Raising Somali speakers, one story at a time.
How to raise a Somali-speaking child when you live abroad
Five habits from families who made it work, from Minneapolis to Malmö.
The best apps to learn Somali in 2026 (honest guide for families)
Which apps actually teach Somali, which big names don't, and which one to pick for a child, a heritage speaker or a complete beginner.
The Somali alphabet explained: 21 consonants, 5 vowels, no P
Why Somali is spelled the way it sounds, the letters that trip up English speakers, and how to teach the sounds to a child.
What to do when your child answers you in English
It is not defiance. Here is what is happening in a bilingual child's brain, and three gentle ways to respond.
Long vowels: the one Somali rule that changes everything
Why bar and baar are different words, how vowel length works, and how children learn to hear it.
Running a Saturday Somali school: a 90-minute lesson plan that keeps kids engaged
A structure for weekend Somali classes: warm-up with the alphabet, ten new words, a game, a quiz, and a song, with the app doing the audio.
Screen time that gives something back
How to set app boundaries that kids accept, and why ten minutes of the right app beats an hour of the wrong one.
Why Duolingo doesn't have Somali (and what to use instead)
Duolingo teaches 40+ languages but not Somali. Here is the likely reason, whether it will ever change, and the apps that fill the gap today.
Ten Somali food words every child should know before Eid
Canjeero, bariis, xalwo and more: a tasty vocabulary list with pronunciation and the phrases to use at the table.
Meet the voices: how Luuqad records real Somali speakers
Who records the words, why we never use robot voices, and how a single word goes from a studio to your child's ear.
Counting to twenty in Somali (with a rhythm to remember them)
Kow, laba, saddex: every number from 1 to 20, how 11–19 are built, and a clapping rhythm that makes them stick.
Somali language facts every diaspora parent should know
Where Somali is spoken, how many people speak it, when it got its alphabet, and why it is easier to learn than you think.
Somali greetings: hello, how are you, and what to say back
Every greeting a child needs for the family video call, with the replies elders expect and the moments to use them.
Adeer or abti? A guide to Somali family words
Somali has a word for every relative. Learn who is adeer, abti, eedo and habaryar, and the endearments families use every day.
Is Somali hard to learn? An honest answer for parents and heritage speakers
What is easy (spelling, sounds map to letters), what is hard (vowel length, c and x, focus words), and how kids get past all of it.
How to say I love you in Somali (and the words families really use)
Waan ku jeclahay, plus the everyday endearments — hooyo, aabo, macaan — that carry more love than a translation.