ParrotBack / Armenian / Alphabet
38 letters · Armenian The Armenian alphabet
The Armenian alphabet was created around 405 AD by Mesrop Mashtots and has 38 letters, each with a capital and a small form. It is still in use, almost unchanged, more than 1,600 years later. Below are all 38 letters with an English pronunciation hint and an example word with audio from a real native speaker.
The sounds shown are Eastern Armenian (spoken in Armenia). Western Armenian, spoken by much of the diaspora, pronounces several consonants differently.
| Letter | Latin letters | Sounds like | Example word |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ա ա | a | a in father | աղջիկ akhckik Girl |
| Բ բ | b | b in boy | բեղ begh Moustache |
| Գ գ | g | g in go | գլուխ gylukh Head |
| Դ դ | d | d in dog | դաստակ dastak Wrist |
| Ե ե | ye | ye in yes | երեխա erekha Baby |
| Զ զ | z | z in zoo | զուգարան zugaran Toilet |
| Է է | e | e in bed | — |
| Ը ը | ə | a in about | ընկեր ynker Boyfriend |
| Թ թ | t’ | t in top (with a puff of air) | թոռ(նիկ) tor(nik) Grandchild |
| Ժ ժ | zh | s in measure | ժակետ zhaket Jacket |
| Ի ի | i | ee in see | ինժեներ inzhiner Engineer |
| Լ լ | l | l in lamp | լեզու lezu Tongue |
| Խ խ | kh | ch in Scottish loch | խրճիթ khyrchit Hut |
| Ծ ծ | ts | ts in cats | ծեր tzer Elderly person |
| Կ կ | k | k in sky | կին kin Woman |
| Հ հ | h | h in house | հեռախոս herakhos Telephone |
| Ձ ձ | dz | ds in beds | ձեռնոցներ dzernotsner Gloves |
| Ղ ղ | gh | gargled g, like French r | — |
| Ճ ճ | ch | ch in church | ճակատ chakat Forehead |
| Մ մ | m | m in man | մականուն makanun Nickname |
| Յ յ | y | y in yes | յոթ yot 7 |
| Ն ն | n | n in net | ննջարան nynjaran Bedroom |
| Շ շ | sh | sh in ship | շրթունք shyrtunk Lip |
| Ո ո | vo | vo in vote | ունք unk Eyebrow |
| Չ չ | ch’ | ch in cheese (with a puff of air) | չուստեր chyster Slippers |
| Պ պ | p | p in spot | պարոն paron Mr. |
| Ջ ջ | j | j in jam | ջինս jins Jeans |
| Ռ ռ | rr | strongly rolled r | ռադիո radio Radio |
| Ս ս | s | s in sun | ստամոքս ystamoks Stomach |
| Վ վ | v | v in van | վիզ viz Neck |
| Տ տ | t | t in stop | տղամարդ tyghamart Man |
| Ր ր | r | soft tapped r | — |
| Ց ց | ts’ | ts in cats (with a puff of air) | ցուցամատ tsutsamat Index finger |
| Ւ ւ | w | w; used in the combination ու (u) | — |
| Փ փ | p’ | p in pot (with a puff of air) | փուռ pur Oven |
| Ք ք | k’ | k in kit (with a puff of air) | քիթ kit Nose |
| Օ օ | o | o in more | օճառ ochar Soap |
| Ֆ ֆ | f | f in fan | ֆեն fen Hair dryer |
Next steps
Listen to every word by topic in the free Armenian vocabulary (456 words), then hear real Armenian phrases at two speeds.