Romanian ș sounds like sh in shop, and ț sounds like ts in cats. Both have a comma under them, and the characters are U+0219 and U+021B. Some websites still show ş and ţ with a cedilla, a small hook, which looks almost the same but is a different character.
| Letter | Sounds like | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ș | the sh in shop | (six), (school), (city) |
| ț | the ts in cats | (country), (books), mulțumesc (thank you) |
The comma changes the word. Tine means you, and ține means holds, so a missing mark gives a different word.
- școmma belowU+0219şcedillaU+015FRomanian uses the comma below, ș. The cedilla ş is the Turkish letter, and it ended up in Romanian text because early fonts and keyboards didn't have the comma form.
- țcomma belowU+021BţcedillaU+0163The same goes for ț. In small type the two look alike, so copy the right one from here.
- ȘcapitalU+0218ȚcapitalU+021AThe capitals keep the comma: Ș is U+0218 and Ț is U+021A, as in Șoimul and Țara Românească.
Unicode 5.2 states that the comma form is preferred in Romanian, and the Romanian Academy requires it. Searches, spelling checkers and name lists treat the two characters as different letters, so a name typed with a cedilla can fail to match the same name typed with a comma.
Copy them from the box above, or use one of these. These steps were checked against the official pages listed below in November 2026.
- iPhone and iPadIn Settings, tap General, Keyboard, Keyboards and Add New Keyboard, then choose Romanian. Switch to it with the globe key.
- AndroidAdd Romanian in your keyboard's language settings. In Gboard, touch and hold s or t to see more options, and slide to the one with the comma below.
- MacPress the Fn or globe key and E, search for the letter's name, such as s with comma below, and click it.
- WindowsAdd the Romanian (Standard) keyboard under Settings, Time & language, and press the Windows key and the space bar to switch to it. Romanian (Legacy) types the cedilla letters.
- Word on WindowsType 0219 for ș or 021B for ț, select just those four characters, and press Alt and X together.
- Google DocsChoose Insert, then Symbols, then Special characters, and type the code in the search box: 0219 for ș or 021B for ț.
Ă is the a in above. Â and î are two spellings of one vowel, a sound English doesn't have, made with your tongue pulled back and your lips flat. Î starts and ends words, as in în (in), and â sits in the middle, as in (bread). Your Romanian keyboard types all three.
Tap the Romanian words above to hear them. Once the letters feel easy, the best apps to learn Romanian lists what you can use next.
Why Does My Romanian Text Show Cedilla Letters?
Your keyboard or the text you copied probably uses the older cedilla forms. Switch to the Romanian (Standard) keyboard on Windows, or copy ș and ț from the box above.
Which Romanian App Should a Beginner Choose?
If you are serious about learning Romanian, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. Our Romanian guide shows the order to learn things in.
Is Bubblegum Free?
Yes. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read. Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Wikipedia, Romanian alphabet (comma-below Ș ș Ț ț are U+0218 to U+021B; cedilla Ş ş Ţ ţ are older; Unicode 5.2 states the comma form is preferred in Romanian; sounds of ș, ț, ă, â and î)
- Unicode Character Database, NamesList (U+0219 LATIN SMALL LETTER S WITH COMMA BELOW, U+021B LATIN SMALL LETTER T WITH COMMA BELOW, U+015F and U+0163 with cedilla)
- Microsoft Learn, Windows keyboard layouts (Romanian (Legacy), Romanian (Programmers) and Romanian (Standard) are separate layouts; page dated 28 September 2026)
- Wikipedia, Romanian keyboard layout (the Legacy layout uses cedilla-based letters instead of the comma-below ones; the primary layout follows SR 13392:2004)
- Apple, iOS and iPadOS feature availability (the QuickType keyboard list includes Romanian)
- Apple Support, Add or change keyboards on iPhone (Settings, General, Keyboard, Keyboards, Add New Keyboard)
- Google, Use your keyboard (on Android, touch and hold a key to find accents and more options)
- Google, Type in a different language with Gboard
- Apple Support, Use emoji and symbols on Mac (Fn or Globe key and E opens the Character Viewer; search by word)
- Apple Support, Enter characters with accent marks on Mac (press and hold a letter key)
- Microsoft Support, Insert ASCII or Unicode character codes in Word (type the code, then press Alt+X)
- Google Docs Help, Insert special characters (Insert, Symbols, Special characters; find a character by category, Unicode value or drawing)
