Uzbek is written with 26 Latin letters, three letter pairs and one sign. Each one has a partner in Uzbek's Cyrillic alphabet, which is still in use.
| Letter | Cyrillic | Sounds Like |
|---|---|---|
| A a | А а | the a in cat, or a little deeper |
| B b | Б б | the b in bat |
| D d | Д д | the d in den |
| E e | Э э, Е е | the e in bet |
| F f | Ф ф | the f in fish |
| G g | Г г | the g in go |
| H h | Ҳ ҳ | the h in house |
| I i | И и | the e in me |
| J j | Ж ж | the j in joke, or the s in vision in some borrowed words |
| K k | К к | the c in cold |
| L l | Л л | the l in list |
| M m | М м | the m in man |
| N n | Н н | the n in next |
| O o | О о | the o in hot, said the British way |
| P p | П п | the p in pin |
| Q q | Қ қ | a k made deep in the throat |
| R r | Р р | a rolled r |
| S s | С с | the s in sick |
| T t | Т т | the t in toe |
| U u | У у | the u in put, or the oo in choose |
| V v | В в | the v in van, sometimes closer to w |
| X x | Х х | the ch in Scottish loch |
| Y y | Й й | the y in yes |
| Z z | З з | the z in zebra |
| Oʻ oʻ | Ў ў | the o in row |
| Gʻ gʻ | Ғ ғ | a soft gargle, like a French r |
| Sh sh | Ш ш | the sh in shoe |
| Ch ch | Ч ч | the ch in chew |
| Ng ng | Нг нг | the ng in sing |
| ʼ | Ъ ъ | a short catch in the voice, or a longer vowel |
The alphabet has no C and no W, and three of its letters fool English readers. X is a rough breath and never ks, Q is never kw, and Y is always a consonant, as in yes, never a vowel as in my.
These Cyrillic letters have no single Latin partner. Most of them become two Latin letters.
| Cyrillic | Latin |
|---|---|
| Ё ё | yo |
| Ю ю | yu |
| Я я | ya |
| Е е at the start of a word or after a vowel | ye |
| Ц ц | s, or ts after a vowel |
A law signed on 21 October 2026 swaps four spellings for single letters. It takes effect on 22 April 2027.
| Today | From 22 April 2027 | Word Today | Word From 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oʻ oʻ | Ö ö | toʻr (net) | tör |
| Gʻ gʻ | Ğ ğ | togʻ (mountain) | toğ |
| Sh sh | Ş ş | shahar (city) | şahar |
| Ch ch | Ç ç | choy (tea) | çoy |
Ng stays in words and keeps its sound, but it is no longer counted as a letter. The new alphabet has 28 letters and the tutuq sign, in this order: A B D E F G Ğ H I J K L M N O Ö P Q R S Ş Ç T U V X Y Z. Our guide to gʻ and oʻ shows how to type today's marks and how the alphabet got them.
Free Uzbek Alphabet Course
- Audio for Every Word
- Real Example Words
0 of 2 Chapters Complete
The Uzbek Alphabet course has two chapters. The first teaches oʻ, gʻ and the tutuq sign, and the second teaches q, x and the three letter pairs.
Once these letters feel easy, open the Bubblegum app, where Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Uzbek lessons for your level.
How Many Letters Are in the Uzbek Alphabet?
Today there are 26 letters, plus the letter pairs sh, ch and ng and the tutuq sign ʼ. From 22 April 2027, there are 28 letters and the tutuq sign, because sh and ch become ş and ç and ng stops counting as a letter.
Is Uzbek Written in Latin or Cyrillic Letters?
Latin letters are the official alphabet in Uzbekistan, under a law from 1993. The move away from Cyrillic isn't finished, so you'll see both.
Which Uzbek App Should a Beginner Choose?
If you are serious about learning Uzbek, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. Our Uzbek app comparison covers more choices and what each one is good for.
Is Bubblegum Free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Law No. 931-XII of 2 September 1993, On introducing the Uzbek alphabet based on the Latin script (current text, 1995 edition: 26 letters, 3 letter combinations and the tutuq sign, with Latin and Cyrillic columns)
- Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan No. 71-I of 6 May 1995, amending the 1993 law on the Latin-based Uzbek alphabet
- Law No. ZRU-1184 of 21 October 2026 amending the Latin-based Uzbek alphabet law (28 letters and the tutuq sign; in force from 22 April 2027; in Uzbek)
- Gazeta.uz, Senate approves new version of Uzbek alphabet of 28 letters (Sh becomes Ş, Ch becomes Ç, Oʻ becomes Ö and Gʻ becomes Ğ; the move from Cyrillic is still not complete after 33 years) (10 September 2026)
- Wikipedia, Uzbek alphabet (correspondence chart: Cyrillic letter and English sound for each Latin letter; the 2027 order of the 28 letters; Cyrillic Ц written s or ts)
- Cabinet of Ministers resolution No. 339 of 24 August 1995, Basic spelling rules of the Uzbek language
