How to Read and Write Nigerian Pidgin
On this page you will find:
2. How to Pronounce Letters of the Nigerian Pidgin Alphabet
5. Tone Marks
Nigerian Pidgin Alphabet
The Nigerian Pidgin Alphabet (NPA) is not the English alphabet. It is similar to the alphabet of many Nigerian languages. It is also similar to Cameroon Pidgin and Krio (Sierra Leone Pidgin) alphabets. NPA is however unique to Nigerian Pidgin.
There are thirty (30) letters in the Nigerian Pidgin Alphabet. It can be written in capital and small letters.
How to Pronounce Letters of the Nigerian Pidgin Alphabet
A
Capital
A
Small
a
Pronounce as in ...
fAther
Pronounce as in ...
father
B
Capital
B
Small
b
Pronounce as in ...
Bitter
Pronounce as in ...
bitter
Ch
Capital
Ch
Small
ch
Pronounce as in ...
Chicken
Pronounce as in ...
chicken
D
Capital
D
Small
d
Pronounce as in ...
Dictionary
Pronounce as in ...
dictionary
E
Capital
E
Small
e
Pronounce as in ...
Able
Pronounce as in ...
able
Ẹ
Capital
Ẹ
Small
ẹ
Pronounce as in ...
Elephant
Pronounce as in ...
elephant
F
Capital
F
Small
f
Pronounce as in ...
Fiction
Pronounce as in ...
fiction
G
Capital
G
Small
g
Pronounce as in ...
Giggle
Pronounce as in ...
giggle
Gb
Capital
Gb
Small
gb
Pronounce as in ...
No English equivalent
Pronounce as in ...
No English equivalent
H
Capital
H
Small
h
Pronounce as in ...
Hilltop
Pronounce as in ...
hilltop
I
Capital
I
Small
i
Pronounce as in ...
Immigrant
Pronounce as in ...
immigrant
J
Capital
J
Small
j
Pronounce as in ...
Jigsaw
Pronounce as in ...
jigsaw
K
Capital
K
Small
k
Pronounce as in ...
Kidney
Pronounce as in ...
kidney
Kp
Capital
Kp
Small
kp
Pronounce as in ...
No English equivalent
Pronounce as in ...
No English equivalent
L
Capital
L
Small
l
Pronounce as in ...
Liberty
Pronounce as in ...
liberty
M
Capital
M
Small
m
Pronounce as in …
Middle
Pronounce as in …
middle
N
Capital
N
Small
n
Pronounce as in …
Nickname
Pronounce as in …
nickname
O
Capital
O
Small
o
Pronounce as in …
Over
Pronounce as in …
over
Ọ
Capital
Ọ
Small
ọ
Pronounce as in …
All
Pronounce as in …
all
P
Capital
P
Small
p
Pronounce as in …
Picture
Pronounce as in …
picture
R
Capital
R
Small
r
Pronounce as in …
Richness
Pronounce as in …
richness
S
Capital
S
Small
s
Pronounce as in …
Silver
Pronounce as in …
silver
Sh
Capital
Sh
Small
sh
Pronounce as in …
Shipment
Pronounce as in …
shipment
T
Capital
T
Small
t
Pronounce as in …
Ticket
Pronounce as in …
ticket
U
Capital
U
Small
u
Pronounce as in …
bUlldog
Pronounce as in …
bulldog
V
Capital
V
Small
v
Pronounce as in …
Victory
Pronounce as in …
victory
W
Capital
W
Small
w
Pronounce as in …
Window
Pronounce as in …
window
Y
Capital
Y
Small
y
Pronounce as in …
Yielding
Pronounce as in …
yielding
Z
Capital
Z
Small
z
Pronounce as in …
Zipper
Pronounce as in …
zipper
-
Capital
-
Small
zh
Pronounce as in …
meaSure
Pronounce as in …
measure
Nigerian Pidgin Vowels
There are 7 vowels in the Nigerian Pidgin Alphabet
A
Capital
A
Small
a
Pronounce as in…
fAther
Pronounce as in…
father
E
Capital
E
Small
e
Pronounce as in…
Able
Pronounce as in…
able
Ẹ
Capital
Ẹ
Small
ẹ
Pronounce as in…
Elephant
Pronounce as in…
elephant
I
Capital
I
Small
i
Pronounce as in…
Immigrant
Pronounce as in…
immigrant
O
Capital
O
Small
o
Pronounce as in…
Over
Pronounce as in…
over
Ọ
Capital
Ọ
Small
ọ
Pronounce as in…
All
Pronounce as in…
all
U
Capital
U
Small
u
Pronounce as in…
bUlldog
Pronounce as in…
bulldog
Nigerian Pidgin Consonants
There are 23 consonants in the Nigerian Pidgin Alphabet
B
Capital
B
Small
b
Pronounce as in …
Bitter
Pronounce as in …
bitter
Ch
Capital
Ch
Small
ch
Pronounce as in …
Chicken
Pronounce as in …
chicken
D
Capital
D
Small
d
Pronounce as in …
Dictionary
Pronounce as in …
dictionary
F
Capital
F
Small
f
Pronounce as in …
Fiction
Pronounce as in …
fiction
G
Capital
G
Small
g
Pronounce as in …
Giggle
Pronounce as in …
giggle
Gb
Capital
Gb
Small
gb
Pronounce as in …
No English equivalent
Pronounce as in …
No English equivalent
H
Capital
H
Small
h
Pronounce as in …
Hilltop
Pronounce as in …
hilltop
J
Capital
J
Small
j
Pronounce as in …
Jigsaw
Pronounce as in …
jigsaw
K
Capital
K
Small
k
Pronounce as in …
Kidney
Pronounce as in …
kidney
Kp
Capital
Kp
Small
kp
Pronounce as in …
No English equivalent
Pronounce as in …
No English equivalent
L
Capital
L
Small
l
Pronounce as in …
Liberty
Pronounce as in …
liberty
M
Capital
M
Small
m
Pronounce as in …
Middle
Pronounce as in …
middle
N
Capital
N
Small
n
Pronounce as in …
Nickname
Pronounce as in …
nickname
P
Capital
P
Small
p
Pronounce as in …
Picture
Pronounce as in …
picture
R
Capital
R
Small
r
Pronounce as in …
Richness
Pronounce as in …
richness
S
Capital
S
Small
s
Pronounce as in …
Silver
Pronounce as in …
silver
Sh
Capital
Sh
Small
sh
Pronounce as in …
Shipment
Pronounce as in …
shipment
T
Capital
T
Small
t
Pronounce as in …
Ticket
Pronounce as in …
ticket
V
Capital
V
Small
v
Pronounce as in …
Victory
Pronounce as in …
victory
W
Capital
W
Small
w
Pronounce as in …
Window
Pronounce as in …
window
Y
Capital
Y
Small
y
Pronounce as in …
Yielding
Pronounce as in …
yielding
Z
Capital
Z
Small
z
Pronounce as in …
Zipper
Pronounce as in …
zipper
-
Capital
-
Small
zh
Pronounce as in …
meaSure
Pronounce as in …
measure
Tone Marks
Nigerian Pidgin is a tonal language containing high tones ( ́ ) and low tones ( ̀ ). The tones help speakers pronounce the NP words properly.
Only high tones are marked on NP words that require tone marking. Low tones are typically not marked because they are common in NP.
Low tone marks may, however, be used to mark words whose spellings are the same but have distinct meanings. Below are some examples:
pàpá
Nigerian Pidgin
pàpá
English
father
pàpà
Nigerian Pidgin
pàpà
English
elderly man
màmá
Nigerian Pidgin
màmá
English
mother
màmà
Nigerian Pidgin
màmà
English
elderly woman
fádá
Nigerian Pidgin
fádá
English
catholic church reverend father
fádà
Nigerian Pidgin
fádà
English
father
sìsí
Nigerian Pidgin
sìsí
English
sister
sísì
Nigerian Pidgin
sísì
English
six pence
bábà
Nigerian Pidgin
bábà
English
barber
bàbá
Nigerian Pidgin
bàbá
English
father, old man
àwà
Nigerian Pidgin
àwà
English
our
áwà
Nigerian Pidgin
áwà
English
hour
sístà
Nigerian Pidgin
sístà
English
sister (nurse)
sìstá
Nigerian Pidgin
sìstá
English
sister (sibling)
High and Low Tones of
Nigerian Pidgin Vowels
A
High Tones - Capitals
Á
High Tones - Small Letters
á
E
High Tones - Capitals
É
High Tones - Small Letters
é
Ẹ
High Tones - Capitals
Ẹ́
High Tones - Small Letters
ẹ́
I
High Tones - Capitals
Í
High Tones - Small Letters
í
O
High Tones - Capitals
Ó
High Tones - Small Letters
ó
Ọ
High Tones - Capitals
Ọ́
High Tones - Small Letters
ọ́
U
High Tones - Capitals
Ú
High Tones - Small Letters
ú
A
Low Tones - Capitals
À
Low Tones - Small Letters
à
E
Low Tones - Capitals
È
Low Tones - Small Letters
è
Ẹ
Low Tones - Capitals
Ẹ̀
Low Tones - Small Letters
ẹ̀
I
Low Tones - Capitals
Ì
Low Tones - Small Letters
ì
O
Low Tones - Capitals
Ò
Low Tones - Small Letters
ò
Ọ
Low Tones - Capitals
Ọ̀
Low Tones - Small Letters
ọ̀
U
Low Tones - Capitals
Ù
Low Tones - Small Letters
ù
Nigerian Pidgin vowels with examples of high tone marked words. Note that the low tones are not marked.
a
Vowels
a
Nigerian Pidgin - High Tone Marked Words
ápul
English
apple
é
Vowels
é
Nigerian Pidgin - High Tone Marked Words
ték di pikin
English
take the child
ẹ́
Vowels
ẹ́
Nigerian Pidgin - High Tone Marked Words
ẹ́lẹ́fant
English
elephant
í
Vowels
í
Nigerian Pidgin - High Tone Marked Words
ígul
English
eagle
ó
Vowels
ó
Nigerian Pidgin - High Tone Marked Words
ópun
English
open
ọ́
Vowels
ọ́
Nigerian Pidgin - High Tone Marked Words
ọ́mbrẹ́la
English
umbrella
ú
Vowels
ú
Nigerian Pidgin - High Tone Marked Words
búldọg
English
bulldog
Subdots Under ‘e’ and ‘o’ Vowels
These are subdots that are under ‘e’ and ‘o’ in Nigerian Pidgin.
They can be used to make ‘e’ and ‘o’ to be ‘ẹ’ and ‘ọ’.
The subdots help the reader to distinguish the specific sounds of these vowels, that is, different ways to pronounce them.
e
Vowel
e
Nigerian Pidgin
let
English
late
ẹ
Vowel
ẹ
Nigerian Pidgin
ẹg
English
egg
o
Vowel
o
Nigerian Pidgin
pol
English
pole
ọ
Vowel
ọ
Nigerian Pidgin
lọv
English
love