Luganda is a phonetic language; here the letters and actual spelling are written first in italics, followed in parentheses by the phonetic pronunciation of the letter combination.
The vowels are:
a (ah), e (eh), i (ee), o (oh), u (woo)
Consonants are silent alone; they’re always pronounced with a vowel:
ba, ca (cha), da, fa, ga, ha, ja, ka, la, ma, na, pa, ra (la), sa, ta, va, wa, ya, za, nga (nya, there’s also a special character that looks like an N with a longer left leg)
Continue through the alphabet with each vowel sound: ba, be, bi, bo, bu. Note that depending on what region of Uganda you are in, ki and gi may become (chee) and (gee, like the English exclamation).
Double Vowels and Double Consonants
Double vowels mean the sound is held longer, a vs. aa. An example of this important detail: okukola (to work, to make) compared to okukoola (to weed a garden).
Double consonants mean the sound is strong: ba is a smooth sound, made with the front of your lips, while bba is a strong sound, more like the English pronunciation of ba.
