Ukrainian Alphabet for Beginners

Ukrainian is a language whose alphabet is made up of 33 letters, with 10 vowels, 22 consonants, and a special soft sign. It includes some sounds we won’t find in English and doesn’t include every sound we have in English, such as w or th. While there are seven more letters than the English alphabet, this ends up working to the learner’s advantage as it contributes to the “spelled how it sounds” and “pronounced how it looks” nature of the Ukrainian language. Additionally, the rounded feminine sound of many letters is part of what makes Ukrainian a notably beautiful and melodic language.

Once you’ve mastered the alphabet, you will find it easy to transition to reading and spelling as Ukrainian words aren’t trying to trick you. Each letter only produces one sound, and the language has clear rules that will always apply. While it will take practice being able to read out loud at a comfortable pace, you can be assured that you’re not going to discover words that break the laws of the language, like we do in English.

Fourteen of the letters of the alphabet look the same as English letters, but they don’t make the same sound. It is normal to confuse such letters as a beginner, but with consistent practice, this won’t be a prolonged hurdle. When learning a language, the alphabet is the first step. So, welcome to your journey towards learning Ukrainian. Now you know that the alphabet is logical and consistent so you should feel reassured and excited, and know that Ukrainian isn’t intimidating. You’ve got this!

Below you’ll find a chart showing each letter, its pronunciation, and some pronunciation tips for harder letters.