Consonants
| Working orthography | IPA | Example words |
| m | m | mutama |
| n | n | nini |
| ny | ɲ | nyoko |
| p | p | piripiri |
| y | t | yanje |
| k | k | kinindo |
| b | b/β | Burundi |
| d | d | ndende |
| g | g | gitoye |
| pf | pf | |
| ts | ts | |
| c | tʃ | Ciza |
| f | f | ifi |
| s | s | umusi |
| sh | ʃ | karishe |
| h | h | harakanye |
| v | v | kwumva |
| z | z | nizigiyimana |
| mp | mh | |
| nk | ŋx | |
| nt | nh | |
| j | dʒ | ijisho |
| cy | k | |
| w | w | hewe |
| r | ɾ | |
| r | r | rundi |
Vowels
| Working Orthography | IPA | Example Words |
| i | i | imana |
| u | u | urutwe |
| e | e | ego |
| o | o | ijoro |
| a | a | amasasa |
*Kirundi recognises a phonemic distinction between long and short vowels, which play a part in tones. Therefore, each of the vowels in the chart above can occur short or long.
For more on Kirundi Phonetics and Orthography,
https://www.livelingua.com/fsi/FSI%20-%20Kirundi%20Basic%20Course%20-%20Student%20Text.pdf