What You Will Learn
1. The 24 letters used in the Haitian Creole alphabet
2. The 32 graphemes used to represent Haitian Creole sounds
3. How to pronounce each grapheme
4. The difference between regular vowels and nasal vowels
Letters and Graphemes Are Not the Same
According to the current official Haitian Creole orthography, the alphabet contains 24 letters.
Those letters combine to form 32 graphemes, which represent the main sounds used in Haitian Creole.
A letter is one written symbol, such as a, b, or k.
A grapheme is a letter or a combination of letters used to represent one sound.
For example:
B is one letter and one grapheme.
Ch contains two letters, but the letters work together as one grapheme representing one sound.
An also contains two letters, but together they represent one nasal-vowel sound.
The 24 Letters of the Haitian Creole Alphabet
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, R, S, T, U, V, W, Y, Z
The letters q and x are not part of the official Haitian Creole alphabet.
The letter c is included because it helps form the grapheme ch. It is not normally used alone to represent a separate Haitian Creole sound.
The letter u is separate from the letter i. The official name of the letter u is ui.
The 32 Haitian Creole Graphemes
A, An, B, Ch, D, E, È, En, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, Ng, O, Ò, On, Ou, Oun, P, R, S, T, U, V, W, Y, Z
The English comparisons below are only learning aids. English pronunciation varies by region, and some Haitian Creole sounds do not have exact English equivalents.
How the Haitian Creole Graphemes Sound
1. A sounds like the a in apple.
2. An is a nasal-vowel sound. Begin with the Haitian Creole a sound and allow some air to pass through your nose. Do not pronounce the n separately as you would in the English word want.
3. B sounds like the b in boy.
4. Ch sounds like the sh in share. It does not sound like the ch in chapter or the ch in character.
5. D sounds like the d in dog.
6. E sounds similar to the short i in sit. It does not sound like the first e in excellent.
7. È sounds like the e in get.
8. En is a nasal-vowel sound. Begin with a sound similar to Haitian Creole è and allow air to pass through your nose. Do not pronounce a separate n at the end.
9. F sounds like the f in face.
10. G sounds like the g in game. It does not have the soft sound heard in the English word giant.
11. H sounds like the h in happy. This sound occurs in a limited number of Haitian Creole words and expressions.
12. I sounds like the ee in feet. It does not sound like the short i in sit.
13. J sounds like the s in vision or the s in measure. It does not sound like the j in juice.
14. K sounds like the k in kiss.
15. L sounds like the l in love.
16. M sounds like the m in mom.
17. N sounds like the n in nest.
18. Ng sounds like the ng at the end of sing. The two letters work together to represent one sound.
19. O sounds similar to the vowel in boat, but it is usually pronounced as one steady sound without the noticeable glide many English speakers use.
20. Ò sounds similar to the vowel in thought or the beginning of or without pronouncing the r. The closest English comparison depends on the speaker's accent.
21. On is a nasal-vowel sound. Begin with the Haitian Creole ò sound and allow air to pass through your nose. Do not pronounce the final n separately as in the English word don't.
22. Ou sounds like the oo in boot.
23. Oun is the nasal form of ou. Begin with the oo sound in boot and allow air to pass through your nose. Do not pronounce a separate n as in the English word moon.
24. P sounds like the p in pen.
25. R is often produced toward the back of the mouth or throat. Its pronunciation can vary according to the speaker, region, and the sounds around it. Watch the video to hear examples.
26. S sounds like the s in see.
27. T sounds like the t in touch.
28. Ui sounds like yoowee. Think of it as combining the English words you and we.
U represents a sound that does not have an exact English equivalent. Begin with a sound similar to the English y in yes while rounding your lips as though you were about to say oo. The name of this letter and grapheme is ui.
29. V sounds like the v in vein.
30. W sounds like the w in water.
31. Y sounds like the y in yes.
32. Z sounds like the z in zoo.
Be Careful with Nasal Vowels
An, en, on, and oun are nasal vowels.
Although each one is written with an n, the n is not normally pronounced as a separate consonant.
Compare these ideas:
An is one nasal sound, not a + n.
En is one nasal sound, not e + n.
On is one nasal sound, not o + n.
Oun is one nasal sound, not ou + n.
One helpful way to practice is to hold your fingers lightly against the sides of your nose. You may feel some vibration when producing a nasal vowel.
A Great Way to Start
Learning the Haitian Creole letters and graphemes is a great way to begin because the spelling system gives you strong clues about pronunciation.
However, reading English comparisons is not enough to master every sound. Listen to native speakers, repeat complete words, and compare similar sounds such as e and è, o and ò, and the oral and nasal vowels.
Be sure to view the other lessons in our Haitian Creole pronunciation series to continue improving your skills.