Learn Igbo

Where it's spoken

Southeastern Nigeria

Speakers

around 30 million

Writing system

Latin alphabet with dotted letters (ị, ọ, ụ) and tone marks

Igbo is a major Nigerian language with a fast-growing diaspora demand, and it is officially classed as vulnerable — every new speaker counts.

What makes Igbo different

• Tone is meaningful, and the same spelling can be two different words at different pitches.
• Dialects vary widely; the written standard is Central Igbo.
• Greetings often ask about your household rather than about you.

Your first Igbo phrases

Each phrase is written the way it's spelled, then respelled for English speakers with the stressed syllable in capitals.

• NdewoHello/n-DEH-wo/
• DaalụThank you/DAA-loo/
• NnọọWelcome/n-NAW-aw/
• Ka ọ dịGoodbye/ka aw DEE/
• EeYes/EH-eh/
• MbaNo/m-BAH/
• BikoPlease/BEE-ko/
• NdoSorry/n-DOH/

Want the full list? Read the free Igbo phrasebook with pronunciation, grab the free printable Igbo starter kit, or compare SemaSoma with other African language apps.