Doubled consonants
When a consonant is doubled in Zarma, both of them are distinctly pronounced, the first with the preceding syllable, the second to begin the following one. When two "r" occur, this makes a distinctly "trilled" r, like the Scotch "burr"
Examples
hirri, lelle, lakkal
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Consonant digraphs
Consonant digraphs are rare in Zarma, that is, two consonants to be pronounced together at the beginning or end of a syllable and a different one to begin the next one. Most "closed" syllables (those ending in a consonant), use either "nasal" or "liquid" consonants, i.e. m, n, ŋ, or l, r, though there are a few rare exceptions to this.
There is, however, one class of nouns which begins with an "n" plus some other consonant, where the "n" represents a barely audible hum preceding the first syllable.
Examples:
ndurka, ntanda, nkura |