The Alphabet in Ukrainian: An Easy Guide from A to Z

For English speakers, delving into the Ukrainian language can be an exciting and rewarding journey, especially at a moment when Ukrainian people need more support and understanding than ever. And what better place to start your journey than learning the alphabet in Ukrainian?

Today, we will embark on an easy guide through the Ukrainian alphabet from A to Z so that, by the end of this blog, you’ll have a solid grasp of Ukrainian letters, their names and pronunciation. So, what are we waiting for?

Let’s dive in and uncover the beauty of the Ukrainian alphabet now!

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A – Aha

The letter “А” represents the long vowel sound “ah” as in “far” or “car.” A sample word starting with “А” is “автобус” (avtobus), which means “bus” in English.

Б – Beh

The letter “Б” is pronounced like the English letter “B.” An example word is “батько” (bat’ko), which translates to “father.”

В – Veh

Pronounced as “veh,” the letter “В” corresponds to the English letter “V.” For instance, “вино” (vyno) means “wine.” Though this may be confusing for English speakers, it’s not uncommon! In Spanish, for example, B and V have exactly the same pronunciation!

Г – Heh

Next in our guide on the alphabet in Ukrainian is Г. The letter “Г” sounds like “heh” and shares similarities with the English letter “H.” A word that starts with “Г” is “година” (hodyna), meaning “hour” or “time.”

Ґ – Ghe

Representing a sound close to the English “g” in “get,” the letter “Ґ” is called “Ghe.” A sample word is “ґанок” (ganok), which means “porch.”

Д – Deh

Named “Deh,” the letter “Д” bears a resemblance to the English letter “D”, though it has a slightly softer sound. An example word is “дім” (dim), which translates to “house.”

Е – Ye

The letter “Е” is called “Ye” and is pronounced as in “yes” or “yellow.” A Ukrainian word that starts with “Е” is “електроніка” (elektronika), meaning “electronics.” See how neither Ukrainian vocabulary nor the alphabet in Ukrainian is so difficult? See? Ukrainian vocabulary and the Ukrainian alphabet aren’t as tough as you might have thought!

Є – Yeh

The letter “Є” shares the same sound as the English letter “ye” in “yet” or “yes.” For instance, “єдиний” (yedynyy) translates to “only” or “sole.” As with most letters in the Ukrainian alphabet, it’s not the pronunciation that’s hard: the challenge is learning to associate the symbol Є, which is so similar to ‘E’, with a completely different sound!

Ж – Zheh

Pronounced as “zheh,” the letter “Ж” is similar to the fricative sound of “s” in “measure” or “pleasure.” A sample word is “житло” (zhytlo), meaning “housing” or “accommodation.”

З – Zeh

The letter “З” is called “Zeh” and sounds like the English letter “Z.” An example word is “змія” (zmіya), which translates to “snake.”

И – Ee

Next in line is one of the most confusing letters in the Ukrainian alphabet. Pronounced as “ee,” the letter “И” corresponds to the long /i/ sound in “beet” or “seen.” For instance, “искусство” (iskusstvo) means “art.”

І – І

The letter “І” is called “i” and sounds like the short English /i/ in “bit” or “pick”, A word that starts with “І” is “інформація” (informatsiya), meaning “information.”

Ї – Yi

The letter “Ї” is pronounced as “yi” and resembles the sound in “yeet” or “Yeats”. An example word is “їжак” (yizhak), which translates to “hedgehog.”

Й – Yot

The letter “Й” is called “yot” and represents the sound similar to the English “y” in “yet” or “boy.” For instance, “йогурт” (yohurt) means “yogurt.”

К – Kah

Pronounced as “kah,” the letter “К” shares similarities with the English letter “K.” A sample word very straightforward letter is “книга” (knуha), which translates to “book.”

Л – Ehl

The letter “Л” is called “ehl” and sounds like the English letter “L.” An example word is “літо” (lito), which means “summer.”

М – Em

Like K, M is one of the easiest letters you’ll find in the alphabet in Ukrainian. Representing the sound “em,” the letter “М” is similar to the English letter “M.” For instance, “молоко” (moloko) means “milk.”

Н – En

The letter “Н” sounds like “en” and corresponds to the English letter “N.” A word that starts with “Н” is “ніч” (nіch), which translates to “night.”

О – O

Pronounced as “o,” the letter “О” shares similarities with the English letter “O.” An example word containing O is “окно” (okno), which means “window.”

П – Pe

The letter “П” is called “Pe” and sounds like the English letter “P.” A sample word is “привіт” (pryvіt), which translates to “hello.” A very good word to remember, don’t you think?

Р – Er

Named “Er,” the letter “Р” resembles the sound of the English letter “R.” For instance, “рослина” (roslina) means “plant.”

С – Es

The letter “С” is called “Es” and sounds like the English letter “S.” An example word is “сонце” (sontse), which translates to “sun.”

Т – Teh

Yes! Another easy letter! Pronounced as “teh,” the letter “Т” shares similarities with the English letter “T.” A word that starts with “Т” is “тато” (tato), meaning “father.”

У – Oo

The letter “У” is called “Oo” and corresponds to the sound in “boot” or “rude.” Confusing, but true. A sample word is “україна” (Ukrayina), which means “Ukraine.”

Ф – Fe

The letter “Ф” resembles the English letter “F.” For instance, “футбол” (futbol) means “football.”

Х – Kha

The letter “Х” shares similarities with the English letters “Kh.” An example word containing this sound is “хата” (khata), which translates to “house” or “home.”

Ц – Tseh

The next letter in our Ukrainian alphabet guide is Ц. The letter “Ц” is called “Tseh” and, predictably, sounds like the English letter “Ts.” A word that starts with “Ц” is “центр” (tsentr), meaning “center.”

Ч – Cheh

The letter “Ч” resembles the sound of “ch” in “church” or “cheese.” A sample word is “чай” (chay), which translates to “tea.”

Ш – Sha

The letter “Ш” is called “Sha” and sounds like the English letter “Sh.” An example word containing this curious letter is “школа” (shkola), meaning “school.”

Щ – Shcha

The letter “Щ” is pronounced as “shcha” and represents a sound not found in English. Imagine pronouncing “sh” and “ch” together to get the pronunciation. For instance, “щастя” (shchastya) means “happiness.”

Ю – Ю (Yoo)

The letter “Ю” sounds like “yoo” and corresponds to the sound in “you” or “tube.” A word that starts with “Ю” is “юний” (yuniy), meaning “young.”

Я – Я (Ya)

The last letter in our ‘Alphabet in Ukrainian’ blog is Я. Pronounced as “ya,” this letter is similar to the English sound in “yard” or “yahoo.” An example word is “яблуко” (yabluko), which translates to “apple.”

Congratulations! You have now journeyed through the alphabet in Ukrainian from A to Z –I mean, from A to Я. By familiarizing yourself with the Ukrainian alphabet, the names of the letters, and their corresponding sounds, you’ve taken the first step in understanding and appreciating the Ukrainian language.

Remember, practice makes perfect, so keep exploring and immersing yourself in the fascinating world of Ukrainian.

→Sign Up Now: Free Trial Ukrainian Lesson With a Native Teacher!←

Would you like to go beyond the Ukrainian alphabet and start working on your writing, listening and speaking skills in this fascinating language? At Language Trainers, we work with native Ukrainian teachers who can help you reach your language goals much faster than would imagine!

Whether you’re looking for in-person Ukrainian courses in Montreal, Toronto, or Vancouver, or want to take online lessons from anywhere in the world, we’ve got you covered. Contact us today and let’s get started!