🇦🇲 Հայոց այբուբեն
The Armenian alphabet
The Armenian alphabet was created around 405 AD by the monk and scholar Mesrop Mashtots, mainly so that the Bible and liturgy could be translated into Armenian. His original alphabet had 36 letters; two more, օ (o) and ֆ (f), were added in the Middle Ages, giving the 38 letters used today. The script is unique to Armenian, has both capital and small letters, and has been in continuous use for more than 1,600 years.
Vowels 8
Easy consonants 13
Voiced stops and affricates 5
Plain (unaspirated) stops and affricates 5
Aspirated stops and affricates (with a puff of air) 5
Throat sounds 2
Armenian is quite regular to read: most letters have one sound, and the main rules to remember are that ե is read 'ye' and ո is read 'vo' at the start of a word, and that the pair ու spells the vowel 'u'. The hardest part is visual: many small letters look alike (ո, ս, ռ, ու, ղ, դ, զ). The other key point is the three-way consonant series (e.g. բ b / պ p / փ p'), where Eastern Armenian distinguishes voiced, plain and aspirated sounds. This page gives Eastern Armenian (Armenia) pronunciation; Western Armenian (diaspora) differences are noted per letter.
How to learn it fast
- Learn ու (u) as if it were a single letter from day one: it is one of the most frequent vowels and is always written with two characters.
- Remember the two word-initial rules: ե at the start of a word is 'ye' (երկու, yerku) and ո is 'vo' (ոչ, voch'). Inside words they are plain e and o.
- Study the consonants in triplets rather than alphabet order: բ–պ–փ (b–p–p'), գ–կ–ք, դ–տ–թ, ձ–ծ–ց, ջ–ճ–չ. Each triplet is voiced, plain and aspirated versions of one sound.
- Drill the look-alike small letters together: ո / ս / ռ / ու, ղ / դ / զ, հ / ի / խ, ն / կ. Copy them by hand until you can tell them apart at a glance.
- Watch for the hidden vowel: Armenian often writes no vowel where a short ə is pronounced, as in մնալ (mənal, to stay) or գրել (gərel, to write).
- If you are learning Western Armenian, keep the same letters but swap the voiced/plain values (բ = p, պ = b, and so on), and expect the classical spelling.
Did you know?
- Tradition holds that the first sentence written in the new alphabet was a translation of Proverbs 1:2: 'To know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding.'
- Armenian letters also served as numerals: Ա = 1, Բ = 2 … Թ = 9, Ժ = 10, and so on up to Ք = 9,000. They are still used for numbering, e.g. chapters and some clock faces.
- The ligature և (yev) means 'and'. Since the Soviet spelling reform it is treated almost like an extra letter in Eastern Armenian.
- The Matenadaran in Yerevan, named after Mesrop Mashtots, holds one of the world's largest collections of medieval manuscripts, many of them in Armenian script.
- Armenia and the Armenian diaspora use two spelling systems: the reformed orthography of Soviet Armenia (used in Armenia) and the classical orthography kept by Western Armenian communities and by Armenians in Iran.
Quick quiz: which sound is this?
Questions
How many letters are in the Armenian alphabet?
38.
How long does it take to learn the Armenian alphabet?
Most learners can recognise every letter within one to two weeks of short daily practice, and read slowly but accurately within a month. Reading real text — even very simple text — is what makes the letters automatic.
What's the best way to learn it?
Learn ու (u) as if it were a single letter from day one: it is one of the most frequent vowels and is always written with two characters. Remember the two word-initial rules: ե at the start of a word is 'ye' (երկու, yerku) and ո is 'vo' (ոչ, voch'). Inside words they are plain e and o. Study the consonants in triplets rather than alphabet order: բ–պ–փ (b–p–p'), գ–կ–ք, դ–տ–թ, ձ–ծ–ց, ջ–ճ–չ. Each triplet is voiced, plain and aspirated versions of one sound.