The Azerbaijani alphabet today is written in Latin script and has 32 letters. But did you know the language has been written with three different scripts over time?
In this post, we will explore the history of Azerbaijani writing and then learn the full Latin alphabet used today in modern Azerbaijan.
What Is The Azerbaijani Alphabet?
The Azerbaijani alphabet is the system for writing the Azeri language. Over the last hundred years, it has shifted between the scripts: Arabic, Cyrillic and Latin.
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The reasons for these changes were political reforms, Soviet influence, and the push to modernize and align the script more closely with the sounds of the spoken language.
Today, things are divided by region. In Azerbaijan, the official script is Latin with 32 letters. In Iran, southern Azerbaijani is written with a version of the Arabic script. In Dagestan, some communities continue to use Cyrillic script.
For people interested in learning Azerbaijani, it’s best to focus on the Latin alphabet, since it is the standard in Azerbaijan and the script you’ll see in books, signs, and everyday writing.
The Azerbaijani Alphabet
The Latin alphabet for Azerbaijani has gone through many changes over the years before becoming what it is today.
Efforts to replace the Arabic script started in the 19th century. Azerbaijani intellectuals wanted a system that matched the spoken language more closely. In the 1920s, the Soviet-backed New Turkic Alphabet Committee introduced a Latin version. During the 1920s and 1930s, this script went through several changes before gaining wider use.
In 1939, Stalin replaced the Latin script with Cyrillic. Azerbaijani stayed in Cyrillic until the country gained independence in 1991. In 1992, Azerbaijan switched back to Latin with a revised version. The modern alphabet combines familiar letters with a few special ones to match Azerbaijani sounds.
The Letters Of The Azerbaijani Alphabet
Here’s how the Latin Azerbaijani alphabet looks today:
| Capital Letter | Small Letter | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| A | a | a in father |
| B | b | b in bat |
| C | c | j in judge |
| Ç | ç | ch in cherry |
| D | d | d in dog |
| E | e | e in bed |
| Ə | ə | a in cat |
| F | f | f in fish |
| G | g | g in go |
| Ğ | ğ | soft g, like a voiced h |
| H | h | h in hat |
| X | x | kh in Bach |
| I | ı | i in cousin |
| İ | i | ee in see |
| J | j | s in measure |
| K | k | k in kite |
| Q | q | g in goat |
| L | l | l in lemon |
| M | m | m in man |
| N | n | n in no |
| O | o | o in pot |
| Ö | ö | u in burn |
| P | p | p in pen |
| R | r | r in red |
| S | s | s in sun |
| Ş | ş | sh in shoe |
| T | t | t in top |
| U | u | oo in boot |
| Ü | ü | u in blue |
| V | v | v in vet |
| Y | y | y in yes |
| Z | z | z in zebra |
Special Characters
Some letters in the Azerbaijani alphabet look familiar but have unique sounds, and a few are completely new for some learners. If you understand them, you’ll have a much easier time reading Azerbaijani words.
Ə ə
Sounds like the “a” in the word cat. It can be seen in words like əqrəb, which means scorpion.
Ç ç
Sounds like “ch” in cherry. It changes the meaning of words, for example çay is tea, while say is number.
Ğ ğ
A soft, voiced “h” sound that doesn’t exist in English. It appears in words like sağ ol, which means thank you in Azerbaijani.
X x
A guttural sound like the “kh” in the German word Bach. It shows up in words like xiyar, which means cucumber.
Ö ö and Ü ü
Rounded vowels that sound like the German ö and ü. Can be found in words like ördək (duck) for Ö and üzüm (grape) for Ü.
How Do You Say ‘Alphabet’ In Azerbaijani?
In Azerbaijani, əlifba means alphabet. Sometimes, you’ll see it written as əlifbası. The -sı is a possessive suffix, like saying “the alphabet of”.
For example, the Latin alphabet is Latın əlifbası, or the Cyrillic alphabet is Kiril əlifbası.
Azerbaijani alphabet is Azərbaycan əlifbası.
Vocabulary For Practice
Here’s a beginner-friendly vocabulary table for practicing some Azerbaijani letters and how each word is pronounced:
| English | Azerbaijani | Pronunciation | Letter Practiced |
|---|---|---|---|
| mother | ana | a-na | A |
| hand | əl | al | Ə |
| tea | çay | chay | Ç |
| mountain | dağ | dah | Ğ |
| bread | çörək | chö-rek | Ç |
| dog | it | it | İ |
| cat | pişik | pee-shik | P, Ş |
| house | ev | ev | E |
| star | ulduz | ool-dooz | U, Z |
| road | yol | yol | Y, L |
| water | su | soo | S |
| duck | ördək | ur-dek | Ö, D |
| school | məktəb | mek-teb | M, K, T |
| book | kitab | kee-tab | K, T, B |
Quick Tips For Learning Azerbaijani
If you love playing around with languages, discovering quirks, and trying small challenges, then here are some tips on how you can explore Azerbaijani in a fun way. You don’t need to master the whole alphabet to enjoy it. Focus on some tricky sounds, letters, and patterns, and use these simple study habits to make your learning playful and rewarding.
- Accents like the diaeresis in ö and ü are crucial. Ignoring them can change a word’s meaning.
- Some letters look similar but sound different, like c and ç or x and h. Pay attention to them.
- Try saying each letter out loud while reading words. This trains your mouth and ear together.
- Repeat the hard sounds in isolation before using them in words.
- Use the Ling app to practice letters, sounds, and short words daily.
- Write out the alphabet by hand to more easily remember the shapes and sounds of the letters.
- Listen to short Azerbaijani native audio clips and follow along with the text to match letters with sounds.
- Practice simple words first, like it (dog), su (water), before moving on to harder ones.
- Azerbaijani is part of the Turkic languages, which means it’s quite easy to learn if you already know Turkish, Turkmen, or other related languages.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Azerbaijani Alphabet
Why Is There No W In The Azerbaijani Alphabet?
The Azerbaijani alphabet does not include the letter W because standard Azerbaijani doesn’t use that sound. Sounds that English represents with V or W are usually covered by the letter V.
If you’ve switched to an Azeri keyboard on your phone, you’ll notice there is no W key either, and you need to switch to English to type it.
Do Azerbaijani Write In Cyrillic Or Arabic Script?
Azerbaijani is written in the Latin script today. In the past, it used Arabic, then Cyrillic during the Soviet era. After independence in 1991, Azerbaijan returned to Latin. Some Azerbaijani speakers in Iran still use Arabic, and Cyrillic is used in parts of Dagestan.
How Many Letters Are There In The Azerbaijani Alphabet?
The Latin Azerbaijani alphabet used today has 32 letters. The Cyrillic alphabet has between 33 and 36 letters, while the Arabic alphabet has between 28 and 33 letters, depending on the version.
Fun Ways To Practice Every Day
You’ve seen how the alphabet evolved from Arabic to Cyrillic to the Latin script used today. Now go ahead and play around with simple words, pay attention to the accents and practice the tricky letters like Ə, Ç, and Ü. You’ll quickly start noticing sounds and patterns that make Azerbaijani really fun to read and speak.
Try using your new knowledge to explore short, simple phrases, like saying hello in Azerbaijani, then practice some tongue twisters, or spot similarities with Turkish or other ones from the Turkic language family.
The Best Way To Explore New Languages
The best way to feed your curiosity and explore Azerbaijani is with Ling. The language app turns learning into a playful experience with fun games and bite-sized lessons. Each activity keeps you engaged and helps you connect letters, sounds, and words in ways that feel natural.
You can also use it to test your pronunciation and explore the language at your own pace. Join other learners who are making real progress and have fun discovering something new every day.
Download and start learning Azerbaijani today!
