Yoruba language resources – Language Links Database

Yoruba /ˈjɒrʊbə/ (Yor. Èdè Yorùbá) is a language spoken in West Africa and most prominently South western Nigeria. The number of speakers of Yoruba is estimated between 30 and 40 million, primarily by the ethnic Yoruba people. It is a pluricentric language spoken principally in Nigeria and Benin, with communities in Sierra Leone, Liberia, other parts of Africa, the Americas, and Europe. The non-vernacular remains of the language in the Caribbean, Lucumi, is the liturgical language of the Santería religion of the region.

More information: Wikipedia

Native speakers: 40 million (2015)

Official language in: Nigeria, Benin, Togo

Yoruba Grammar and Pronunciation



  • Atlas - Yoruba - Pronunciation, Proverbs, Special Characters & Sounds
  • mylanguages.org - Here you will find some useful resources including a course about pronunciation, and sound of all letters... to help you with your Yoruba grammar. Learning the Yoruba alphabet is very important because its structure is used in every day conversation. Without it, you will not be able to say words properly even if you know how to write those words. The better you pronounce a letter in a word, the more understood you will be in speaking the Yoruba language.
  • Yoruba Online - Here you will find Yoruba phonology, alphabet, general notes and pronunciation tips, Syllabic nasals and structures
  • Naijish - here you find common words, alphabet, general notes and pronunciation tips


Yoruba Reading Materials



  • mylanguages.org - This page contains a course in Yoruba Reading where you can practice your comprehension and understanding of the Yoruba sample text
  • Yorùbá Yé Mi - textbook, combined with an open access, multi-media website at Yorùbá Yé Mi  A Beginning Yorùbá Textbook, is an interactive, communicative, introductory Yorùbá program. It exposes the learner not only to Yorùbá language in meaningful situations but also to the culture of the Yorùbá-speaking people of South-western Nigeria. It contains effective techniques for teaching and learning Yorùbá including tones, and is user friendly in its approach.


Yoruba Dictionaries



 

Yoruba Listening and Video Resources



  • Yoruba101 - List of Top 3 Yoruba Radio Stations
  • YouTube - Over 20 Lessons on Yoruba Language in form of YT Videos
  • YouTube - Previz TV. Channel about Yoruba Language learning lessons, also contains some videos about Yoruba culture


If you want to help with expanding this list of resources, please send me your suggestions here.