Tifinagh is an ancient writing system used since Antiquity in North Africa. However, the area of use of this writing has been considerably reduced over the centuries. Tifinagh survived among the Tuareg Berbers who were the only ones, until very recently, to use this ancient writing.
Today, Tifinagh is the official written form with which Moroccan institutions write Berber. The Tifinagh used in Morocco, however, remains somewhat different from the Tifinagh used by the Tuaregs. Indeed, with the aim of standardizing Tifinagh, the Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture has developed a neo-Tifinagh, called Tifinagh-Ircam, drawing strong inspiration from ancient writing system.
| Tifinagh | Name in English | Phonetic value |
|---|---|---|
| ⴰ | ya | a |
| ⴱ | yab | b |
| ⴷ | yad | d |
| ⴹ | yadd | ḍ (pronounced like "ض" in Arabic) |
| ⴻ | yey | e |
| ⴼ | yaf | f |
| ⴳ | yag | g |
| ⴳⵯ | yagw | ɡʷ |
| ⵀ | yah | h |
| ⵃ | yahh | ḥ (pronounced like "ح" in Arabic) |
| ⵉ | yi | i |
| ⵊ | yaj | j |
| ⴽ | yak | k |
| ⴽⵯ | yakw | kʷ |
| ⵍ | yal | l |
| ⵎ | yam | m |
| ⵏ | yan | n |
| ⵇ | yaq | q (pronounced like "ق" in Arabic) |
| ⵔ | yar | r |
| ⵕ | yarr | ṛ |
| ⵙ | yas | s |
| ⵚ | yass | ṣ |
| ⵜ | yat | t |
| ⵟ | yatt | ṭ (pronounced like "ط" in Arabic) |
| ⵓ | you | oo (pronounced like the oo of shooting) |
| ⵡ | yaw | w |
| ⵢ | yay | y |
| ⵣ | yaz | z |
| ⵥ | yazz | ẓ |
| ⵛ | yach | ch (pronounced like "ش" in Arabic) |
| ⵖ | yagh | ɣ (pronounced like "غ" in Arabic) |
| ⵄ | yaa | ɛ (pronounced like "ع" in Arabic) |
| ⵅ | yakh | x (pronounced like "خ" in Arabic) |
To learn the pronunciation of the letters of the Berber alphabet, consult the Youtube links below:
1 - ⵉⵙⴽⴽⵉⵍⵏ ⵏ ⵜⵎⴰⵣⵉⵖⵜ - #Amazigh #alphabet - الحروف #الامازيغية