N’Ko · Alphabet and tone marks
Writing system course · 9 lessons · 44 entries
Meet N’Ko, a connected right-to-left alphabet for Manding languages. Learn the vowels, consonants, tone-and-length marks and numerals in nine lessons.
N’Ko, whose name means “I say,” was devised by Solomana Kanté in 1949 for Manding languages of West Africa. It is a connected alphabet written from right to left. Vowels have their own letters, so learning the vowel forms is an essential first step.
Tone marks also convey vowel length. Compare the short and long readings carefully: a similar-looking mark can change how a vowel is read. The dotted circle used to display a standalone mark in this course is a placement guide and is not part of the answer.
The predecessor app’s consonant explanations compare t͡ʃ with English ch in church, d͡ʒ with j in justice, ŋ with ng in going and ɲ with Spanish ñ in mañana. Use these as starting points alongside the readings. Continue through the 44 chart entries in small groups, returning to tone and length distinctions as you practice.
Begin with the seven vowels, then move through four small groups containing the 20 consonants. Compare each character with the reading in the chart and trace its shape before checking recognition.
Two lessons cover the seven tone marks. A dotted-circle guide makes a combining mark visible on its own; the circle belongs to the display, rather than the stored character or typing answer. The separate extensionless tone file repeats the long-falling entry, so that entry is included once with both source references.
Finish with two groups of digits. You can preview every lesson before adding the course; starting your private copy opens only the first lesson. Readings are preserved as . This collection contains charts rather than recorded pronunciations or word examples.
How to practice
Follow the right-to-left script display. Look at a character and its reading, trace it, then check recognition and production. Later stages let you write from memory and reveal the guide. Use the N’Ko character palette when your device keyboard does not provide the script.
Read these examples freely without an account. In the app you can preview lessons, study a private copy and progress through the course one lesson at a time.
Examples from the lessons
Compare the original written form with the reading or equivalent. Try covering the answer column before checking it.
| Written form | Reading | Meaning or equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| ߊ | a | a |
| ߋ | e | e |
| ߌ | i | i |
| ߍ | ɛ | ɛ |
| ߓ | b | b |
| ߔ | p | p |
| ߖ | d͡ʒ | d͡ʒ |
| ߗ | t͡ʃ | t͡ʃ |
Course outline
Use the outline to choose what to preview. Starting the interactive course begins with the first lesson; later lessons become available as you continue.
- Vowels
N’Ko has seven vowel letters. Compare their shapes first, then return to them with the tone-and-length marks used in the later lessons.
- Consonants · 1
- Consonants · 2
- Consonants · 3
- Consonants · 4
- Tone marks · 1
The marks distinguish tone and vowel length. Compare short and long readings carefully. The dotted circle is a display guide; practice only the mark itself.
- Tone marks · 2
The marks distinguish tone and vowel length. Compare short and long readings carefully. The dotted circle is a display guide; practice only the mark itself.
- Numerals · 1
N’Ko has its own digit shapes. Compare each sign with its numerical value while following the right-to-left display.
- Numerals · 2
N’Ko has its own digit shapes. Compare each sign with its numerical value while following the right-to-left display.
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Font: Noto Sans N’Ko, distributed under the SIL Open Font License.