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Study Now
Thank you for choosing Learn Bamum as your place to study the Bamum script and language. Below you will find the

Bamum alphabet, as well as an updated spelling of each Bamum character, known as the "Woodard Phonetic" version of

Bamum. This phonetic spelling was created by Tramel Woodard, as a way to help students better pronounce and

understand the Bamum language.

King Ibrahim Njoya

ꚩꚫꛑꚩꚳ ꚳ꛰ ꛀꚧꚩꛂ

The Bamum Script: How It Was Made

King Ibrahim Njoya was the 17th king of Bamum in western Cameroon. He is credited with developing the

Bamum script, a system for writing in the Bamum language. Ibrahim was successful in completing the Bamum

alphabet, called the a-ka-u-ku, which is comprised of 73 signs in total.

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Study Content
Unicode - Bamum script using Unicode phonetics
Woodard - Bamum script using Woodard phonetics
Phrases - short sentences for quick communication
Lessons - sentence dialgoue for every day living
Reading - practice for business and education
Dictionary - quick reference for all study styles

A-ka-u-ku (Unicode)
Below is the a-ka-u-ku alphabet using the Unicode standard romanization. This romanization was optimized for

pronunciation of the Bamum alphabet. The Unicode standard romanization can be extremely helpful for learners of the

Bamum language, who will emphasize their correct pronunciation.

ꚠ ꚡ ꚢ ꚣ ꚤ ꚥ
a ka u ku ee ree

ꚦ ꚧ ꚨ ꚩ ꚪ ꚫ
tae o nyi i la pa

ꚬ ꚭ ꚮ ꚯ ꚰ ꚱ
rii riee leeee meeee taa ndaa

ꚲ ꚳ ꚴ ꚵ ꚶ ꚷ
njaem m suu mu shii si

ꚸ ꚹ ꚺ ꚻ ꚼ ꚽ
sheux seux kyee ket nuae nu

ꚾ ꚿ ꛀ ꛁ ꛂ ꛃ
njuae yoq shu yuq ya nsha

ꛄ ꛅ ꛆ ꛇ ꛈ ꛉ
keux peux njee ntee pue wue

ꛊ ꛋ ꛌ ꛍ ꛎ ꛏ
pee fee ru lu mi ni

ꛐ ꛑ ꛒ ꛓ ꛔ ꛕ
reux rae ken ngkwaen ngga nga

ꛖ ꛗ ꛘ ꛙ ꛚ ꛛ
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sho puae fu fom wa na

ꛜ ꛝ ꛞ ꛟ ꛠ ꛡ
li pi loq ko mben ren

ꛢ ꛣ ꛤ ꛥ ꛦ ꛧ
men ma ti ki mo mbaa

ꛨ ꛩ ꛪ ꛫ ꛬ ꛭ
tet kpa ten ntuu samba faamae

ꛮ ꛯ ꛰ ꛱ ꛲ ꛳
kovuu koghom koqndon tukwentis njaemli full stop

꛴ ꛵ ꛶ ꛷
colon comma semi colon question mark

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A-ka-u-ku (Woodard)
Below is the a-ka-u-ku alphabet using the Woodard standardized romanization. This romanization was created by Tramel

Woodard in order to best assist in the implementation of Bamum computer and smartphone keyboard entry. This alphabet

is only officially recognized by Tramel Woodard, The Bamum Project, Learn Bamum and the Bamum Technical

Organization.

ꚠ ꚡ ꚢ ꚣ ꚤ ꚥ
a ka u ku e re

ꚦ ꚧ ꚨ ꚩ ꚪ ꚫ
ta o nyi i la pa

ꚬ ꚭ ꚮ ꚯ ꚰ ꚱ
ri rie le me ta nda

ꚲ ꚳ ꚴ ꚵ ꚶ ꚷ
njam n su mu shi si

ꚸ ꚹ ꚺ ꚻ ꚼ ꚽ
she se kye ket nua nu

ꚾ ꚿ ꛀ ꛁ ꛂ ꛃ
nju yo shu yu ya nsha

ꛄ ꛅ ꛆ ꛇ ꛈ ꛉ
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ke pe ye nte pe we

ꛊ ꛋ ꛌ ꛍ ꛎ ꛏ
pe nfe ru lu mi ni

ꛐ ꛑ ꛒ ꛓ ꛔ ꛕ
re ra ken nkwan nga nga

ꛖ ꛗ ꛘ ꛙ ꛚ ꛛ
sho po fo fam wa na

ꛜ ꛝ ꛞ ꛟ ꛠ ꛡ
li pi lo ko mben ren

ꛢ ꛣ ꛤ ꛥ ꛦ ꛧ
men ma ti ki 1 2

ꛨ ꛩ ꛪ ꛫ ꛬ ꛭ
3 4 5 6 7 8

ꛮ ꛯ ꛰ ꛱ ꛲ ꛳
9 10 ctrl+^ ctrl+- ! .

꛴ ꛵ ꛶ ꛷
: , ; ?

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Phrases
Bamum phrases are short sentences, idioms and sayings that are useful for travel and basic communication, such as

"Hello, how are you?" and "What is your name?"

Coming Soon
STUDY PHRASES 

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Lessons
Lessons are ordered collections of conversations in different settings, such as the airport, school or the supermarket.

Lessons can be referenced for daily life in the Bamum kingdom, or amongst Bamum-speaking friends and family.

Coming Soon
STUDY LESSONS 

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Reading
Bamum reading will be a collection of articles written in Bamum, using both Woodard romanization as well as the Bamum

script. Reading artiles will allow the student to think and speak completely in the Bamum language.

Coming Soon
PRACTICE READING 

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Dictionary
The Bamum dictionary is a comprehensive search engine, where students can find individual words to strengthen their

sentence structure and conversation. Students can reference singular words, such as "African", "black" and "happy".

Coming Soon
SEARCH DICTIONARY 

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STUDY NOW

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Learn Bamum
Learn Bamum is an endeavor embarked upon by Tramel Woodard, a California web developer with over 20 years of experience and a passion

for the Shupamum writing system.

Links
Before You Start
Study Now
Phrases
Dictionary

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