a Bantu language (Bantu languages) spoken by seven million people in South Africa, especially in Eastern (Eastern Cape) province. Xhosa is a member of the Southeastern, or Nguni, subgroup of the Bantu group of the Benue-Congo branch (Benue-Congo languages) of the Niger-Congo language family. Other Southeastern Bantu languages are Zulu (Zulu language), Swati (Swazi), Sotho, Tswana, Venda, and Ndebele. Although Xhosa and Zulu (Zulu language) are similar enough to be considered dialects of one language, Xhosa and Zulu speakers consider them to be separate languages.

The sound system of Xhosa contains three types of click sounds borrowed from the neighbouring Khoisan languages. Xhosa uses a system of tones (tone) to distinguish words that would otherwise sound the same.