The Xhosa Alphabet

Q: What is the Xhosa language?

Xhosa (isiXhosa, ISO 639-3: xh) is a Nguni Bantu language spoken by approximately 8–9 million people in South Africa , principally in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape. It is one of eleven official languages of South Africa [3] . Xhosa is globally famous for its three series of click consonants (dental c, palatal q, lateral x), borrowed from Khoisan languages. Notable Xhosa speakers include Nelson Mandela ( Rolihlahla Mandela — his Xhosa name), Desmond Tutu, and Miriam Makeba

Q: What are the click consonants in Xhosa?

Xhosa has 12 click phonemes across three click types: c = dental click /ǀ/ (tongue tip on upper teeth); q = palatal click /ǃ/ (tongue body on hard palate); x = lateral click /ǁ/ (released from sides of tongue) [1] . Each click type has four variants: plain (c, q, x), aspirated (ch, qh, xh), voiced (gc, gq, gx), and nasal (nc, nq, nx), plus voiced nasals (ngc, ngq, ngx) — giving 15 click phoneme representations total. Clicks originated in Khoisan languages and entered Xhosa through centuries of inter-community contact [2] .

Q: How is the name "Xhosa" pronounced?

The word "Xhosa" begins with xh — the aspirated lateral click /ǁʰ/. The full pronunciation is approximately [ǁʰoːsa] — a lateral click (like the horse-urging sound "clock-clock") with an aspirated release, followed by "osa" [3] . English speakers commonly mispronounce Xhosa as "Zosa" or "Kosa", but the initial consonant is neither Z nor K — it is a lateral click with aspiration, a sound type not found in any European language. The name itself is a demonstration of Xhosa phonology in action [1] .

Q: Is Xhosa the same as Zulu?

Xhosa and Zulu are closely related but distinct Nguni Bantu languages . They share approximately 80% core vocabulary, the same three-click system, the voiceless lateral fricative hl (/ɬ/), and a two-tone system. However, they are not mutually intelligible without prior exposure [2] . Key differences: Xhosa has more click phonemes in core vocabulary; Zulu has a different set of lexicalized numerals (7 = isikhombisa vs Xhosa isixhenxe); certain sound changes differ. Linguistically, Xhosa and Zulu are as similar to each other as Spanish and Portuguese [1] .

Q: What is ubuntu in Xhosa?

Ubuntu (/uːˈbuːntuː/) is a Nguni Bantu concept meaning "humanity", "human-kindness", or "I am because we are". In Xhosa and Zulu: ubuntu is the abstract noun (u- prefix of noun-class 14) derived from umuntu (person) — literally "the state/quality of being human" [2] . Ubuntu is now globally known as a philosophy of communal African ethics and as the name of a popular Linux operating system. Archbishop Desmond Tutu popularised ubuntu as a foundational principle of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation process [3] .

Q: What is the hl sound in Xhosa?

The digraph hl in Xhosa represents the voiceless lateral fricative /ɬ/ — a sound where air escapes around the sides of the tongue while the centre is blocked. It sounds similar to Welsh "ll" in Llewelyn or the Zulu hl sound [1] . Xhosa words with hl: hlobo (summer/friend), hleka (laugh), hlala (sit/stay). The voiceless lateral fricative is a distinctive Nguni Bantu feature shared with Zulu and Swati — not found in most other Bantu languages such as Tumbuka or Venda [2] .

Q: What is the ISO 639-3 code for Xhosa?

The ISO 639-3 code for Xhosa (isiXhosa) is xh — the same as its ISO 639-1 two-letter code. The code is registered for Xhosa as an official South African language. All South Africa's eleven official languages have two-letter ISO 639-1 codes [3] . The University of Cape Town is the primary academic centre for Xhosa language research. The Linguistic Society of America's journal Language has published studies on Xhosa phonology including analysis of click consonant acquisition and tone systems [2] .

Xhosa Language at a Glance

Xhosa (isiXhosa, ISO 639-3: xh) is a Bantu language spoken by approximately 8–9 million people in South Africa, primarily in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape provinces. It is one of eleven official languages of South Africa. Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, and Walter Sisulu were all native Xhosa speakers ^[3]
Xhosa has three series of click consonants: dental c (/ǀ/), palatal q (/ǃ/), and lateral x (/ǁ/). Each forms a set of four variants — plain, aspirated (-h), voiced (g-), and nasal (n-) — giving 12 click phonemes in total. Clicks were borrowed into Xhosa from Khoisan languages through centuries of contact ^[1]
The name "Xhosa" itself begins with xh — the aspirated lateral click /ǁʰ/. The word is pronounced with a lateral click (like the horse-urging sound) followed by an aspirated release: [ǁʰoːsa]. This makes "Xhosa" one of the most phonologically interesting language names in the world ^[3]
Xhosa and Zulu are the two most closely related Nguni Bantu languages and share the same three-click system, the voiceless lateral fricative hl (/ɬ/), and a two-tone system. They have approximately 80% lexical similarity and are considered to be distinct but closely related Nguni varieties ^[1]
The word ubuntu (humanity, human-kindness) — now globally known through the Ubuntu Linux distribution and as a philosophical concept — is a Nguni Bantu word common to both Xhosa and Zulu. It derives from umuntu (person) with the u- prefix of noun-class 14 abstract nouns ^[2]
The University of Cape Town (UCT) has Africa's oldest linguistics department and is a centre for Xhosa language research, publishing grammars, dictionaries, and sociolinguistic studies. UCT's African Language Studies section documents Xhosa oral literature and language variation ^[1]

Xhosa Click Consonants (Three Series):

[ǀ]

[ǀʰ]

[ᶢǀ]

[ᵑǀ]

ngc

[ᵑᶢǀ]

[ǃ]

[ǃʰ]

[ᶢǃ]

[ᵑǃ]

ngq

[ᵑᶢǃ]

[ǁ]

[ǁʰ]

[ᶢǁ]

[ᵑǁ]

ngx

[ᵑᶢǁ]

[ǀ]

Dental click /ǀ/ — produced by placing tongue tip against upper teeth, then pulling it away sharply; sounds like a mild "tsk-tsk" sound; a single consonant in Xhosa; IPA symbol ǀ (pipe)

[ǀʰ]

Aspirated dental click /ǀʰ/ — dental click followed by a puff of air; the digraph ch in Xhosa does not mean /tʃ/ as in English but marks aspiration on the dental click

[ᶢǀ]

Voiced dental click /ᶢǀ/ — dental click with simultaneous voicing of the vocal cords; the g- prefix in Xhosa click notation signals voicing

[ᵑǀ]

Nasal dental click /ᵑǀ/ — dental click with simultaneous airflow through the nasal cavity; the n- prefix signals nasalization; common in words for family terms

ngc

[ᵑᶢǀ]

Voiced nasal dental click /ᵑᶢǀ/ — combines nasal and voiced features with the dental click; a complex phoneme unique to Nguni languages

[ǃ]

Palatal click /ǃ/ — produced by pulling the tongue body away from the hard palate (roof of mouth); produces a sharper, louder pop than the dental click; IPA symbol ǃ (exclamation mark); Xhosa: qula (dip water)

[ǃʰ]

Aspirated palatal click /ǃʰ/ — palatal click followed by a puff of air; the h suffix marks aspiration

[ᶢǃ]

Voiced palatal click /ᶢǃ/ — palatal click with simultaneous vocal cord vibration

[ᵑǃ]

Nasal palatal click /ᵑǃ/ — palatal click with nasal airflow; Xhosa: nqondo (brain/mind)

ngq

[ᵑᶢǃ]

Voiced nasal palatal click /ᵑᶢǃ/ — combines nasalization and voicing with the palatal click

[ǁ]

Lateral click /ǁ/ — produced by releasing the tongue from both sides of the mouth simultaneously; sounds like a horse-click (the sound used to urge horses); the most complex click type; IPA symbol ǁ (double pipe); Xhosa: xela (tell)

[ǁʰ]

Aspirated lateral click /ǁʰ/ — lateral click with puff of air; Xhosa: Xhosa itself begins with xh — the name /ǁʰóːsa/ contains this very sound

[ᶢǁ]

Voiced lateral click /ᶢǁ/ — lateral click with vocal cord vibration

[ᵑǁ]

Nasal lateral click /ᵑǁ/ — lateral click with nasal airflow

ngx

[ᵑᶢǁ]

Voiced nasal lateral click /ᵑᶢǁ/ — combines nasalization and voicing with the lateral click

Xhosa Vowels:

[a]

[e]

[i]

[o]

[u]

Xhosa Non-Click Consonants:

[b]

[d]

[ɮ]

[f]

[ɡ]

[h]

[ɬ]

[dʒ]

[k]

[kʰ]

[l]

[m]

[ᵐb]

[n]

[ⁿd]

[ᵑɡ]

[ɲ]

[p]

[pʰ]

[r]

[s]

[t]

[tʰ]

[tʲ]

[v]

[w]

[j]

[z]

[b]

Voiced bilabial stop /b/ — B as in "bat"

[d]

Voiced alveolar stop /d/ — D as in "dog"

[ɮ]

Voiced lateral fricative /ɮ/ — the voiced counterpart of hl; a distinctive Nguni consonant; Xhosa: dlala (play)

[f]

Voiceless labiodental fricative /f/ — F as in "fun"

[ɡ]

Voiced velar stop /ɡ/ — G as in "go"; used also as prefix for voiced clicks

[h]

Voiceless glottal fricative /h/ — H as in "house"; also marks aspiration in digraphs

[ɬ]

Voiceless lateral fricative /ɬ/ — like Welsh "ll" in "Llewelyn"; air passes around the sides of the tongue while the centre is blocked; Xhosa: hlobo (summer/friend), hleka (laugh)

[dʒ]

Voiced palato-alveolar affricate /dʒ/ — J as in "jam"

[k]

Voiceless velar stop /k/ — K as in "kite"

[kʰ]

Aspirated voiceless velar stop /kʰ/ — K with a strong puff of air; Xhosa: khaya (home), khubalo (medicine)

[l]

Alveolar lateral approximant /l/ — L as in "lamp"

[m]

Bilabial nasal /m/ — M as in "mother"; Xhosa: mntu (person class), mXhosa (a Xhosa person)

[ᵐb]

Prenasalized voiced bilabial stop /ᵐb/ — a single phoneme; Xhosa: mbiza (pot)

[n]

Alveolar nasal /n/ — N as in "night"; Xhosa: ndoda (man), ndikhaya (I am home)

[ⁿd]

Prenasalized voiced alveolar stop /ⁿd/ — a single phoneme; Xhosa: ndlela (way/path)

[ᵑɡ]

Prenasalized voiced velar stop /ᵑɡ/ — a single phoneme; also appears before clicks to signal nasalization

[ɲ]

Palatal nasal /ɲ/ — NY as in "canyon"; a single phoneme; Xhosa: nyawo (foot)

[p]

Voiceless bilabial stop /p/ — P as in "pin"

[pʰ]

Aspirated voiceless bilabial stop /pʰ/ — P with puff of air; Xhosa: phela (finish/end), phuma (come out)

[r]

Alveolar trill or flap /r/ or /ɾ/

[s]

Voiceless alveolar fricative /s/ — S as in "sun"

[t]

Voiceless alveolar stop /t/ — T as in "top"

[tʰ]

Aspirated voiceless alveolar stop /tʰ/ — T with puff of air; not the English TH; Xhosa: thanda (love), thatha (take)

[tʲ]

Palatalised voiceless alveolar stop /tʲ/ — T with simultaneous palatal glide; a palatalised consonant found in Nguni languages; Xhosa: tyala (plant)

[v]

Voiced labiodental fricative /v/ — V as in "very"

[w]

Labio-velar approximant /w/ — W as in "water"

[j]

Palatal approximant /j/ — Y as in "yes"

[z]

Voiced alveolar fricative /z/ — Z as in "zoo"

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[1]

One in Xhosa — -nye (the root; with noun-class prefix: inye, enye, omnye depending on class)

[2]

Two in Xhosa — -bili (the root; mbini as agreement form; cognate: Zulu -bili, Swahili mbili)

[3]

Three in Xhosa — -thathu (the root; cognate: Zulu -thathu, Tumbuka vitatu — the t/th variation is a regular Nguni/non-Nguni Bantu difference)

[4]

Four in Xhosa — -ne (the root; feminine form -nne in some contexts; the nasal prefix signals the click in neighboring -nc forms)

[5]

Five in Xhosa — -hlanu (the root; the hl represents the voiceless lateral fricative /ɬ/; cognate: Zulu -hlanu — both Nguni languages preserve the lateral fricative here)

[6]

Six in Xhosa — -tandathu (six; literally "five and one" originally, now lexicalized; cognate with Zulu isithupha)

[7]

Seven in Xhosa — -sixhenxe (seven; ixhenxe; the xh represents the aspirated lateral click /ǁʰ/ — the very same click type that names the language Xhosa)

[8]

Eight in Xhosa — -sibhozo (eight; isibhozo; the -bhozo root contrasts with Zulu isishiyagalombili "leave two")

[9]

Nine in Xhosa — -lithoba (nine; ithoba; note Zulu isikhombisa for 7 and isishiyagalolunye "leave one" for 9 — different numeral systems in closely related Nguni languages)

[10]

Ten in Xhosa — ishumi (ten; the i- is a noun-class prefix; -shumi represents the pan-Bantu -kumi root with the Southern Bantu sh- initial — cognate with Zulu ishumi, Tumbuka khumi, Swahili kumi)

[a]

[b]

[ǀ]

[d]

[e]

[f]

[ɡ]

[h]

[i]

[dʒ]

[k]

[l]

[m]

[n]

[o]

[p]

[ǃ]

[r]

[s]

[t]

[u]

[v]

[w]

[ǁ]

[j]

[z]

Expand All Collapse All

What is the Xhosa language?

What are the click consonants in Xhosa?

How is the name "Xhosa" pronounced?

Is Xhosa the same as Zulu?

What is ubuntu in Xhosa?

What is the hl sound in Xhosa?

What is the ISO 639-3 code for Xhosa?

References:

[1] University of Cape Town (UCT), African Language Studies. "IsiXhosa — Click Phonology and Language Studies". Retrieved from University of Cape Town — African Language Studies
[2] Linguistic Society of America (LSA), Language Journal. "Southern Bantu Click Languages — Phonological Research". Retrieved from Linguistic Society of America — Language Journal
[3] Encyclopædia Britannica. "Xhosa Language". Retrieved from Encyclopædia Britannica — Xhosa Language