isiXhosa · also called Xhosa
isiXhosa: speak it, read it.
Voice typing and voice notes in isiXhosa, spoken in The Eastern Cape and Western Cape, and across South Africa. Speak isiXhosa, clicks and all, and drop into English whenever you like. Bhala writes both.
Free on Android 8.0+. No ads.
Try it with your own isiXhosa voice note
Up to a minute, 3 tries a day. Decoded in your browser; only the audio is sent, read in memory, and not kept.
Or hear it work
Press play, and read what Bhala wrote. Unedited.
Bhala wrote
Bhala wrote
Bhala wrote
Example recordings: FLEURS (Google, 2022), CC BY 4.0, read aloud by volunteers. Transcribed by Bhala's live service, October 2026.
Writing isiXhosa
Words are written joined
Ndiyabulela (thank you) is one word: ndi- (I) + -ya- + -bulela (thank).
Three clicks: c, q, x
c as in icephe (spoon), q as in iqanda (egg), x as in ixesha (time) and in the word isiXhosa itself. Each has more forms: ch, qh, xh with breath; gc, gq, gx voiced; nc, nq, nx through the nose; and ngc, ngq, ngx, nkc, nkq, nkx: eighteen clicks in all.
rh is its own sound
The rasp at the back of the throat: urhulumente (government), irhafu (tax, in the second sample above).
Hyphens before vowels and numbers
A hyphen separates a prefix from a name that starts with a vowel, or from a number: i-Ottawa, ye-Afrika, ngo-2003. Before a capital consonant there is none: uMbulelo.
On your phone
Voice typing
- 01Switch to the Bhala keyboard.
- 02Tap the mic and speak isiXhosa, English mixed in is fine.
- 03Edit if you like, then send.
Voice notes
- 01Press and hold the voice note in WhatsApp.
- 02Tap Share, then Bhala.
- 03Read it. Tap a word to replay that part.
On the phone it all runs on the device, even offline. Nothing is uploaded.
Questions
Does Bhala understand isiXhosa mixed with English?
Yes. Speak isiXhosa, switch to English mid-sentence, and Bhala writes both. No keyboard switching.
How much does Bhala cost?
Nothing. Bhala Keyboard is free, with no ads.
Which phones does it work on?
Android phones with Android 8.0 or newer, from Google Play.
Does it work without data?
Yes. Typing, suggestions, voice typing and voice notes all work offline once Bhala is set up.