From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
The following tables show the IPA representations of Swahili pronunciation. The first two section concern Unguja standard Swahili, which is based on the Swahili of Zanzibar town and which is spoken by the large majority of Swahili speakers whose mother tongue is not Swahili (and who have come to make up the bulk of speakers of the language). English approximations are in some cases very approximate, and only intended to give a general idea of the pronunciation.
Vowels
IPA Examples
English approximation
ɑ ba ba [ˈɓɑɓɑ] 'father'
fa ther
ɛ nde ge [ˈⁿdɛɠɛ] 'bird'
le t
i Ki swahi li [kiswɑˈhili] 'Swahili (language)'
mea t
ɔ mto to [m̩ˈtɔtɔ] 'child'
o ff
u u hu ru [uˈhuɾu] 'freedom'
foo l
ː kondoo [kɔˈⁿdɔː] 'sheep'
vowel length
Suprasegmentals
IPA
Examples
Explanation
ˈ safari [sɑˈ fɑɾi] 'journey'
stress [ 1]
Consonants
IPA Examples
English approximation
ɓ b ab a[ˈɓɑɓɑ] 'father'
b ill
ɗ d ola[ˈɗɔlɑ] 'dollar'
d elta
ð dh ambi[ˈðɑᵐbi] 'sin, offence'[ 2] th at
ʄ dʒ maj i [ˈmɑʄi] ~ [ˈmɑdʒi] 'water'
j ab
f f isi[ˈfisi] 'hyena'
f ocus
ɠ g ani[ˈɠɑni] 'what, of which'
g ag
ɣ gh ali[ˈɣɑli] 'expensive'[ 2] Scottish loch but voiced
h uh uru [uˈhuɾu] 'freedom'
ah ead
j y ey e[ˈjɛjɛ] 'he/she'
y ellow
k k itabu[kiˈtɑbu] 'book'
sc ald
l l akini[lɑˈkini] 'but'[ 3] l ack
m dam u [ˈɗɑmu] 'blood'
m ocha
m̩ m toto[m̩ˈtɔtɔ] 'child'
rhythm
ᵐb mb ali[ˈᵐbɑli] 'far'
clamb er
ᶬv mv inyo[ˈᶬviɲɔ] 'spirits'
Humv ee
n n in i[ˈnini] 'what'
n inny
n̩ n chi[ˈn̩tʃi] 'country'
even (syllabic nasal)
ⁿd muhind i [muˈhiⁿdi] 'corn, maize'
hand y
ᵑɡ ng oma[ˈᵑɡɔmɑ] 'drum'
fing er
ⁿdʒ inj ili [iˈⁿdʒili] 'gospel'
rang e
ⁿz kwanz a [ˈkwɑⁿzɑ] 'to begin'
pans y
ɲ ny oka[ˈɲɔkɑ] 'snake'
cany on
ŋ ng' ombe[ˈŋɔᵐbɛ] 'cow, ox'
sing
p kikap u [kiˈkɑpu] 'basket'
sp ill
ɾ r afiki[ɾɑˈfiki] 'friend'[ 3] r obot
s s is i[ˈsisi] 'we'
s tole
ʃ sh amba[ˈʃɑᵐbɑ] 'farm, field'
sh ell
t mot o [ˈmɔtɔ] 'fire'
st and
tʃ ch umba[ˈtʃuᵐbɑ] 'room'
ch ase
θ th elath ini[θɛlɑˈθini] 'thirty'[ 2] th ink
v v itabu[viˈtɑbu] 'books'
v ittle
w w atu[ˈwɑtu] 'people'
w ith
x subulkh eri [suɓulˈxɛɾi] 'good morning'[ 2] Scottish loch
z maz iwa [mɑˈziwɑ] 'milk'
z oo
Outside of Zanzibar, many dialects distinguish alveolar from dental stops:
Alveolar
Dental
IPA Examples
IPA Examples
t kat a [ˈkɑtɑ] 'to cut'
t̪ t aka[ˈt̪ɑkɑ] 'to want'
ⁿd nd ani[ˈⁿdɑni] 'inside'
ⁿd̪ nd ia[ˈⁿd̪iɑ] 'way' (Kimvita)
There is no phonemic aspiration in Standard Swahili. Polomé[ 4]
Plain
Aspirated
IPA Examples
IPA Examples
p p aa[pɑː] 'roof'
pʰ p aa[pʰɑː] 'impala'
t mt o [ˈm̩.tɔ] 'river'
tʰ mt u [ˈm̩.tʰu] 'person'
t̪ t aa[t̪ɑː] 'lamp'
t̪ʰ nt i [ˈn̩.t̪ʰi] 'country' (Kimvita)
tʃ ch oo[tʃɔː] 'toilet'
tʃʰ ch oo[tʃʰɔː] 'earthworm'
k k aa[kɑː] 'charcoal'
kʰ k aa[kʰɑː] 'crab'
Finally, some speakers pronounce Arabic loans with a pronunciation closer to the original Arabic one:
Arabic sounds
IPA Examples
Notes
ˤ◌̹ sultani /sulˈt̪ˤɑ̹.ni/ 'sultan'
pharyngealization is often realized by making the consonant dental and the subsequent vowel more rounded; details vary by speaker
ː hata [ˈħɑtːɑ] 'even if'
geminate consonant
ħ h ata[ˈħɑtːɑ] 'even if'
q ak ili [ɑˈqi.li] 'common sense'
ʕ laana [lɑˈʕɑ.nɑ] 'curse'
