Amharic · ፊደል
The Amharic alphabet: every fidel letter, with its sound
Amharic is written in fidel, the Ge'ez script. Each letter is a syllable: a consonant with one of seven vowel forms, so a row of the chart is one consonant and its seven orders. Under every letter is what to type on the Amharic keyboard.
The seven orders
ሰ
1st: ä (e)
ሱ
2nd: u
ሲ
3rd: i
ሳ
4th: a
ሴ
5th: é (ie)
ስ
6th: ə or none
ሶ
7th: o
Read across a row: ሰ ሱ ሲ ሳ ሴ ስ ሶ is se, su, si, sa, sie, s, so. The same seven changes apply to every consonant, so learning one row teaches you the pattern for all of them.
The full chart
| e | u | i | a | ie | – | o |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ኸKe | ኹKu | ኺKi | ኻKa | ኼKie | ኽK | ኾKo |
| ዐ`e | ዑ`u | ዒ`i | ዓ`a | ዔ`ie | ዕ` | ዖ`o |
| ሸshe | ሹshu | ሺshi | ሻsha | ሼshie | ሽsh | ሾsho |
| ቸche | ቹchu | ቺchi | ቻcha | ቼchie | ችch | ቾcho |
| ኘnye | ኙnyu | ኚnyi | ኛnya | ኜnyie | ኝny | ኞnyo |
| ዠzhe | ዡzhu | ዢzhi | ዣzha | ዤzhie | ዥzh | ዦzho |
| ጸtse | ጹtsu | ጺtsi | ጻtsa | ጼtsie | ጽts | ጾtso |
| ሀhe | ሁhu | ሂhi | ሃha | ሄhie | ህh | ሆho |
| ለle | ሉlu | ሊli | ላla | ሌlie | ልl | ሎlo |
| ሐHe | ሑHu | ሒHi | ሓHa | ሔHie | ሕH | ሖHo |
| መme | ሙmu | ሚmi | ማma | ሜmie | ምm | ሞmo |
| ረre | ሩru | ሪri | ራra | ሬrie | ርr | ሮro |
| ሰse | ሱsu | ሲsi | ሳsa | ሴsie | ስs | ሶso |
| ቀqe | ቁqu | ቂqi | ቃqa | ቄqie | ቅq | ቆqo |
| በbe | ቡbu | ቢbi | ባba | ቤbie | ብb | ቦbo |
| ቨve | ቩvu | ቪvi | ቫva | ቬvie | ቭv | ቮvo |
| ተte | ቱtu | ቲti | ታta | ቴtie | ትt | ቶto |
| ነne | ኑnu | ኒni | ናna | ኔnie | ንn | ኖno |
| ከke | ኩku | ኪki | ካka | ኬkie | ክk | ኮko |
| ወwe | ዉwu | ዊwi | ዋwa | ዌwie | ውw | ዎwo |
| ዘze | ዙzu | ዚzi | ዛza | ዜzie | ዝz | ዞzo |
| የye | ዩyu | ዪyi | ያya | ዬyie | ይy | ዮyo |
| ደde | ዱdu | ዲdi | ዳda | ዴdie | ድd | ዶdo |
| ጀje | ጁju | ጂji | ጃja | ጄjie | ጅj | ጆjo |
| ገge | ጉgu | ጊgi | ጋga | ጌgie | ግg | ጎgo |
| ጠTe | ጡTu | ጢTi | ጣTa | ጤTie | ጥT | ጦTo |
| ጨCe | ጩCu | ጪCi | ጫCa | ጬCie | ጭC | ጮCo |
| ጰPe | ጱPu | ጲPi | ጳPa | ጴPie | ጵP | ጶPo |
| ፈfe | ፉfu | ፊfi | ፋfa | ፌfie | ፍf | ፎfo |
| ፐpe | ፑpu | ፒpi | ፓpa | ፔpie | ፕp | ፖpo |
Print this page for a wall chart.
Ge'ez numbers
፩
1
፪
2
፫
3
፬
4
፭
5
፮
6
፯
7
፰
8
፱
9
፲
10
፳
20
፴
30
፵
40
፶
50
፷
60
፸
70
፹
80
፺
90
፻
100
፲፻
1000
Type it
The Amharic keyboard turns what you type into fidel: selam becomes ሰላም. For documents, see free Amharic fonts.
On your phone, type Amharic in every app with Bhala.
Questions
How many letters are in the Amharic alphabet?
Amharic uses about 33 base consonants, each in seven vowel orders, plus labialised forms such as ሏ and ኳ: well over 200 characters, all built from the same pattern.
What is the difference between Ge'ez and Amharic?
Ge'ez is the ancient language whose script, fidel, Amharic is written in. Tigrinya uses the same script with a few extra letters.