Pronunciation

VOWELS

VOWEL	NEAREST ENGLISH EQUIVALENT	WOLOF EXAMPLES
a	absorb	banta, tapa, santa
aa	far	laaj, naaj, caabi
e	get	dem, lem, gerte
ee	where	seet, leel
é	say	bés
éé	sane	wéér, réér
ë	bird	kër, dëgër
i	in, pit	nit, simiis, timis
ii	meet	siis, lii, kii
o	moment	xob, romba
ó	awe	nób, sóf
oo	door	loo, soo
óó	phone	góór, fóót
u	cook	nuyu, ubi
uu	moon	tuuru, yuuxu

CONSONANTS

CONSONANT	NEAREST ENGLISH EQUIVALENT	WOLOF EXAMPLES
b	boy	bunta, ban
c	church	caabi, ceeb
d	dog	def, dara
f	fire	fas, fetel
g	good	dogal, duga
j	job	jambar, jox
k	cool	kaala, kumpa
l	land	loolu, laal
m	moon	meew, dem
n	not	nit, nax
ñ	onion	ñeebe, gaañu
p	park	pare, soopa
r	rat	raxas, réér
s	sign	siis, safara
t	stamp	tubaab, aate
w	war	waaw, rew
x	(see note) *	xale, xaalis
y	your	yaay, yuuxu

* There is no English equivalent for this sound, it is a slightly guttural sound that is between x and k. It may also be pronounced merely as h, especially among non-natives.

PRENASALIZED CONSONANTS

CONSONANT	WOLOF EXAMPLES
mb	mbéy, mbam
nd	ndey, ndigga
ng	ngor
mp	lampa