The double-articulated sounds of West Africa

The wild world of human speech

Chapter 1

Sounds you didn't know humans could make

Chapter 2

Grammar systems that will bend your brain

Chapter 3

Writing systems designed like puzzles

Chapter 4

Languages that change how you see the world

YOUR GOAL

Master of The wild world of human speech

Ch 1 · Sounds you didn't know humans could make

duolingo Click consonants of the southern African Khoisan languages

duolingo Extraordinary Speech Sounds

We're popping with the Taa clicks, sharp and bright, A hundred wild sounds in the desert night.

On one Spanish island, you can whistle a conversation across five kilometers.

duolingo West African languages use double-articulated consonant sounds.

The multi-tonal challenge of Cantonese and Hmong

duolingo A colorful diagram maps the syllable ma across Cantonese and Hmong pitch scales

The click consonants of the Khoisan languages

duolingo Some Southern African languages use up to dozens of distinct clicking sounds made with the tongue and teeth.

outh Magic (2 words).
* Oddball Vocal Box (3 words

BETA

duolingo Adjust the vocal box to discover how the world's weirdest languages make unique sounds.

Fun Fact

Silbo Gomero whistling: It can be heard across five kilometers of mountain valleys.

Gossip

Which weird language feature would you rather master instantly?

Quiz

What happens when a speaker produces a 'co-articulated' consonant like 'kp' in Yoruba?

duolingo Locals in Spain use the whistled language of Silbo Gomero.

Gossip

If you had to communicate silently, which would you choose?

Quiz

Which language spoken in Botswana and Namibia is famous for having over 80 click sounds?

Quiz

Which language of Southeast Asia is known for using eight distinct vocal tones?

Quiz

Which island in Spain is famous for the whistled language called Silbo Gomero?

Quiz

What is the primary purpose of the whistled language Silbo Gomero?

Quiz

How many distinct tones does the Cantonese language use in Hong Kong?

Quiz

How many basic click patterns do linguists use to categorize Khoisan click sounds?

Quiz

In which country is the Igbo language, known for its double-articulated consonants, primarily spoken?