The Ukrainian Alphabet.




For the reading of this page you must make some change in your browser. If you use Netscape Navigator, then in menu choose "Options", open it. There find "Document Encoding" and in it choose "Cyrillic (Win 1251)". If you use other browser, sorry, I don't know how change your Document encoding in this case.
In Microsoft Exployer choose View -> Font -> Cyrrilic (Windows).
Ukrainian language use not Latin, but Cyrillic.
If the some Ukrainian letter is hard spell, this letter is distinguished by links. All explanation is on the bottom of page.
The first column is the CAPITAL LETTER, the second column is the small letter. If you want to listen - how it's spell - click sound in the end. You must have a audio device and Real G2 Player preinstalled (if you haven't - download here).

À_à - letter, like English a in such words - bath, after, but Ukrainian is rather short. sound.

Á_á - letter like English b. sound.

Â_â - letter like English v. sound.

Ã_ã - letter like English g, but this letter is more tender. sound.

¥_´ - letter like English g. This is a ringing g. Generally, this letter very seldom appeared in Ukrainian words. sound.

Ä_ä - letter like English d. sound.

Å_å - letter like English e in such words - send, cent. sound.

ª_º - in this letter is two sound [je] . Like in such English words - yes, yet, yellow. sound.

Æ_æ - letter like English s in word measure. Sometimes, in English its write as "zh". sound.

Ç_ç - letter like English z. sound.

É_é - letter like English y, in word year..sound.

È_è - it's rather difficult letter. sound.

²_³ - letter like English i in words ill, index. sound.

¯_¿ - there are two sound [ji] , like in English words yield, yielding, ye. sound.

Ê_ê - letter like English k. sound.

Ë_ë - letter like English l. sound.

Ì_ì - letter like English m.sound.

Í_í - letter like English n. sound.

Î_î - letter like English o in words oil, on. sound.

Ï_ï - letter like English p. sound.

Ð_ð - Letter like English r, like in English words rose, raise. It's a ringing R. sound.

Ñ_ñ - letter like English s. sound.

Ò_ò - letter like English t. sound.

Ó_ó - letter like English u in word full. sound.

Ô_ô - letter like English f. sound .

Õ_õ - letter like English h. But it's a ringing H. sound.

Ö_ö - letter which in English write as ts. As in the word "Tsar". sound.

×_÷ - letter like English sound ch, in such words as chair, chief. But, it's a tender, soft letter. sound.

Ø_ø - letter like English sound sh in such word as shop. sound.

Ù_ù - letter like English sound sh in such word as ship. It's a tender SH. sound.

ü - it's special symbol. There aren't a capital letter.

Þ_þ - there are two sound [ju], like in English word you. But, it's rather difficult letter. sound.

ß_ÿ - there're two sound [ja], as in English word yard. sound.

' - it's a special symbol. Its name is Apostroph.

È - this is rather difficult letter. If you know a little Polish or Russian , you know this letter. In Polish it's letter y and in Russian it's letter Û. If you don't know this languages, I try to explain. This is very, very voiceless sound i (I meen Ukrainian i).

ü - this letter isn't sound. It's symbol of soften of Consonant. For example - the Ukrainian word "ê³íü" - horse. In this case the constant "í" will be the soften, as in English word "nick" is soften the letter "N". The symbol "ü" soft only previous consonant. This symbol can be in the end or in the middle of word, but never in the beginning of the word.

Þ -. As I told this letter consist of two sound [ju] as in English word "you". But not in any case, only if "þ" is in the beginning of word, or if "þ" is after vowel. But if "þ" is after consonant, this sound soft this consonant and read as Ukrainian "ó". For example, the Ukrainian word "ëþëêà" (pipe). There the letter "ë" is softed and the word maybe reading as "ëüóëêà". Also the letter "þ" after consonant soft this consonant.

ß - It's similar letter as "þ". This letter spell as [ja], but after consonant this letter soft this consonant and spell as Ukrainian "à". For example, the Ukrainian word "ëÿëêà" (doll). In this word the letter "ÿ" softed the first "ë" and this letter spell as Ukrainian "a". All word we can read as "ëüàëêà". Also, in the beginning of word or after vowel the letter "ÿ" spell as [ja], and after consonant this letter soft this consonant and spell as Ukrainian " ".

'

- this symbol is most difficult symbol in Ukrainian language. I try to explain its function. Before that, please carefully read again about letters "þ" and "ÿ".

Well, I begin to explain. Sometimes, in some Ukrainian words the letter "þ" and "ÿ" after consonant don't soft this consonant and read as [ju] and [ja]. In this case between this consonant and "þ" or "ÿ", or , sometimes "¿", put special symbol - '. As I told you, his name is Apostroph. For example , the Ukrainian word "ñ³ì'ÿ" (sound) (family). In this case the consonant "ì" isn't softed, and "ÿ" is spell as [ja]. I hope that you'll understand all this.
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