Sounds, Tones and Special Letters
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Lesson overview
How Shona is written and pronounced: tones and special letters.
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Pacing
Read the stem stem-last (question clause first), eliminate two distractors, then verify constraints.
How Languages marks this
Focus on how Languages scenarios frame constraints, qualifiers ("FIRST", "BEST", "MOST likely"), and boundary cases.
Watch out for
Technically true statements that do not solve the specific constraint in the scenario.
Lesson content
Overview
Shona (chiShona) is spoken in Zimbabwe, where it is the most widely spoken language, and parts of Mozambique. Before learning phrases, get to know how it sounds and how it is written.
How It's Written
Shona is written in the Latin alphabet. It is tonal, but tones are not marked in writing. It has "whistled" sounds written sv and zv, as in zvakanaka (well / good). The language itself is called chiShona.
Examples
Here are some of the greetings you'll learn in the next lesson: • Mhoro — Hello (to one person, informal) • Mhoroi — Hello (respectful, or to several people) • Mangwanani — Good morning • Masikati — Good afternoon
Learning Tip
Shona is spelled the way it sounds. Practise the whistled sv and zv slowly — round your lips as you say s or z.
Practise
Say every word aloud, then take the 10-question check below (60% to pass) to unlock the next lesson. Stuck? Ask the AI tutor about this lesson. This course is in beta: it sticks to common, everyday language, but it has not yet been reviewed by native speakers, and many phrases have regional variants. If something looks wrong, please tell us.
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