated "ch" like in "church" with a puff of air. C alone is an abbreviated form of the Ch digraph. Example: "chhia" (bad/evil).

[chh]

Like "ch" in "church" but with a stronger puff of air. Example: "chaw" (food/meal).

[d]

Sounds like "d" in "dog". Example: "dâr" (bell/metal).

[f]

Sounds like "f" in "fine". Example: "fâi" (clean/pure).

[g]

Sounds like "g" in "good". Always a hard g in Mizo. Example: "gâr" (outside/exterior).

[h]

Sounds like "h" in "hat". Also begins the voiceless sonorant digraphs (Hl, Hm, Hn, Hr). Example: "hmun" (place/location).

[hl]

Like Welsh "ll" in "Lloyd" — air flows along the sides of the tongue with no voice. One of the rarest sounds in world languages. Example: "hlâ" (song).

[hm]

A voiceless "m" — lips close as for m but no vocal cords vibrate. Extremely rare in world languages. Example: "hmun" (place/spot).

[hn]

A voiceless "n" — same position as n but whispered, no voice. Virtually unique to Tibeto-Burman languages. Example: "hni" (two).

[hr]

A voiceless "r" — produced like r but with breath only, no voice. One of the rarest sounds in any language. Example: "hrui" (to descend/fall).

[k]

Sounds like "k" in "sky" — unaspirated. Contrasts with the aspirated Kh. Example: "kang" (which/what).

[kh]

A "k" with a strong puff of air — like "k" in "king". Example: "khaw" (town/village).

[l]

Sounds like "l" in "love". Contrasts with the voiceless Hl. Example: "leh" (and/also).

[m]

Sounds like "m" in "mother". Contrasts with the voiceless Hm. Example: "mîm" (type of bamboo).

[n]

Sounds like "n" in "name". Contrasts with the voiceless Hn. Example: "ni" (day/sun).

[ng]

The "ng" sound from "sing" — but Mizo uses it at the START of words. Very distinctive. Example: "ngai" (to think/feel).

[p]

Sounds like "p" in "spot" — unaspirated. Contrasts with the aspirated Ph. Example: "pâr" (flower).

[ph]

A "p" with a puff of air — stronger than English "pin". NOT like "ph" in English "phone". Example: "phâl" (allowed/permitted).

[r]

A rolled or trilled "r" — like in Scottish English or Spanish. Contrasts with the voiceless Hr. Example: "rûn" (rain).

[s]

Sounds like "s" in "sun". Very common in Mizo roots. Example: "sa" (animal/meat).

[t]

Sounds like "t" in "stop" — unaspirated. Contrasts with the aspirated Th. Example: "târ" (to split/cut).

[th]

A "t" with a puff of air. NOT the "th" in English "the" — this is a purely aspirated t. Example: "thlar" (afternoon).

[tl]

A lateral affricate — tongue at the alveolar ridge while air escapes from the sides. Found in Nahuatl (Aztec) and Mizo. Example: "tlan" (to flee/escape).

Tlh

[tlh]

Like Tl but with an extra puff of air. One of the rarest sounds in any language. Example: "tlher" (to be slippery).

[v]

Sounds like "v" in "very". Used in native Mizo words, not just loanwords. Example: "vâr" (bright/light).

[z]

Sounds like "z" in "zone". Less common than most consonants but phonemically distinct. Example: "zâi" (song).

Mizo Consonants (Lowercase):

[b]

[chh]

[d]

[f]

[g]

[h]

[hl]

[hm]

[hn]

[hr]

[k]

[kh]

[l]

[m]

[n]

[ng]

[p]

[ph]

[r]

[s]

[t]

[th]

[tl]

tlh

[tlh]

[v]

[z]

[b]

Sounds like "b" in "boy". Lowercase of B. Example: "beng" (head).

[chh]

Same as Ch — an aspirated "ch". Lowercase of C. Example: "chhia" (bad).

[chh]

Like "ch" in "church" with a strong puff of air. Lowercase of Ch. Example: "chaw" (food/meal).

[d]

Sounds like "d" in "dog". Lowercase of D. Example: "dâr" (bell/metal).

[f]

Sounds like "f" in "fine". Lowercase of F. Example: "fâi" (clean).

[g]

Sounds like "g" in "good". Always hard g. Lowercase of G. Example: "gâr" (outside).

[h]

Sounds like "h" in "hat". Lowercase of H. Example: "hmun" (place).

[hl]

Like Welsh "ll" in "Lloyd" — air flows along the sides of the tongue with no voice. Lowercase of Hl. Example: "hlâ" (song).

[hm]

A voiceless "m" — whispered m with no voice. Lowercase of Hm. Example: "hmun" (place).

[hn]

A voiceless "n" — whispered n with no voice. Lowercase of Hn. Example: "hni" (two).

[hr]

A voiceless "r" — breathed r with no voice. Lowercase of Hr. Example: "hrui" (to fall).

[k]

Sounds like "k" in "sky" — unaspirated. Lowercase of K. Contrasts with aspirated kh. Example: "kang" (which/what).

[kh]

A "k" with a strong puff of air. Lowercase of Kh. Example: "khaw" (town/village).

[l]

Sounds like "l" in "love". Lowercase of L. Example: "leh" (and).

[m]

Sounds like "m" in "mother". Lowercase of M. Example: "mîm" (bamboo).

[n]

Sounds like "n" in "name". Lowercase of N. Example: "ni" (day/sun).

[ng]

The "ng" sound from "sing" — used at the start of words. Lowercase of Ng. Example: "ngai" (to feel/think).

[p]

Sounds like "p" in "spot" — unaspirated. Lowercase of P. Contrasts with aspirated ph. Example: "pâr" (flower).

[ph]

A "p" with a puff of air. Lowercase of Ph. NOT like "ph" in English "phone". Example: "phâl" (permitted).

[r]

A rolled or trilled "r". Lowercase of R. Contrasts with voiceless hr. Example: "rûn" (rain).

[s]

Sounds like "s" in "sun". Lowercase of S. Example: "sa" (animal/meat).

[t]

Sounds like "t" in "stop" — unaspirated. Lowercase of T. Contrasts with aspirated th. Example: "târ" (to cut).

[th]

A "t" with a puff of air. Lowercase of Th. NOT the English "th" sounds. Example: "thlar" (afternoon).

[tl]

A lateral affricate — air escapes at the sides of the tongue. Lowercase of Tl. Example: "tlan" (to flee/escape).

tlh

[tlh]

Like tl but with an extra puff of air. Lowercase of Tlh. One of the rarest sounds in any language. Example: "tlher" (slippery).

[v]

Sounds like "v" in "very". Lowercase of V. Example: "vâr" (bright/light).

[z]

Sounds like "z" in "zone". Lowercase of Z. Example: "zâi" (song).

[uh]

[ah]

[^]

[v]

[zêro]

[pakhat]

[hni]

[thum]

[li]

[nga]

[ruk]

[sari]

[riat]

[kua]

[zêro]

"zêro" — borrowed from English/Portuguese "zero". Used in modern arithmetic and measurement.

[pakhat]

"pakhat" — Mizo word for one. Example: "mi pakhat" (one person). A Tibeto-Burman counting root.

[hni]

"hni" — Mizo word for two. Note the voiceless nasal "hn" at the start. Example: "ni hni" (two days).

[thum]

"thum" — Mizo word for three. Note the aspirated "th". Example: "thla thum" (three months).

[li]

"li" — Mizo word for four. Example: "ni li" (four days).

[nga]

"nga" — Mizo word for five. Starts with the velar nasal "ng". Example: "mi nga" (five people).

[ruk]

"ruk" — Mizo word for six. A closed syllable ending in -k.

[sari]

"sari" — Mizo word for seven. Example: "thla sari" (seven months).

[riat]

"riat" — Mizo word for eight. Ends in -at.

[kua]

"kua" — Mizo word for nine. The last single-unit counting word before ten (sêng).

Expand All Collapse All

How many letters are in the Mizo alphabet?

How many people speak Mizo?

Is Mizo the same as Lushai?

What makes Mizo consonants unusual?

How was Mizo script developed?

What language family does Mizo belong to?

Is Mizo a tonal language?

What is the official status of Mizo in India?

References:

[1] Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), Mysuru, India (Ministry of Education, Government of India). "Mizo Language (Lushai)" — CIIL documents Mizo (ISO 639-3: lus), a Tibeto-Burman language of Mizoram, India, spoken by approximately 830,000 people. Retrieved from Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL)
[2] Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. "Census of India — Language Data: Mizo (Lushai)". The 2011 Census records Mizo (Lushai) with approximately 830,000 mother-tongue speakers, predominantly in Mizoram state where it holds official language status. Retrieved from Census of India — Language Tables
[3] SIL International. "ISO 639-3 Language Code: lus — Mizo". Retrieved from SIL ISO 639-3: lus