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Krio dialect

Krio

Also known as: Sierra Leonean Creole

An English-based creole and the lingua franca of Sierra Leone, used by virtually the entire population. Descended from the speech of liberated Africans resettled in Freetown in the 19th century.

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Frequently asked questions

What language is Krio?

Krio is a dialect of the Krio language.

Where is Krio spoken?

Krio is primarily spoken in Sierra Leone.

Which region is Krio associated with?

Krio is part of the West & Central Africa region on DialectAtlas.

Is Krio known by other names?

Yes — Krio is also referred to as Sierra Leonean Creole.

Nearby dialects

See on the atlas →
Susu

135 km away

A Mande Niger-Congo language and the main lingua franca of coastal Guinea, including the capital Conakry. Around 1.5 million first-language speakers.

Mende

174 km away

A Mande Niger-Congo language and the largest indigenous language of Sierra Leone. Notable for the Kikakui syllabary, an indigenous 19th-century writing system.

Fulani

332 km away

An Atlantic Niger-Congo language spoken by Fulani (Peul) communities across the Sahel from Senegal to Sudan. One of the most geographically spread African languages, with 25-30 million speakers.

Maninka

481 km away

A Manding Niger-Congo language of Upper Guinea and adjacent Mali. The historical language of the Mali Empire and the closest living relative of the Mandinka of Senegambia.

Soninke

692 km away

A Mande Niger-Congo language of the historical Ghana Empire region. Spoken across Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, and the Gambia, with a long oral and Ajami-script tradition.

Bambara

736 km away

The largest Mande Niger-Congo language and the lingua franca of Mali. Closely related to Dyula and Maninka in a wider Manding dialect continuum across West Africa.

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