Editing Tigrinya language (section)

=== Syllables ===
A Tigrinya syllable may consist of a consonant-vowel or a consonant-vowel-consonant sequence. When three consonants (or one geminated consonant and one simple consonant) come together within a word, the cluster is broken up with the introduction of an [[epenthesis|epenthetic]] vowel {{transliteration|ti|-ə-}}, and when two consonants (or one geminated consonant) would otherwise end a word, the vowel {{transliteration|ti|-i}} appears after them, or (when this happens because of the presence of a suffix) {{transliteration|ti|-ə-}} is introduced before the suffix.
For example,

{|class=wikitable
!Root
! {{lang|ti|ከብድ}} √k-b-d
! {{lang|ti|ልብ}} √l-b-b
|-
!{{lang|ti|-ኢ}} {{transliteration|ti|-i}} {{gloss|∅}}
|{{lang|ti|ከብዲ}} {{transliteration|ti|käbdi}} {{gloss|stomach}}
|{{lang|ti|ልቢ}} {{transliteration|ti|ləbbi}} {{gloss|heart}}
|-
!{{lang|ti|-አይ}} {{transliteration|ti|-äy}} {{gloss|my}}
|{{lang|ti|ከብደይ}} {{transliteration|ti|käbdäy}} {{gloss|my stomach}}
|{{lang|ti|ልበይ}} {{transliteration|ti|ləbbäy}} {{gloss|my heart}}
|-
!{{lang|ti|-ካ}} {{transliteration|ti|-ka}} {{gloss|your (masc.)}}
|{{lang|ti|ከብድኻ}} {{transliteration|ti|käbdəxa}} {{gloss|your (masc.) stomach}}
|{{lang|ti|ልብኻ}} {{transliteration|ti|ləbbəxa}} {{gloss|your (masc.) heart}}
|-
!{{lang|ti|-ን…-ን}} {{transliteration|ti|-n… -n}} {{gloss|and}}
|colspan="2"|{{lang|ti|ከብድን ልብን}} {{transliteration|ti|käbdən ləbbən}} {{gloss|stomach and heart}}
|}

Stress is neither contrastive nor particularly salient in Tigrinya. It seems to depend on gemination, but it has apparently not been systematically investigated.