The Ukrainian alphabet, letter by letter
The Ukrainian alphabet has 33 Cyrillic letters, including four you won't find in Russian (Ґґ, Єє, Іі, Її). Below is every letter with its Ukrainian name, its sound explained for English speakers, and an example word. Letters marked tricky look like Latin letters but sound different — the classic beginner traps. In the free Slava app you can watch each letter's stroke order animate, trace it with your finger, and learn to write it from memory.
А а — «а» (ah)
a as in father · /ɑ/
example: автобус (av-TO-boos) — bus
Б б — «бе» (beh)
b as in bat · /b/
example: будинок (boo-DY-nok) — building
В в — «ве» (veh) tricky
v as in vote · /w/~/v/
example: вода (vo-DA) — water
💡 Looks like English B — but it's always V. Вода = VO-da (water).
Г г — «ге» (heh) tricky
breathy h, as in “aha” · /ɦ/
example: гривня (HRYV-nya) — hryvnia (₴)
💡 NOT a hard g! Ukrainian г is a soft breathy H: гривня = HRYV-nya. The hard g is the next letter, ґ.
Ґ ґ — «ґе» (geh) tricky
hard g as in go · /g/
example: ґудзик (GOO-dzyk) — button
💡 The rare one: a hard G, used in only a handful of words (ґудзик, ґанок). Everywhere else, use breathy г.
Д д — «де» (deh)
d as in dog · /d/
example: дякую (DYA-koo-yoo) — thank you
Е е — «е» (eh)
e as in bed · /ɛ/
example: де (deh) — where
Є є — «є» (yeh) tricky
ye as in yes · /jɛ/
example: Європа (yev-RO-pa) — Europe
💡 е with a belt = YE (yes). Plain е is just “e” in bed. Європа = yev-RO-pa.
Ж ж — «же» (zheh)
s as in pleasure · /ʒ/
example: жовтий (ZHOV-tyi) — yellow
З з — «зе» (zeh)
z as in zoo · /z/
example: зараз (ZA-raz) — now
И и — «и» (ih) tricky
i as in bit (deeper) · /ɪ/
example: сир (syr) — cheese
💡 Looks like a backwards N. It's the deep “i” of bit. Don't confuse with і (= ee as in see).
І і — «і» (ee) tricky
ee as in see · /i/
example: привіт (pry-VEET) — hi
💡 Reads like “ee”. The dotted twin of и — Ukrainian kept both (Russian only has и).
Ї ї — «ї» (yee) tricky
yee, as in “ye east” · /ji/
example: їжа (YI-zha) — food
💡 і with two dots = YEE. It starts Україна's soul-words: Київ (KY-yiv), їжа. Unique to Ukrainian.
Й й — «йот» (yot) tricky
y as in boy (a glide) · /j/
example: чай (chai) — tea
💡 и wearing a hat (breve). A short y-glide: чай = chai (tea).
К к — «ка» (kah)
k as in kit · /k/
example: кава (KA-va) — coffee
Л л — «ел» (el)
l as in lamp · /l/
example: лікар (LEE-kar) — doctor
М м — «ем» (em)
m as in map · /m/
example: метро (met-RO) — metro
Н н — «ен» (en) tricky
n as in net · /n/
example: ні (nee) — no
💡 Looks like English H — but it's N. Ні = nee (no).
О о — «о» (oh)
o as in more · /ɔ/
example: молоко (mo-lo-KO) — milk
П п — «пе» (peh)
p as in pot · /p/
example: пиво (PY-vo) — beer
Р р — «ер» (er) tricky
rolled r, as in Spanish · /r/
example: ринок (RY-nok) — market
💡 Looks like English P — it's a rolled R. Ринок = RY-nok (market).
С с — «ес» (es) tricky
s as in sun · /s/
example: сік (seek) — juice
💡 Looks like C — but it's always S, never k. Сік = seek (juice).
Т т — «те» (teh)
t as in top · /t/
example: так (tak) — yes
У у — «у» (oo) tricky
oo as in moon · /u/
example: Україна (oo-kra-YEE-na) — Ukraine
💡 Looks like Y — but it's OO. Україна = oo-kra-YEE-na.
Ф ф — «еф» (ef)
f as in fun · /f/
example: фрукти (FROOK-ty) — fruit
Х х — «ха» (khah) tricky
kh as in Scottish “loch” · /x/
example: хліб (khleeb) — bread
💡 Looks like X — it's the throaty KH. Хліб = khleeb (bread).
Ц ц — «це» (tseh)
ts as in cats · /t͡s/
example: цукор (TSOO-kor) — sugar
Ч ч — «че» (cheh)
ch as in chat · /t͡ʃ/
example: час (chas) — time
Ш ш — «ша» (shah)
sh as in shoe · /ʃ/
example: шість (sheest) — six
Щ щ — «ща» (shchah)
shch, as in “fresh cheese” · /ʃt͡ʃ/
example: борщ (borshch) — borshch
Ь ь — «м'який знак» (MYA-kyi znak) tricky
silent — softens the letter before it · (soft sign)
example: день (den) — day
💡 No sound of its own. It melts the consonant before it: день = den' (day), with a soft n. Never starts a word.
Ю ю — «ю» (yoo)
yu as in you · /ju/
example: меню (meh-NYOO) — menu
Я я — «я» (yah)
ya as in yard · /jɑ/
example: яблуко (YA-bloo-ko) — apple
' ' — «апостроф» (a-PO-strof) tricky
not a sound — a separator · (separator)
example: п'ять (pyat) — five
💡 Not a letter, but part of spelling: it keeps я/ю/є/ї hard after a consonant. п'ять = p-YAT (five), not “pyat’”.
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