Vowels phonems
[a] dikasa (pied / foot)
[ɑ:] citaala (coq / rooster)
[e] cikela (poisson / fish)
[e:] muteelu (chemise / shirt)
[ɪ] diyi (oeuf / egg)
[i:] diitaba (croyance / belief)
[o] dikopu (tasse / cup)
[o:] mukooku (mouton / sheep)
[u] munu (doigt / finger)
[u:] kutuuta (frapper / to hit)
Semi-vowels
[w] mbwa (chien / dog)
[j] kweyela (respirer / to breathe)
Consonants phonems
[b] lubesa (hanche / hip)
[d] wenda (son, sa / his, her)
[dʒ] dibaka (marriage / marriage, wedding)
[f] nkofi (cil / eyelash)
[g] mufungu (muscle / muscle)
[ʒ] kuja (danser / to dance)
[k] nkuvu (tortue / turtle)
[l] lushiku (fin / end)
[m] mwedi, (barbe / beard)
[n] nkala (crabe / crab)
[p] mupanu (pantalon / pants)
[s] lusembo (grenouille / frog)
[ʃ] kushalala (démanger / to itch)
[t] twishi (microbes, germs)
[tʃ] cibasu (planche / board)
[v] mvula (pluie / rain)
[z] kuzenga (découper / to cut)
Diphtongs phonems
[aɪ] kayi (quel(le) / what)
[aʊ] awu (ça là / this)
[eʊ] mpindyewu (maintenant / now)
[oɪ] Ngoyi
Nasals phonems
[ŋ] ngonga (cloche, sonnette / bell)
Aspired phonems
[pʱ] kapyà (feu / fire)