Igbo Alphabets
MKPỤRỤ EDEMEDE N’ASỤSỤ IGBO, NNUKWU NA OBERE [THE IGBO ALPHABETS, BIG AND SMALL]
Below are the Igbo alphabets commonly refered to in Igbo as A, B, CH, D… . ; these alphabets are 36 in number according to Ọnwụ orthography in 1961.
Ndị nnukwu na ndị obere ha, [their big and their small letters]
Ndị nnukwu mkpụrụ edemede bụ, [the capital letters are]:
A, B, CH, D, E, F, G, GB, GH, GW, H, I, Ị, J, K, KP, KW, L, M, N, Ň, NW, NY, O, Ọ, P, R, S, SH, T, U, Ụ, V, W, Y, Z.
Ndị obere mkpụrụ edemede bụ, [the small letters are]:
a, b, ch, d, e, f, g, gb, gh, gw, h, i, ị, j, k, kp, kw, l, m, n, ń, nw, ny, o, ọ, p, r, s, ,sh, t, u, ụ, v, w, y, z.
Just as in English language, words are formed in Igbo by the combination of letters. Examples of words formed with the complete alphabets are:
A as in AHA – NAME
B as in BE – HOME
CH as in CHUKWU – GOD
D as in DEE – WRITE
E as in EGBE – GUN, KITE
F as in FEE – WORSHIP
G as in GEE – LISTEN
GB as in GBUO – KILL
GH as in GHEBIE – CUT
GW as in GWA – TELL
H as in HA – THEM
I as in IKUKU – AIR