Foundation Masterclass

Yoruba Alphabet & Tone Marks (Àmì Ohùn): Complete Beginner Guide

If you've ever heard someone say that Yoruba is a "musical language", they are referring to its tones. In Yoruba, changing your vocal pitch changes the meaning of a word entirely. Here is your definitive guide to the 25 letters of Álífábẹ́ẹ̀tì Yorùbá, dotted vowels, and the 3 musical pitch tones.

1. The 25 Letters of the Yoruba Alphabet

The modern standard Yoruba alphabet contains 25 letters: 7 vowels and 18 consonants. Notice the letters that do not exist in Yoruba: c, q, v, x, z.

A a
like 'father'
B b
like 'boy'
D d
like 'day'
E e
like 'they' (ay)
Ẹ ẹ
like 'bed' (eh)
F f
like 'fan'
G g
hard 'go'
Gb gb
co-articulated g+b
H h
like 'hat'
I i
like 'see' (ee)
J j
like 'jump'
K k
like 'kite'
L l
like 'lion'
M m
like 'man'
N n
like 'nest'
O o
like 'go' (oh)
Ọ ọ
like 'raw' (aw)
P p
pronounced [kp]
R r
soft rolled 'r'
S s
like 'sun'
Ṣ ṣ
like 'shoe' (sh)
T t
like 'top'
U u
like 'flute' (oo)
W w
like 'water'
Y y
like 'yes'

The Sub-Dot (Àmì Ìsàlẹ̀) Explained for Western Learners

English uses extra letters (like sh in 'ship' or aw in 'raw'). Yoruba orthography was standardized in the 19th century by Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther using sub-dots to represent open vowel qualities and sounds without adding new Latin alphabet letters:

• E [ay] vs Ẹ [eh]: Ewé (leaf) vs Ẹran (meat)
• O [oh] vs Ọ [aw]: Oko (farm) vs Ọkọ (husband/vehicle)
• S [s] vs Ṣ [sh]: Sùúrù (patience) vs Ṣe (to do)

2. The 3 Tones (Àmì Ohùn): Dọ, Re, Mí

Think of Yoruba tones like the first 3 solfège notes in music: Dọ (low), Re (mid), and Mí (high). Every syllable in spoken Yoruba carries one of these three pitches:

1. High Tone (Ohùn Òkè)
Mí (/) — Acute Accent: á, é, ẹ́, í, ó, ọ́, ú
Raise your vocal pitch higher than your normal speaking voice, similar to the pitch inflection at the end of an English question (e.g. "Really?").
2. Mid Tone (Ohùn Àárín)
Re (-) — Unmarked: a, e, ẹ, i, o, ọ, u
Your natural, neutral speaking pitch. No diacritic accent mark is written on mid-tone vowels in standard modern Yoruba.
3. Low Tone (Ohùn Ìsàlẹ̀)
Dọ̀ (\) — Grave Accent: à, è, ẹ̀, ì, ò, ọ̀, ù
Drop your pitch down toward your chest voice, like expressing deep agreement in English (e.g. "Uh-huh").

3. Why Tones Matter: The Famous "OWO" Test

One of the easiest ways to understand why tone marks matter is examining how identical consonants and vowels completely transform into entirely unrelated concepts:

Spelling with Tones Tone Pattern English Meaning Phonetic Cues
Owó Mid – High (Re – Mí) Money / Cash [oh-WOH] (pitch rises)
Ọwọ́ Mid – High (Re – Mí) with dot Hand / Arm [aw-WOH]
Òwò Low – Low (Dọ̀ – Dọ̀) Business / Commerce [oh-woh] (deep chest tone)
Owo Mid – Mid (Re – Re) Broom [oh-woh] (neutral pitch)
Ọ̀wọ̀ Low – Low with dot Honor / Respect [aw-waw] (low pitch)

Master Tones with Real-Time Audio Feedback

Practicing with a native speaker is the fastest way to train your ear to hear and reproduce Yoruba tones accurately.

Book a Pronunciation Session

Frequently Asked Questions About the Yoruba Alphabet

How many letters are in the Yoruba alphabet?
The modern Yoruba alphabet (Álífábẹ́ẹ̀tì Yorùbá) contains 25 letters: 18 consonants and 7 vowels. Letters like c, q, v, x, and z do not exist in standard Yoruba orthography.
What do the dots under letters like 'ẹ', 'ọ', and 'ṣ' mean?
The sub-dots (called 'Àmì Ìsàlẹ̀') change the sound quality. 'E' sounds like 'ay' in 'play', while 'Ẹ' with a dot sounds like 'eh' in 'bed'. 'O' sounds like 'oh' in 'go', while 'Ọ' sounds like 'aw' in 'raw'. 'S' sounds like 's' in 'see', while 'Ṣ' sounds like 'sh' in 'shoe'.
What are the 3 tones in the Yoruba language?
Yoruba is a tonal language with three primary pitch levels: High (Mí - acute accent: á, é, ó), Mid (Re - unmarked: a, e, o), and Low (Dọ̀ - grave accent: à, è, ò). A tonal change completely transforms word meaning: 'Owo' (broom), 'Ọwọ́' (hand), 'Owó' (money), 'Òwò' (business).
How can an English or Western speaker learn to hear and pronounce Yoruba tones?
Think of the tones like the first 3 notes in music: Dọ (low pitch), Re (natural speaking pitch), and Mí (elevated pitch). Just as English speakers naturally raise pitch at the end of a question, in Yoruba you consciously control your pitch on each syllable.

Next Steps in Your Learning

Yoruba Greetings • 120+ Yoruba Names & Meanings • Vocabulary Dictionary