Tifinagh alphabet: the 33 letters to get started

Table of 33 letters tifinagh-IRCAM

The table gives reading correspondences. Latin letters with a full stop represent distinct sounds: do not remove these signs when copying a lesson. The spellings “gh” for ɣ and “kh” for x are also found in practical transcriptions.

Read your first word: ⴰⵣⵓⵍ

1. Find ⴰ : the letter a.
2. Add ⵣ : the letter z.
3. Read ⵓ as “ou” in French.
4. Finish with ⵍ : the letter l.

You get azul , a greeting. Copy the word keeping its meaning next to it. Then hide the Latin transcription and find the four sounds in order. Our greeting guide presents its use to start an exchange.

Reference points for French speakers

The letter ⵓ, transcribed u, is read with an “ou” sound. The sign ⵖ corresponds to ɣ, often written gh; his pronunciation is worked on by listening. ⵛ corresponds to a sound close to “ch” in French: you can see it transcribed c or š according to conventions.

A table does not replace an audio model. For each difficult letter, look for a short word whose meaning you know, listen to it and compare your pronunciation with that of your teacher. Also note the convention used in your course to find the same sounds in both writings.

An exercise in three short sessions

Session 1: work on the four signs of azul. Write them separately, then in the word. Mix up their order and try to recognize them without relying on position.

Session 2: choose two more letters from the chart. Compare their shapes with a letter you already know, then copy them in a word you have checked. Avoid learning every letter–sound correspondence at once.

Session 3: take a short extract from your lesson. Circle the known signs and count the ones you can read. Return to the audio for the complete words: recognizing a letter and understanding a sentence are two different steps.

Write and copy Tifinagh on a screen

To write, use a Tifinagh keyboard or the virtual keyboard offered by IRCAM resources. Copy the result into your notebook and check that each sign is displayed after saving. Empty squares may indicate that the software font does not contain the characters.

Transliteration is used to move from one writing to another; it does not automatically transform a French sentence into Amazigh. For this distinction, see the Tamazight–French translation guide . You can continue speaking at the same time: learning writing does not require you to wait before starting to speak.

Frequently asked questions