How to type the hudhaa (') in Afaan Oromoo
In Qubee the apostrophe, called hudhaa, is a real part of the spelling. Most phone keyboards hide it on the symbols page. Here is where to find it, and a keyboard that puts it next to the letters.
Why the hudhaa matters
The hudhaa marks a glottal stop, a short catch in the voice. Words like har’a (today), bu’aa (result), ga’e (arrived) and re’ee (goat) are spelled with it. Drop it and the word is misspelled, or becomes a different word.
On most Android keyboards
- Tap ?123 to open the symbols page, tap
', then tap ABC to get back to the letters. - On some keyboards, long-press the full stop and slide to
'.
That is two or three extra taps for every hudhaa, and suggestions built for English often treat the apostrophe as the end of a word.
With a hudhaa key: Addiyon Keyboard
Addiyon’s Afaan Oromoo keyboard keeps the QWERTY letters and adds ' to the bottom letter row, right after M and before delete. One tap, and you are still on the letters.
- Install Addiyon Keyboard from Google Play and turn it on.
- Pick Afaan Oromoo on the Which languages do you type? screen, or later in Settings › Languages › Add a language. It is a free download, about 0.5 MB.
- In any app, tap the language key until it shows AO.
- Type har, tap
', type a: har’a.
The apostrophe counts as part of the word, so Oromo word suggestions, next-word predictions and autocorrect keep it. Afaan Oromoo comes with the latest Addiyon update on Google Play, rolling out in October 2026; if you do not see it yet, update the app.
Straight or curly?
The key types the plain apostrophe ', which is what most Qubee writing online uses. If you paste text that uses a curly ’ or the modifier letter ʼ, the keyboard still reads those words as one word.
Common questions.
What is the hudhaa?
The hudhaa is the apostrophe (') in Qubee, the Latin alphabet of Afaan Oromoo. It marks a glottal stop, the short catch in the voice in words like har’a (today) and bu’aa (result).
Can I leave the hudhaa out?
It is part of the spelling. Leaving it out writes a different or misspelled word, and makes text harder to read and search.
Where is the apostrophe on a normal Android keyboard?
On most keyboards it is on the symbols page: tap ?123 and look on the first page. Some keyboards also show it when you long-press the full stop. Both take extra taps for every hudhaa.
Which Oromo keyboard has a hudhaa key?
Addiyon Keyboard’s Afaan Oromoo layout has ' on the letter keys, right after M. It is free on Google Play, and Afaan Oromoo is a free download in Settings › Languages.
Do word suggestions keep the hudhaa?
Yes. In Addiyon’s Afaan Oromoo layout the apostrophe counts as part of the word, so suggestions, predictions and autocorrect keep it.
One tap for every hudhaa.
Addiyon Keyboard is free on Google Play. Add Afaan Oromoo as a free download in Settings › Languages and the ' key sits right after M.