The Script
ⵜⵉⴼⵉⵏⴰⵖ
Tifinagh Alphabet
Tifinagh is one of the oldest alphabets in the world, used by Amazigh peoples across North Africa for thousands of years.
Foundation
Vowels
ⴰ
a
Ya
/a/
ⴻ
e
Ye
/ə/ (schwa)
ⵉ
i
Yi
/i/
ⵓ
u
Yu
/u/
Core Letters
Consonants
ⴱ
b
Yab
/b/
ⴳ
g
Yag
/g/
ⴳⵯ
gʷ
Yagʷ
/gʷ/ (labialized g)
ⴷ
d
Yad
/d/
ⴹ
ḍ
Yaḍ
/dˤ/ (emphatic d)
ⴼ
f
Yaf
/f/
ⴽ
k
Yak
/k/
ⴽⵯ
kʷ
Yakʷ
/kʷ/ (labialized k)
ⵀ
h
Yah
/h/
ⵃ
ḥ
Yaḥ
/ħ/ (pharyngeal)
ⵄ
ɛ
Yaɛ
/ʕ/ (voiced pharyngeal)
ⵅ
x
Yax
/x/ (like ch in Bach)
ⵇ
q
Yaq
/q/ (uvular)
ⵊ
j
Yaj
/ʒ/ (like s in measure)
ⵍ
l
Yal
/l/
ⵎ
m
Yam
/m/
ⵏ
n
Yan
/n/
ⵔ
r
Yar
/r/ (rolled)
ⵕ
ṛ
Yaṛ
/rˤ/ (emphatic r)
ⵖ
ɣ
Yaɣ
/ɣ/ (voiced velar)
ⵙ
s
Yas
/s/
ⵚ
ṣ
Yaṣ
/sˤ/ (emphatic s)
ⵛ
c
Yac
/ʃ/ (like sh in ship)
ⵜ
t
Yat
/t/
ⵟ
ṭ
Yaṭ
/tˤ/ (emphatic t)
ⵡ
w
Yaw
/w/
ⵢ
y
Yay
/j/ (like y in yes)
ⵣ
z
Yaz
/z/
ⵥ
ẓ
Yaẓ
/zˤ/ (emphatic z)
History
About Tifinagh
Tifinagh (ⵜⵉⴼⵉⵏⴰⵖ) is an ancient alphabetic script used by the Amazigh (Berber) peoples. Archaeological evidence suggests it dates back at least 2,500 years, with rock inscriptions found across the Sahara Desert.
Today, the standardized Neo-Tifinagh is used in Morocco for official documents, education, and signage. Algeria also recognizes Tifinagh, and efforts continue to preserve and promote this cultural heritage across North Africa.