| Sound | English Equivalent | Length | Tiv Word | English Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| /o/ | orbit, story | Short | or | person | — |
| /o/ | orbit, story | Long | too | measure, pour out | — |
| /o/ | orbit, story | Short | tor | chief, king | — |
| /o/ | orbit, story | Long | doo | good | Long o, not oo as in book |
| /o/ | orbit, story | Short | mor | soaked up | — |
| /o/ | orbit, story | Long | soo | like | — |
| /o/ | orbit, story | Short | nor | elephant | — |
| /o/ | orbit, story | Short | bol | ball | — |
A
E
I
O
U
B
C
D
F
G
H
J
K
L
M
N
P
R
S
T
V
W
Y
Z
GB
KP
CH
SH
NY
GH
GW
KW
TS
MB
ND
NG
BW
Plain Letters (24)
Vowels (5)
Consonants (19)
Digraphs (13)
Title
Sounds, Symbols, and Spellings of Tiv Words
Overview
Tiv sounds in general have nasal sounds. However, there are flat sounds: consonant sounds, vowel sounds, and consonant-vowel sounds.
Vowel Sounds
Vowel sounds are made by allowing the breath to come out freely as the lips are pursed.
Consonant Sounds
To make a consonant, the breath stream is partly blocked, and the sound lowered or raised.
Note
A word as it is spelled may have different meanings depending on the way it is pronounced.
A
/
a
English
A
/
a
B
/
b
English
B
/
b
C
/
c
English
C
/
c
D
/
d
English
D
/
d
E
/
e
English
E
/
e
F
/
f
English
F
/
f
G
/
g
English
G
/
g
H
/
h
English
H
/
h
I
/
i
English
I
/
i
J
/
j
English
J
/
j
K
/
k
English
K
/
k
L
/
l
English
L
/
l
M
/
m
English
M
/
m
N
/
n
English
N
/
n
O
/
o
English
O
/
o
P
/
p
English
P
/
p
Q
/
q
not in Tiv
R
/
r
English
R
/
r
S
/
s
English
S
/
s
T
/
t
English
T
/
t
U
/
u
English
U
/
u
V
/
v
English
V
/
v
W
/
w
English
W
/
w
X
/
x
not in Tiv
Y
/
y
English
Y
/
y
Z
/
z
English
Z
/
z
Direction & Script
Tiv is written left to right using the Latin script. There is no traditional indigenous script — the current writing system was developed in the 20th century with the aid of linguists and missionaries.
Orthography
The standard Tiv orthography used in schools and the Bible translation treats digraphs (gb, kp, mb, nd, ng, ny, ts) as single letters. Tone marks are used in formal linguistic texts but are often omitted in everyday writing.
V Vowels — 5 vowel sounds
A
/
a
/a/
said as "uh" — like u in sun, not a in cat
bar
"salt"
E
/
e
/e/
like e in bed or net
se
"we / laugh"
I
/
i
/i/
like ee in feet or ea in beat
ime
"darkness"
O
/
o
/o/
like o in orbit and story
or
"person"
U
/
u
/u/
like oo in book or look
bagu
"monkey"
Note on Tiv vowels: Vowels can be short or long. A long vowel is written by doubling the letter — a (short) vs aa (long). Long vowels carry a distinct meaning: or (person) vs oor (to be sick).
Vowel Sound Worksheets
Contains 6 vowel sounds. Click a worksheet to reveal its word list.
| Sound | English Equivalent | Length | Tiv Word | English Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| /a/ | u in sun (not a in cat) | Short | va | come | — |
| /a/ | u in sun | Long | vaa | cry, weep | — |
| /a/ | u in sun | Short | za | go | — |
| /a/ | u in sun | Long | zaar | storage shelf on posts | — |
| /a/ | u in sun | Short | ma | drink | — |
| /a/ | u in sun | Long | maa | build | — |
| /a/ | u in sun | Short | ka | it is | — |
| /a/ | u in sun | Long | kaa | say, said | — |
| /a/ | u in sun | Short | na | give | — |
| /a/ | u in sun | Short | man | and | — |
| /a/ | u in sun | Short | vange | lizard | — |
| Sound | English Equivalent | Length | Tiv Word | English Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| /ɔ/ | pot, dot | Short | kor | catch | — |
| /ɔ/ | pot, dot | Long | ishoon | a liking, attraction | — |
| /ɔ/ | pot, dot | Short | tom | wish | — |
| /ɔ/ | pot, dot | Long | too | pour out a liquid or drink | — |
| /ɔ/ | pot, dot | Short | gom | skin lump in the neck | — |
| /ɔ/ | pot, dot | Long | ndoor | shed leaves | — |
| /ɔ/ | pot, dot | Short | bom | bomb | — |
| /ɔ/ | pot, dot | Long | poo | to the brim | — |
| /ɔ/ | pot, dot | Short | won | brother-/sister-in-law | — |
| /ɔ/ | pot, dot | Short | kon | tree | — |
| /ɔ/ | pot, dot | Long | doo ga | not good | — |
| /ɔ/ | pot, dot | Long | doo gande | extraordinarily good | — |
| /ɔ/ | pot, dot | Long | doom | I like | — |
| /ɔ/ | pot, dot | Long | dooshima | love | — |
| /ɔ/ | pot, dot | Short | nom | male-type | — |
| /ɔ/ | pot, dot | Short | pon | reveal, expose | — |
| Sound | English Equivalent | Length | Tiv Word | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| /i/ | ee in feet | Short | yina | not enough; incomparable |
| /i/ | ee in feet | Long | atii | sparrow |
| /i/ | ee in feet | Short | yima | save |
| /i/ | ee in feet | Long | ii | bury |
| /i/ | ee in feet | Short | tim | destroy, post |
| /i/ | ee in feet | Long | ii | steal |
| /i/ | ee in feet | Short | shi | left |
| /i/ | ee in feet | Long | fiir | bunch (v.) |
| /i/ | ee in feet | Short | ifi | large river |
| /i/ | ee in feet | Long | fiishi | let out stomach gas; fart |
| /i/ | ee in feet | Short | time | dig |
| /i/ | ee in feet | Short | iti | name |
| Sound | English Equivalent | Length | Tiv Word | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| /e/ | bed, net | Short | de | stop |
| /e/ | bed, net | Long | bee | finish |
| /e/ | bed, net | Short | ve | them |
| /e/ | bed, net | Long | neer | excess |
| /e/ | bed, net | Short | se | we |
| /e/ | bed, net | Long | seer | add |
| /e/ | bed, net | Short | sen | flow |
| /e/ | bed, net | Long | keer | kindle |
| /e/ | bed, net | Short | ime | darkness |
| /e/ | bed, net | Long | mee | entice |
| /e/ | bed, net | Short | we | you (singular) |
| /e/ | bed, net | Short | ne | you (plural) |
| /e/ | bed, net | Short | ve | they |
| /e/ | bed, net | Short | pepe | morning |
| Sound | English Equivalent | Length | Tiv Word | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| /u/ | oo in book/look | Short | Mu | name of a river |
| /u/ | oo in book/look | Long | tuur | push |
| /u/ | oo in book/look | Short | kuma | pierce or prick |
| /u/ | oo in book/look | Long | kuma | enough; suit; satisfy |
| /u/ | oo in book/look | Short | guma | laterite |
| /u/ | oo in book/look | Long | puu | criticize |
| /u/ | oo in book/look | Short | usu | fire |
| /u/ | oo in book/look | Long | suur | support |
| /u/ | oo in book/look | Short | kume | to pound |
| /u/ | oo in book/look | Short | uma | life; dry |
C Consonants — 19 consonants
B
/
b
/b/
like b in boy
bam
"Bank"
C
/
c
/tʃ/
like ch in church — Tiv C always has the "ch" sound
cia
"fear"
D
/
d
/d/
like d in dog
ada
"bow"
F
/
f
/f/
like f in fish
fa
"know"
G
/
g
/ɡ/
like g in go
gar
"city / town"
H
/
h
/h/
like h in hat
har
"hang"
J
/
j
/dʒ/
like g in gem — soft j sound
ijen
"hunger"
K
/
k
/k/
like k in key
koti
"court"
L
/
l
/l/
like l in love
lam
"speak"
M
/
m
/m/
like m in man
ma
"drink"
N
/
n
/n/
like n in now
na
"give"
P
/
p
/p/
like p in pen
per
"cross"
R
/
r
/r/
a rounded r — roll it slightly as in Irish English
ruam
"fufu / pounded yam"
S
/
s
/s/
like s in sun
sar
"spread"
T
/
t
/t/
like t in top
ter
"father"
V
/
v
/v/
like v in van
ivo
"goat"
W
/
w
/w/
like w in water
wase
"help"
Y
/
y
/j/
like y in yes
ya
"eat"
Z
/
z
/z/
like z in zebra — used for a polite request to go
za
"go (request)"
Consonant Sound Worksheets
Contains 14 consonant sounds, drawn from the Consonant-Consonant Symbols and Spellings reference. Click a symbol to reveal its word list.
| Tiv Word | English Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| bem | peace | — |
| bam | bank | — |
| ber | lake | — |
| bar | cave | — |
| bua | cattle | — |
| butu | mat | — |
| Tiv Word | English Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| cia | fear | — |
| cir | close | Alternative spelling: chir |
| Tiv Word | English Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| de | stop | — |
| dem | leave me | — |
| demdem | cooled down | — |
| dafa | cooked whole grain | — |
| dagi | small spear | — |
| dan | counter (verb) | — |
| damiyo | a kind of yam | — |
| dura | make thunder sound | — |
| dogo | railroad | — |
| deri | hundred | — |
| dubu | thousand | — |
| dubudubu | million | — |
| Tiv Word | English Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| fa | know | — |
| fam | know me; wet season | — |
| fese | quick | — |
| fefa | soon | — |
| fere | fast; quick | — |
| fesefese | quickly | — |
| ferefefere | quickly | — |
| Fada | Rev. Father | — |
| Tiv Word | English Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ga | not | — |
| gege | back of leg | — |
| gom | cyst | — |
| gar | town, city | — |
| gema | turn | — |
| ger | cheer | — |
| gule | kneel | — |
| guda | better | — |
| gundu | trunk | — |
| guma | red soil | — |
| Tiv Word | English Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| har | hung | — |
| haa | pour or spill | — |
| hôn | to trap | — |
| hondo | whistle (with lips) | — |
| hôm | funny | — |
| hôm | produce shoots | Same spelling, different meaning |
| hôô | rot, decay (verb) | — |
| hundu | become muddy | — |
| hunde | mad | — |
| hungwa | descend | — |
| hura | make noise | — |
| hur | friendship | — |
| huror | friend | — |
| hunda | door, entrance | — |
| hingir | turn during roasting | — |
| hide | return, come back | — |
| hide jime | to back up | — |
| hule | meander, fold | — |
| huma | smell | — |
| hungur | forget | — |
| hange | stuck, hung | — |
| hongor | kernel | — |
| hoghol | narrow | — |
| hogholoo | narrow condition | — |
| Tiv Word | English Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ijande | swamp or pond | — |
| ijem | steep slope | — |
| Ijen | hunger | — |
| ijor | a well | — |
| aji | eggs | — |
| iji | egg | — |
| iji | fly | Same spelling, different meaning |
| ikange | a partridge | — |
| ikon | green algae | — |
| ikundu | twenty | — |
| ikungugh | dove | — |
| ifi | sea | — |
| ityeku | ocean | — |
| Ifa | Eve (first Bible woman) | — |
| Imande | leprosy | — |
| Ivungu | owl | — |
| Ivurugh | piece, verse | — |
| Tiv Word | English Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| jime | back | — |
| Jighjigh | belief | — |
| Jighirii | straight | — |
| Jato | Hausa for red | — |
| Jaki | donkey | — |
| Ajikegh | eggs | — |
| Jukum | ethnic group | — |
| Jamber | torn piece | — |
| Januari | first month of the year (January) | — |
| Jun | sixth month of the year (June) | — |
| Tiv Word | English Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| kam | mould; press | — |
| kor | rope; sew | — |
| kôr | hold; catch | Different pronunciation from kor |
| kua | also; and | — |
| kon | tree | — |
| kuma | enough; pinch | — |
| kuma | pierce; inject | Same spelling, different meaning |
| kwaghfan | knowledge | — |
| kile | wash | — |
| kimbi | pay | — |
| Tiv Word | English Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| lam | talk; speak (verb) | — |
| lanegh | foolishness | — |
| lankwagh | is foolish | — |
| lu | mortar | — |
| liam | speech; talk (noun) | — |
| lian | lean; lay | — |
| Tiv Word | English Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ma | drink | — |
| Mfe | understanding | — |
| Mimi | truth; truly | — |
| Mindi | burst | — |
| mo | me | — |
| môm | one (the number) | — |
| mon | neck | — |
| mem | rest | — |
| mena | swallow | — |
| mula | swollen | — |
| musan | change; exchange | — |
| mor | soaked up | — |
| mir | soaked in water | — |
| mnyam | sleep | — |
| mnyam ma cien | dream | Literally: "sleep of the night" |
| mnyim | smoke | — |
| Tiv Word | English Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| na | give | — |
| ne | you (plural) | — |
| nura | needle; injection | — |
| nungwa | mix | — |
| num | scatter; destroy | — |
| num | a fight | Same spelling, different meaning |
| Tiv Word | English Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Omon | to suck on dry matter | — |
| Ongol | drill | — |
| Or | person | — |
| Ortwer | doctor | — |
| Orvesen | elder | — |
| Osough | get free | — |
| Orsar | a man needed | — |
| Tiv Word | English Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| pa | path | — |
| pam | pound sterling | — |
| pampam | can | — |
| pande | subtract | — |
| penda | put; pay | — |
| pav | divide; cut open | — |
| paa | cut (grass); clear | — |
| pel | plate; armor | — |
| per | cross | — |
| pev | valley; has hole in it | — |
| pon | expose | — |
| pir | quench; put out a light | — |
| pira | boasting | — |
| piraikaa | boastful fact | — |
| pepa | paper | — |
| pepe | morning | — |
| pepepepe | early morning | — |
| pitapita | soggy | — |
| pupur | white | — |
| puu | disparage; criticize | — |
| putôputô | puddle | — |
| purututu | all; completely | — |
| turughtutu | steam | Listed under /p/ in the source; preserve for consistency |
D Digraphs & Special Consonants — 13 unique blended sounds
Digraphs are two-letter combinations counted as a single sound. They are unique features of the Tiv language and must not be split when reading or writing.
GB
/
gb
/ɡ͡b/
labial-velar stop — g and b said together as one sound
gba
"fall"
KP
/
kp
/k͡p/
labial-velar stop — k and p said together as one sound
kper
"net / tomorrow"
CH
/
ch
/tʃ/
like ch in church — also written as C alone in some words
chia
"fear"
SH
/
sh
/ʃ/
like sh in shoe or ship
sha
"up / away"
NY
/
ny
/ɲ/
palatal nasal — like ny in canyon
nyam
"meat"
GH
/
gh
/ɣ/
comes at the end of words — silent like gh in dough or borough
sugh
"thank"
GW
/
gw
/ɡw/
g and w blended together — like gw in Gwen
gwa
"fame"
KW
/
kw
/kw/
like qu in queen or kw in awkward
kwase
"woman"
TS
/
ts
/ts/
like ts in cats or fits
tsar
"bridge"
MB
/
mb
/ᵐb/
prenasalized b — hum through the nose before the b
mban
"them"
ND
/
nd
/ⁿd/
prenasalized d — nasal onset before the d
nder
"wake up"
NG
/
ng
/ŋ/
nasal — like ng in sing or ring
nger
"write"
BW
/
bw
/bw/
b and w blended — lips rounded into the b
bwagi
"pick / digging tool"
Consonant-Consonant Worksheets
Contains 13 consonant-consonant combinations. Click a symbol to reveal its word list.
| Tiv Word | English Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| bwagi | a pick (for digging) | — |
| Tiv Word | English Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| gba | fall | — |
| gbaa | branch | — |
| gbande | dish | — |
| gbande | triangular drum | Same spelling, different meaning |
| gbanger | wide | — |
| gbem | chin | — |
| gbem | large brown ant | Same spelling, different meaning |
| gbemgbem | always | — |
| gber | cut (a tree) | — |
| gber | sing | Same spelling, different meaning |
| gbide | hit; beat; whip | — |
| gbir | lay (as in a crib) | — |
| gbor | stomach | — |
| Tiv Word | English Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| kpaa | also | — |
| akpa | a whip | — |
| kpar | partition | — |
| kpe | die | — |
| kpekpe | wall | — |
| kper | tomorrow | — |
| kper | net | Same spelling, different meaning |
| kpera | draw; drag | — |
| Tiv Word | English Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| chia | fear | — |
| chicha | all | — |
| chii | all | — |
| Tiv Word | English Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| sha | up; away | — |
| ishe | eye | — |
| ishima | heart | — |
| shima | heart | Alternative form |
| shase | cashew | — |
| Tiv Word | English Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| nyam | meat | — |
| nyen | yesterday | — |
| nyian | ripe | — |
| nyian | today | Same spelling, different meaning |
| nyon | bird | — |
| nyuma | bite | — |
Pronunciation Note: The /gh/ sound usually comes at the end of a word and is pronounced similarly to the ending in English words such as dough, borough, and Burrough.
| Tiv Word | English Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| bugh | open | — |
| dugh | take out | — |
| kegh | wait | — |
| kough | erase | — |
| dugh | take out | Duplicate entry in source |
| sugh | thank | — |
| tugh | night | — |
| tugh tugh | early morning | — |
| tegh tegh | slowly | — |
| Tiv Word | English Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| gwa | fame | — |
| gwar | strand | — |
| Tiv Word | English Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| kwase | woman | — |
| kwe | a crack | — |
| kwende | elbow | — |
| Tiv Word | English Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Swem | Tiv traditional god | — |
| Swange | a Tiv dance | — |
| Swase | meat | — |
| ishwa | beniseed | — |
| Tiv Word | English Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| twev | settlement | — |
| twer | medical treatment | — |
| twar | leftovers of produce | — |
| twande | boil on the body | — |
| twande | the armpit | Same spelling, different meaning |
| Tiv Word | English Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| tsar | bridge | — |
| tsav | witchcraft | — |
| tsa | sleep over | — |
| tsa | stayed/lived a while | Same spelling, different meaning |
| tser | cut up (into pieces) | — |
| tser | skip the line | Same spelling, different meaning |
| tsen | sun dry | — |
| tsenda | spray water; spit | — |
| tswar | anus | — |
| tswen | alone | — |
| tswer | abstain | — |
| Tiv Word | English Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| zwa | mouth | — |
| zwar | large pot | — |
T Tone Markers — Tiv is a tonal language
Tone is part of the meaning in Tiv. The same sequence of letters can mean completely different things depending on the pitch at which vowels are spoken. Tones are marked using diacritical accents on vowels.
́ a´
High Tone
Marked with an acute accent (´) above the vowel. The voice rises or stays high.
wán
to call
óo
yes
kár
to read
̀ a`
Low Tone
Marked with a grave accent (`) above the vowel. The voice falls or stays low.
wàn
to be lost
kàr
to lie down
tàr
to be tired
― a
Mid / Level Tone
No accent mark. The voice stays at a middle level — the default in many written texts.
wan
word / story
tar
land
nom
thing
Tonal minimal pairs — same letters, different meaning:
wán (to call) | wàn (to be lost) | wan (word / story)
kár (to read / count) | kàr (to lie down)
wán (to call) | wàn (to be lost) | wan (word / story)
kár (to read / count) | kàr (to lie down)