Armenian Alphabet
Learning the Armenian alphabet is a vital step in mastering the Armenian language, an Indo-European language primarily spoken in Armenia and by Armenian communities worldwide. The Armenian alphabet, created by Mesrop Mashtots in the 5th century, is unique and consists of 39 letters. Understanding this alphabet is essential for reading, writing, and speaking Armenian. Here’s a detailed lesson to guide you through the Armenian alphabet:
Overview of the Armenian Alphabet
- Number of Letters: 39 (31 original letters by Mesrop Mashtots plus 8 added later)
- Script Direction: Left to Right
- Unique Features: Each letter has a distinct sound, and there are separate forms for uppercase (majuscule) and lowercase (minuscule).
The Letters of the Armenian Alphabet
Each letter in the Armenian alphabet represents a single phoneme (sound). Below is a breakdown of each letter with its name, pronunciation, and an example word:
Ա, ա (Ayb)
- Pronunciation: Like ‘a’ in “father”
- Example: Արարատ (Ararat – a mountain)
Բ, բ (Ben)
- Pronunciation: Like ‘b’ in “bed”
- Example: Բարեւ (Barev – Hello)
Գ, գ (Gim)
- Pronunciation: Like ‘g’ in “go”
- Example: Գինի (Gini – wine)
Դ, դ (Da)
- Pronunciation: Like ‘d’ in “dog”
- Example: Դուռ (Dur – door)
Ե, ե (Ech)
- Pronunciation: Like ‘ye’ in “yes”
- Example: Երեւան (Yerevan – the capital of Armenia)
Զ, զ (Za)
- Pronunciation: Like ‘z’ in “zoo”
- Example: Զանգ (Zang – bell)
Է, է (Eh)
- Pronunciation: Like ‘e’ in “met”
- Example: Էջ (Ej – page)
Ը, ը (Et)
- Pronunciation: Like ‘u’ in “cut”
- Example: Ընկեր (Enker – friend)
Թ, թ (To)
- Pronunciation: Aspirated ‘t’, like ‘t’ in “top” with more breath
- Example: Թագաւոր (Tagavor – king)
Ժ, ժ (Zhe)
- Pronunciation: Like ‘s’ in “pleasure”
- Example: Ժամանակ (Zhamanak – time)
Ի, ի (Ini)
- Pronunciation: Like ‘ee’ in “see”
- Example: Իմ (Im – my)
Լ, լ (Liwn)
- Pronunciation: Like ‘l’ in “look”
- Example: Լույս (Luys – light)
Խ, խ (Khe)
- Pronunciation: A throaty ‘kh’, like ‘ch’ in the Scottish ‘loch’
- Example: Խաղալ (Khagal – to play)
Ծ, ծ (Tsa)
- Pronunciation: Like ‘ts’ in “cats”
- Example: Ծաղիկ (Tsaghik – flower)
Կ, կ (Ken)
- Pronunciation: Like ‘k’ in “kite”
- Example: Կատու (Katu – cat)
Հ, հ (Ho)
- Pronunciation: Like ‘h’ in “hello”
- Example: Հայաստան (Hayastan – Armenia)
Ձ, ձ (Dza)
- Pronunciation: Like ‘ds’ in “kids”
- Example: Ձուկ (Dzuk – fish)
Ղ, ղ (Ghad)
- Pronunciation: No direct English equivalent, a guttural sound
- Example: Ղազար (Ghazar – Lazarus)
Ճ, ճ (Tche)
- Pronunciation: Like ‘ch’ in “church”
- Example: Ճաշ (Chash – meal)
Մ, մ (Men)
- Pronunciation: Like ‘m’ in “moon”
- Example: Մայր (Mayr – mother)
Յ, յ (Yi)
- Pronunciation: Like ‘y’ in “yes”
- Example: Յոթ (Yot – seven)
Ն, ն (Nu)
- Pronunciation: Like ‘n’ in “noon”
- Example: Նոր (Nor – new)
Շ, շ (Sha)
- Pronunciation: Like ‘sh’ in “shoe”
- Example: Շուն (Shun – dog)
Ո, ո (Vo)
- Pronunciation: Like ‘vo’ in “vote”
- Example: Ուղի (Ughi – way)
Չ, չ (Cha)
- Pronunciation: Like ‘ch’ in “chew”
- Example: Չորեկ (Chorek – bread)
Պ, պ (Pe)
- Pronunciation: Like ‘p’ in “pan”
- Example: Պանիր (Panir – cheese)
Ջ, ջ (Je)
- Pronunciation: Like ‘j’ in “jam”
- Example: Ջուր (Jur – water)
Ռ, ռ (Ra)
- Pronunciation: Rolled ‘r’, like Spanish ‘r’
- Example: Ռուսաստան (Rusastan – Russia)
Ս, ս (Se)
- Pronunciation: Like ‘s’ in “sun”
- Example: Սիրուն (Sirun – beautiful)
Վ, վ (Vev)
- Pronunciation: Like ‘v’ in “van”
- Example: Վարդ (Vard – rose)
Տ, տ (Tyun)
- Pronunciation: Like ‘t’ in “top”
- Example: Տուն (Tun – house)
Ր, ր (Re)
- Pronunciation: A rolled ‘r’, softer than Ռ
- Example: Րամբո (Rampo – Rumpelstiltskin)
Ց, ց (Tso)
- Pronunciation: Like ‘ts’ in “cats” but with more force
- Example: Ցանկապատ (Tsankapat – wall)
Ւ, ւ (Vyun)
- Pronunciation: Like ‘v’ in “van” but softer
- Example: Ւերինագ (Verinag – spring)
Փ, փ (Pyur)
- Pronunciation: An aspirated ‘p’, like blowing out a candle while saying ‘p’
- Example: Փիղ (Pyugh – tiger)
Ք, ք (Ke)
- Pronunciation: An aspirated ‘k’, like ‘k’ in “kite” but with more breath
- Example: Քաղաք (Kaghak – city)
Օ, օ (Oh)
- Pronunciation: Like ‘o’ in “more”
- Example: Օր (Or – day)
Ֆ, ֆ (Fe)
- Pronunciation: Like ‘f’ in “far”
- Example: Ֆուտբոլ (Futbol – football/soccer)
Օրհնեալ (Owrhnial)
- Pronunciation: Like ‘o’ in “more” with a nasal ‘n’ sound
- Example: Օրհնեալ (Owrhnial – blessed)
Pronunciation Tips
- Unique Sounds: Some sounds, like Ձ (dza) and Ց (tso), are unique to Armenian and may require extra practice.
- Vowel Variety: Armenian has seven vowels (Ա, Ե, Ի, Ո, Ու, Օ, Է) each with a distinct sound.
- Letter Pairs: Certain letters come in voiced-unvoiced pairs (e.g., Բ-Պ, Գ-Կ), similar to ‘b’ and ‘p’ in English.
Practice Exercises
- Listening and Repeating: Use resources like language learning apps, videos, or audio recordings to listen to native speakers. Repeat the sounds to practice pronunciation.
- Writing Practice: Write each letter in both uppercase and lowercase forms. Practice writing simple words to get familiar with letter formation.
- Reading Practice: Begin with simple texts, such as children’s books or basic articles, to recognize the letters and practice reading.
Additional Resources
- Language Learning Apps: Some apps might offer Armenian language courses or resources.
- Online Tutorials: Look for YouTube channels or websites that focus on teaching the Armenian language.
- Language Exchange: Engage with native Armenian speakers through language exchange platforms for practical experience.
Conclusion
Mastering the Armenian alphabet is a foundational step in learning the language. It requires patience and practice, especially for learners not familiar with the unique sounds of Armenian. Regular practice through writing, reading, and speaking exercises will help solidify your understanding of the Armenian alphabet. Good luck, or as said in Armenian, “Շնորհակալ եմ” (Shnorhakal em)!