This reference table gives many of the main CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) signs needed for reading Akkadian in cuneiform (and lots of rare ones too). It is unlikely that you will need all of them, unless you become a professional cuneiformist, but it is fun to see them nevertheless. Complete lists are published in the books described on the using sign lists page.
The consonants are grouped by sound, as described on the phonology page. It explains there why some syllables with different vowels and/or consonants are written with the same sign. In general (but not always), sign values with i are also valid for e. Because final consonants are usually interchangeable within each phonological group (e.g. ๐ = bad, bat, and baแนญ), we have not systematically listed them.
- Signs starting with dentals (d, t, แนญ)
- Signs starting with bilabials (b, p)
- Signs starting with palatals (g, k, q)
- Signs starting with sibilants (s, แนฃ, ลก, z)
- Signs starting with nasals (m, n)
- Signs starting with fricatives and liquids (h, l, r)
Signs starting with dentals
dab | ๐ณ |
tab | ๐ฐ |
แนญab | ๐ฐ |
dad | ๐บ |
tad | ๐บ |
แนญad | โ |
dag | ๐ |
tag | ๐ณ |
แนญag | ๐ |
dah | ๐ญ |
tah | ๐ญ |
แนญah | ๐ญ |
dal | ๐ |
tal | ๐ |
แนญal | ๐ |
dam | ๐ฎ |
tam | ๐ |
แนญam | ๐ฎ |
dan | ๐ |
tan | ๐ |
แนญan | ๐ |
dar | ๐ฏ |
tar | ๐ป |
แนญar | ๐ป |
daลก | ๐จ |
taลก | ๐จ |
แนญaลก | โ |
dib | ๐ณ |
tib | ๐ณ |
แนญib | ๐ณ |
did | ๐
|
tid | ๐
|
แนญid | โ |
dig | ๐ |
tig | ๐ |
แนญig | โ |
dih | ๐พ |
tih | โ |
แนญih | โ |
dil | ๐ธ |
til | ๐ |
แนญil | ๐ธ |
dim | ๐ด |
tim | ๐ด |
แนญim | ๐ด |
din | ๐ท |
tin | ๐ท |
แนญin | ๐ท |
dir | ๐๐ |
tir | ๐ |
แนญir | ๐๐ |
diลก | ๐น |
tiลก | ๐น |
แนญiลก | ๐น |
dub | ๐พ |
tub | ๐พ |
แนญub2 | ๐ |
dud | ๐บ๐ |
tud | ๐
|
แนญud | โ |
dug | ๐ |
tug | ๐ |
แนญug | โ |
duh | ๐ฎ |
tuh | ๐ฎ |
แนญuh | ๐ฎ |
dul | ๐๐ |
tul | ๐๐ |
แนญul | ๐ฅ |
dum | ๐ |
tum | ๐ |
แนญum | ๐ |
dun | ๐ |
tun | ๐ฝ |
แนญun | โ |
dur | ๐ |
tur | ๐ |
แนญur | ๐ |
duลก | ๐ช |
tuลก | ๐ช |
แนญuลก | ๐ช |
Bilabials
bab | ๐ฝ |
pap | ๐ฝ |
bad | ๐ |
pad | ๐ป |
bag | ๐ท |
pag | ๐ท |
bah | ๐ท |
pah | ๐ |
bal | ๐ |
pal | ๐ |
bam | โ |
pam | โ |
ban | ๐ผ |
pan | ๐ผ |
bar | ๐ |
par | ๐ |
baลก | ๐ฆ |
paลก | โ |
bib | โ |
pip | โ |
bid | ๐ |
pid | ๐ |
big | ๐ |
pik | ๐ |
bih | โ |
pih | ๐ |
bil | ๐ |
pil | ๐ |
bim | โ |
pim | โ |
bin | ๐ณ |
pin | ๐ณ |
bir | ๐ต |
pir | ๐ |
biลก | ๐ซ |
piลก | ๐ซ |
bub | โ |
pup | โ |
bud | โ |
pud | โ |
buk | ๐ฎ |
puk | ๐ฎ |
buh | ๐ |
puh | ๐ |
bul | ๐ง |
pul | ๐ง |
bum | ๐
ค |
pum | ๐
ค |
bun | ๐ |
pun | โ |
bur | ๐ |
pur | ๐ |
buลก | ๐ |
puลก2 | ๐ฝ๐ฌ |
Palatals
gab | ๐ฎ |
kab | ๐ |
qab | ๐ฎ |
gad | ๐ฐ |
kad | ๐ฐ |
qad | ๐ฐ |
gag | ๐ |
kak | ๐ |
qaq | ๐ |
gah | โ |
kah | โ |
qah | โ |
gal | ๐ฒ |
kal | ๐ |
qal | ๐ฒ |
gam | ๐ต |
kam | ๐ฐ |
qam | ๐ต |
gan | ๐ถ |
kan | ๐ถ |
qan | ๐ถ |
gar | ๐ป |
kar | ๐ผ๐ |
qar | ๐ผ |
gaลก | ๐ |
kaลก | ๐ |
qaลก | โ |
gib | ๐ |
kib | ๐ |
qib | ๐ |
gid | ๐ค |
kid | ๐ค |
qid | ๐ค |
gig | ๐ช๐ญ |
kik | ๐ช๐ญ |
qiq | ๐ช๐ญ |
gih | โ |
kih | โ |
qih | โ |
gil | ๐ |
kil | ๐ธ |
qil | ๐ธ |
gim | ๐ถ |
kim | ๐ถ |
qim | ๐ถ |
gin | ๐บ |
kin | ๐ฅ |
qin | ๐ฅ |
gir | ๐ซ |
kir | ๐ซ |
qir | ๐ซ |
giลก | ๐ |
kiลก | ๐ง |
qiลก | ๐ง |
gub | ๐บ |
kub | ๐บ |
qub | ๐บ |
gud | ๐ |
kud | ๐ป |
qud | ๐ป |
gug | ๐๐ข |
kuk | ๐ฌ |
quq | โ |
guh | โ |
kuh | โ |
quh | โ |
gul | ๐ข |
kul | ๐ฐ |
qul | ๐ฐ |
gum | ๐ฃ |
kum | ๐ฃ |
qum | ๐ฃ |
gun | ๐๐ฆ |
kun | ๐ฒ |
qun | ๐ฒ |
gur | ๐ฅ |
kur | ๐ณ |
qur | ๐ฅ |
guลก | ๐ข |
kuลก | ๐ข |
quลก | โ |
Sibilants
sab | ๐บ๐
|
แนฃab | ๐ |
ลกab | ๐บ๐
|
zab | ๐ |
sad | ๐ณ |
แนฃad | โ |
ลกad | ๐ณ |
zad | โ |
sag | ๐ |
แนฃak | ๐ |
ลกag | ๐ |
zag | ๐ |
sah | ๐ค |
แนฃah | ๐ |
ลกah | ๐ |
zah | ๐ |
sal | ๐ฉ |
แนฃal | ๐ |
ลกal | ๐ฉ |
zal | ๐ |
sam | ๐ |
แนฃam | โ |
ลกam | ๐ |
zam | โ |
san | ๐ |
แนฃan | โ |
ลกan | ๐ |
zan | โ |
sar | ๐ฌ |
แนฃar | ๐ก |
ลกar | ๐ฌ |
zar | ๐ก |
sas | ๐ |
แนฃaแนฃ | โ |
ลกaลก | ๐ |
zaz | ๐ |
sib | ๐จ |
แนฃib | ๐ฆ |
ลกib | ๐จ |
zib | ๐ฆ |
sid | ๐ป |
แนฃid | โ |
ลกid | ๐ |
zid | ๐ฃ |
sig | ๐ |
แนฃig | โ |
ลกig | ๐ |
zig | ๐จ |
sih | ๐ |
แนฃih | โ |
ลกih | ๐ |
zih | ๐ |
sil | ๐ป |
แนฃil | ๐ฃ |
ลกil | ๐ป |
zil | ๐ฃ |
sim | ๐ |
แนฃim | ๐ฎ |
ลกim | ๐ |
zim | โ |
sin | ๐ |
แนฃin | ๐ |
ลกin | ๐ฟ |
zin | ๐ฟ |
sir | ๐ค |
แนฃir | ๐ฒ |
ลกir | ๐ |
zir | ๐ฐ |
sis | ๐ |
แนฃiแนฃ | ๐ |
ลกiลก | ๐ |
ziz | ๐ |
sub | ๐
ข |
แนฃub | โ |
ลกub | ๐ |
zub | ๐ |
sud | ๐ค |
แนฃud | โ |
ลกud | ๐ค |
zud | โ |
sug | ๐น |
แนฃug | โ |
ลกug | ๐ป |
zug | ๐น |
suh | ๐ฝ |
แนฃuh | โ |
ลกuh | ๐ฝ |
zuh | ๐
|
sul | ๐ |
แนฃul | โ |
ลกul | ๐ |
zul | โ |
sum | ๐ง |
แนฃum | ๐ฎ |
ลกum | ๐ณ |
zum | ๐ฎ |
sun | ๐ |
แนฃun | โ |
ลกun | ๐ฟ |
zun | โ |
sur | ๐ฉ |
แนฃur | ๐ซ |
ลกur | ๐ฉ |
zur | ๐ซ |
sus | ๐ฝ |
แนฃuแนฃ | โ |
ลกuลก | ๐ |
zuz | โ |
Nasals
mab | โ |
nab | ๐ฎ |
mad | ๐ณ |
nad | ๐ณ |
mag | โ |
nag | ๐
|
mah | ๐ค |
nah | ๐ |
mal | ๐ท |
nal | โ |
mam | ๐๐ |
nam | ๐ |
man | ๐๐ |
nan | ๐ |
mar | ๐ฅ |
nar | ๐ |
maลก | ๐ฆ |
naลก | ๐ฆ |
mib | โ |
nib | ๐ |
mid | ๐
|
nid | ๐ |
mig | โ |
nig | ๐ฉ๐จ |
mih | ๐ค |
nih | โ |
mil | ๐
|
nil | โ |
mim | ๐ฉ |
nim | ๐ |
min | ๐ซ |
nin | ๐ฉ๐ |
mir | ๐ |
nir | ๐ช |
miลก | ๐ฉ |
niลก | ๐๐ |
mub | โ |
nub | โ |
mud | ๐ท๐ญ |
nud | ๐ฟ |
mug | ๐ฎ |
nug | ๐ |
muh | ๐๐
|
nuh | โ |
mul | ๐ฏ |
nul | โ |
mum | ๐ค |
num | ๐ |
mun | ๐ต |
nun | ๐ฃ |
mur | ๐ฏ |
nur | ๐ช |
muลก | ๐ฒ |
nuลก | โ |
Fricatives and liquids
hab | ๐ธ |
lab | ๐ |
rab | ๐ |
had | ๐บ |
lad | ๐ณ |
rad | ๐ฅ |
hag | โ |
lag | ๐ |
rag | ๐ฉ |
hah | โ |
lah | ๐ |
rah | ๐ |
hal | ๐ฌ |
lal | ๐ฒ |
ral | โ |
ham | โ |
lam | ๐ด |
ram | ๐ |
han | โ |
lan | โ |
ran | โ |
har | ๐ฏ |
lar | ๐บ |
rar | โ |
haลก | ๐ป |
laลก | โ |
raลก | ๐ |
hib | โ |
lib | ๐ |
rib | ๐ |
hid | โ |
lid | ๐ |
rid | ๐ฉ |
hig | โ |
lig | ๐จ |
rig | ๐ |
hih | โ |
lih | ๐ |
rih | ๐ |
hil | โ |
lil | ๐ธ |
ril | โ |
him | โ |
lim | ๐
|
rim | ๐ธ |
hin | โ |
lin | โ |
rin | ๐ธ |
hir | ๐ |
lir | ๐ช |
rir | โ |
hiลก | ๐ |
liลก | ๐บ |
riลก | ๐ |
hub | ๐ฝ |
lub | ๐ |
rub | ๐ |
hud | ๐บ |
lud | ๐ |
rud | ๐ฅ |
hug | ๐ |
lug | ๐ป |
rug | ๐ฟ |
huh | โ |
luh | ๐ |
ruh | ๐ |
hul | ๐
๐จ |
lul | ๐ |
rul | โ |
hum | ๐ |
lum | ๐ |
rum | ๐ธ |
hun | ๐ |
lun | ๐บ |
run | โ |
hur | ๐ฏ |
lur | โ |
rur | โ |
huลก | ๐ญ๐ |
luลก | โ |
ruลก | ๐ญ๐ |
Content last modified on 07 Jul 2012.
Eleanor Robson, 'Closed syllables: cuneiform signs with two consonants', Knowledge and Power, Higher Education Academy, 2012 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/knpp/cuneiformrevealed/learningsigns/closedsyllables/]