The 10 digraphs

A digraph is a combination of two letters representing a single sound. Shikomori has ten.

Some are familiar (dj as in Djibouti, sh like English « sh », ny like Spanish « ñ »). Others are exotic: the retroflexes dr and tr (tongue curled toward the palate), the bilabial pv (a « v » made with both lips), the interdentals dh and th (tongue between teeth, like English « th »).

A big lesson — take your time.

The retroflexes dr and tr are produced with the tongue curled up toward the palate (as in Hindi). The sound is between a « d » and an « r » (or « t » and « r »). To practise: try pronouncing « d » with the tongue tip on the hard palate, not on the teeth.

The affricates dz and ts are complex consonants: the stop (d or t) releases immediately into a fricative (z or s). Dz doesn't exist in standard French/English; ts is found in loanwords like « tsetse ».

The interdentals dh and th are Arabic-origin sounds (letters ذ and ث). To say them, place the tongue between the teeth and blow. Exactly English « th ».

The bilabial pv is specific to shiNgazidja. In the other dialects it's simplified to « v ». To say it, try producing « v » with both lips instead of lower lip + teeth.

Three digraphs vary from one dialect to another, in part of the vocabulary — you'll revisit them in Module 5:

• dr (Ng) ↔ tr (Nz, Ma) — ndrovi (Ng « banana ») becomes ntrovi (Nz, Ma), but mundru « leg » keeps dr in shimaoré
• dz (Ng, Nz) ↔ z (Ma) — mwidzi (Ng, Nz « thief ») becomes mwizi (Ma), but dzitso « eye » keeps dz
• pv — the [β] sound also exists in shimaoré and part of Anjouanese; older sources write it v, the 2019 norm writes it pv everywhere

When in doubt, listen to the speaker and adopt their spelling.

You now master 39 graphic units (5+5+2+19+10 minus the already-counted ɓ/ɗ). Two groups left: the 15 pre-nasals (mɓ, nd, ng…) and the 3 auxiliary signs (apostrophe, dieresis, circumflex).