Kono language (Sierra Leone)

For other uses, see Kono language.

The Kono language (Kɔnɔ) is a language spoken in Sierra Leone by the Kono people. The Kono District is situated in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone and contains 14 chiefdoms, each headed by a Paramount Chief. The language varies slightly between chiefdoms.

Kɔnɔ
Native to	Sierra Leone
Region	East
Ethnicity	Kono people
Native speakers	320,000 (2019)[1]
Language family	Mande Western Mande Central Manding–Jogo Manding–Vai Vai–Kono Kɔnɔ
Language codes
ISO 639-3	kno
Glottolog	kono1268

Kono distinguishes high tone and low tone on syllables:^[2][3]

tone	word	meaning
high	/kɔ́ɔ́/	'to mature'
low	/kɔ̀ɔ̀/	'rice'