Editing Comorian languages (section)

==Phonology==
The consonants and vowels in the Comorian languages: 
=== Vowels ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Vowels {{Sfnp|Ahmed-Chamanga|1992}}{{Sfnp|Lafon|1991}}
!
![[Front vowel|Front]]
![[Central vowel|Central]]
![[Back vowel|Back]]
|-
![[Close vowel|Close]]
|{{IPAlink|i}} {{IPAlink|ĩ}}
|
|{{IPAlink|u}} {{IPAlink|ũ}}
|-
![[Mid vowel|Mid]]
|{{IPAlink|e}}
|
|{{IPAlink|o}}
|-
![[Open vowel|Open]]
|
|{{IPAlink|a}} {{IPAlink|ã}}
|
|}

=== Consonants ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Consonants {{Sfnp|Ahmed-Chamanga|1992}}{{Sfnp|Lafon|1991}}
! colspan="3" rowspan="2" |
! rowspan="2" |[[Bilabial consonant|Bilabial]]
! rowspan="2" |[[Labiodental consonant|Labio-<br>dental]]
! colspan="2" |[[Dental consonant|Dental]]/[[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
! rowspan="2" |[[Palatal consonant|Palatal]]
! rowspan="2" |[[Retroflex consonant|Retroflex]]
! rowspan="2" |[[Velar consonant|Velar]]
! rowspan="2" |[[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
!{{small|plain}}
!{{small|[[sibilant]]}}
|-
! colspan="3" | [[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
| {{IPAlink|m}}
|
| {{IPAlink|n}}
|
| {{IPAlink|ɲ}}
|
|
|
|-
! rowspan="4" | [[Plosive]]/<br />[[Affricate]]
! rowspan="2" | {{small|voiceless}}
! {{small|plain}}
| {{IPAlink|p}}
|
| {{IPAlink|t}}
| {{IPAlink|t͡s}}
| {{IPAlink|t͡ʃ}}
| {{IPAlink|ʈ}}
| {{IPAlink|k}}
|({{IPA link|ʔ}})
|-
! {{small|prenasal}}
| {{IPAlink|ᵐp}}
|
| {{IPAlink|ⁿt}}
| {{IPAlink|ⁿt͡s}}
| {{IPAlink|ⁿt͡ʃ}}
| {{IPAlink|ᶯʈ}}
| {{IPAlink|ᵑk}}
|
|-
! rowspan="2" | {{small|voiced/<br>implosive}}
! {{small|plain}}
| {{IPAlink|ɓ}}~{{IPAlink|b}}
|
| {{IPAlink|ɗ}}~{{IPAlink|d}}
| {{IPAlink|d͡z}}
| {{IPAlink|d͡ʒ}}
| {{IPAlink|ɖ}}
| {{IPAlink|ɡ}}
|
|-
! {{small|prenasal}}
| {{IPAlink|ᵐɓ}}~{{IPAlink|ᵐb}}
|
| {{IPAlink|ⁿɗ}}~{{IPAlink|ⁿd}}
| {{IPAlink|ⁿd͡z}}
| {{IPAlink|ⁿd͡ʒ}}
| {{IPAlink|ᶯɖ}}
| {{IPAlink|ᵑɡ}}
|
|-
! rowspan="2" | [[Fricative]]
! colspan="2" | {{small|voiceless}}
|
| {{IPAlink|f}}
|{{IPAlink|θ}}
|{{IPAlink|s}}
| {{IPAlink|ʃ}}
|
| {{IPAlink|x}}
| {{IPAlink|h}}
|-
! colspan="2" | {{small|voiced}}
| {{IPAlink|β}}
| {{IPAlink|v}}
|{{IPAlink|ð}}
|{{IPAlink|z}}
| {{IPAlink|ʒ}}
|
| {{IPAlink|ɣ}}
|
|-
! colspan="3" | [[Approximant]]
| {{IPAlink|w}}
|
| {{IPAlink|l}}
|
| {{IPAlink|j}}
|
|
|
|-
! colspan="3" | [[Trill consonant|Trill]]
|
|
| {{IPAlink|r}}
|
|
|
|
|
|}

The consonants ''mb'', ''nd'', ''b'', ''d'' are phonemically [[implosives]], but may also be phonetically recognized as ranging from implosives to voiced stops as {{IPA|[ᵐɓ~ᵐb]}}, {{IPA|[ⁿɗ~ⁿd]}}, {{IPA|[ɓ~b]}}, {{IPA|[ɗ~d]}}. A glottal stop {{IPA|[ʔ]}} can also be heard when in between vowels. 

In the Shimaore dialect, if when inserting a prefix the leading consonant becomes intervocalic, {{IPA|[p]}} becomes {{IPA|[β]}}, {{IPA|[ɗ]}} becomes {{IPA|[l]}}, {{IPA|[ʈ]}} becomes {{IPA|[r]}}, {{IPA|[k]}} becomes {{IPA|[h]}}, and {{IPA|[ɓ]}} is deleted.

There is a preference for multi-syllable words and a CV syllable structures. Vowels are frequently deleted and inserted to better fit the CV structure. There is also an alternate strategy of ''h''-insertion in scenarios which would otherwise results in VV. 

{{Interlinear|I kukuyi li-hi(h)a|5.DEF 5.rooster 5.NOM-crow.PRF|The rooster crowed
| abbreviations = 5:Class 5
}}

There is a strong preference for penultimate stress. There was previously a tone system in the language, but it has been mostly phased out and no longer plays an active role in the majority of cases.