The sounds of Shipibo

Shipibo is pronounced consistently — learn the sounds once and you can read anything aloud. Most letters work like Spanish or English. Five need your attention. J is a breathy English h: jakón = ha-KOHN. E lives in the throat — deeper than English e, with a nasal hum behind it. O sits between o and u. R buzzes — curl your tongue just behind your teeth and let it vibrate, closer to a soft d than a Spanish r. And the pair that matters most: sh is normal (shaman), but x is made with the tongue curled back — a deeper, fuller shh (máxko = MAHSH-ko). Fluent ears tell them apart instantly: -shaman means excellence, while xaman with the curled x means deep — two different words.

Learn the words

Tap to flip. Be honest — "again" brings it back.

Match the pairs

Tap a Shipibo word, then its meaning.

Try it

Now you write it

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