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RV 578 (Rh)

In a few instances, there are two or three characters for the same Amharic syllable. These characters are contrasted with each other in Geez, but are more or less interchangeable in Amharic.

To put it another way, there are alternative spellings for certain Amharic words.

Note that the vowel of /gı'ız/ and that of /rabı/ in ሀ, ሐ, ኀ, አ and ዐ is the same, i.e.

Note also that in modern Amharic the character 18 ሽ is written in the first order /gı'ız/ only. Syllables /hu/, /hi/, /ha/, /he/, /hı/ and /ho/ are represented by 1, 3 or 13.

All symbols listed under the sixth order (/sadıs/) may represent either a consonant followed by the vowel /ı/, or consonant only, e.g. ህ may be /hı/ or /h/; ብ may be /bı/ or /b/; ን may be /nı/ or /n/, etc.