Igbo: The Vowel Harmony Rule (Iwu Ndakọrịta Ụdaume)

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The 8 Igbo vowels are grouped into two groups: the ụda mfe group (= the light vowels or the ‘A’ group vowels) and the ụda arọ group (= the heavy vowels or the ‘E’ group).

In Igbo izugbe (the standard Igbo language), simple standard Igbo words only have vowels belonging to the same vowel group, keeping the vowels in the word in agreement.

That is, an Igbo word that is not compound or complex will have vowels from either the ‘A’ group — a, ị, ọ, ụ — or the ‘E’ group — e, i, o, u.

In the standard Igbo language, a non-compound (or non-complex) Igbo word only consists of vowels belonging to the same vowel group.

This principle, in Igbo language, is called iwu ndakọrịta udaume (the vowel harmony rule).

Simple Igbo words with ‘A’ group vowels (a, ị, ọ, ụ)

1. Ụta (arrow)
2. Anụ (meat)
3. Ọrụ (work)
4. Atọ (three)
5. Ụtọ (sweet)
6. Ịgba (drum)
7. Abụ (song)
8. Ụdara (a fruit — African star apple)

Simple Igbo words with ‘E’ group vowels (e, i, o, u)

1. Ube (pear)
2. Eju (snail)
3. Ego (money)
4. Oche (chair)
5. Ite (pot)
6. Okwute (stone/rock)
7. Okwu (word)
8. Oge (time)

Vowel Harmony and Pronouns

• O vs. Ọ (he/she/it): In a subject-predicate Igbo expression where the subject is either a he, she, or an it — if the first verb of the sentence has its first vowel from the ‘E’ group, we say “O”. On the other hand, if the verb has the first vowel from the ‘A’ group, we say “Ọ”. For example: Ọ bịara ebe a. (She came here.) || O nwere ego (She has money.)
• I vs. Ị (you): In a subject-predicate expression where the subject is you—if the first verb has its first vowel from the ‘E’ group, we say “I”. On the other hand, if the verb’s first vowel is from the ‘A’ group, we say “Ị”. For example: Ị gụrụ akwụkwọ n’ụtụtụ. (You read a book in the morning.) || I nwere ego. (You have money.)
• A vs. E (impersonal pronouns/fourth-person pronouns): For an Igbo expression where the doer of an action (the subject) is omitted or not known — if the first vowel in the verb is from the ‘A’ group, we use A as the impersonal pronoun; if the first vowel is an E-group vowel, E becomes our impersonal pronoun. For example: A kụrụ ya ihe. (He was beaten.) || E nyere Ada ego. (Ada was given money.)

Vowel Harmony and Participles

To form an Igbo participle, we attach either “a” or “e” to the front of a verb root, depending on the first vowel in the verb root. If the vowel is an E-group vowel, we attach “e”. If it is an A-group vowel, we attach “a”.

• na-aga
• ga-eme
• anya a rọrọ arọ
• egwu a gụrụ agụ
• ihe mere eme
• okwu e kwuru ekwu

Vowel Harmony and Igbo Infinitives

• If the root of an Igbo verb has its first vowel from the ‘E’ group, we create an infinitive verb by attaching “i” to the front of the verb root, e.g., ime (to do), ilo (to swallow), etc.
• If the root of an Igbo verb has its first vowel from the ‘A’ group, we create an infinitive verb by attaching “ị” to the front of the verb root, e.g., ịpụ (to leave), ịsa (to wash), etc.

Vowel Harmony Rule Exceptions

Neutral vowel ‘a’

Sometimes, the vowel ‘a’ can harmonise with both the light vowels and the heavy vowels to form words.

E.g.:

• dibia (traditional doctor)
• oroma (orange)
• alo (suggestion)

Borrowed (/loan) words

Some words borrowed from other languages break the vowel harmony rule when written with Igbo letters.

• Agidi (a food from corn flour)
• Osikapa (rice)

Dialect words

Some words of non-standard Igbo language dialects may break the vowel harmony rule:

E.g.:

• enya instead of “anya” (eye)
• eka instead of “aka” (hand)

Proper nouns and compound words

Proper nouns and compound words (combination of simple words) may break the vowel harmony rule.

E.g.:

• Chukwuebuka (God is so great): Chukwu + ebu-ka
• Chukwunọnso (God is near): Chukwu + nọ + nso
• Ikechukwuka (God’s strength is greater): Ike + chukwu + ka
• Mụnachimso (I’m walking with my god) → mụ + na + chi m + so
• Dinta (hunter) → di (master, expert, husband) + nta (hunting)
• Alaeze (kingdom) → ala (land, ground, down) + eze (king)
• Mkpụrụokwu (word/words) → mkpụrụ (seed) + okwu (word)
• Ụdaume (vowel) → ụda (sound) + ume (breath, strength)
• Ụmụnne (siblings, relatives) → ụmụ (children) + nne (mother)

Onomatopoeia

When we use vowels and consonants to write out the way a beat or noise sounds, the word we create (from the sound we hear) is not meaningful on its own. Technically, it won’t be an Igbo word and may break the vowel harmony rule.

E.g.:

• Kpakum (heartbeat or a pounding sound)
• Kpoa (sound of a gunshot)

Some verbs: verb root + …

Some verbs have a combination of two verb roots, or a verb root and suffix, with vowels from the ‘A’ and ‘E’ groups:

• Kpọchie (lock) → kpọ + chie
• Nyachie (glue [verb]) → nya + chie
• Bịaruo (come to, approach, arrive) → bịa + ruo
• Garuo (go to, advance) → ga + ruo
• Wanye (cut a piece for…) → wa + nye