ґ

Letter Ґ

Level 1Sounds Like g̀

The letter ґ (ґе) is the rarest letter in the Ukrainian alphabet. It makes a hard /ɡ/ sound, like the English word 'gate'. It is different from the standard Ukrainian г, which sounds like a breathy 'h'.

How It Works

The letter ґ has a unique history in Ukraine. It was banned during the Soviet era (1933–1990) to make Ukrainian look more like Russian, but it was restored with independence. Today, it is essential for correct spelling and pronunciation.

1. Pronunciation:

  • г: A voiced glottal fricative /ɦ/. It sounds like a very soft, breathy 'h' (e.g., голова - holova).
  • ґ: A voiced velar plosive /ɡ/. It sounds exactly like the English 'g' in 'gold' (e.g., ґанок - ganok).

2. Where to find it:
It appears in a limited list of about 30–40 common native words, such as:

  • ґанок (porch)
  • ґрунт (soil/ground)
  • ґудзик (button)
  • ґава (crow)
  • дзиґа (spinning top)

3. Foreign Names:
According to the 2019 orthography, ґ can be used in foreign proper names to match the original /ɡ/ sound, such as Ґете (Goethe) or Ґуллівер (Gulliver), though using г is also acceptable.

4. Grammar Alternations:
Just like the letter г alternates to з in certain cases, ґ also changes to з. For example, the word дзиґа (spinning top) becomes на дзизі (on the spinning top) in the locative case.

Examples (4)

  1. На ґанку стояв старий стілець.

    An old chair stood on the porch.

    Word by Word: On porch stood old chair.

    'Ґанок' is one of the most common native Ukrainian words using the letter ґ.

  2. У мене відірвався ґудзик від сорочки.

    A button came off my shirt.

    Word by Word: At me tore-off button from shirt.

    'Ґудзик' (button) always uses ґ. Using г here would be a spelling error.

  3. Дитина гралася з дзиґою на підлозі.

    The child was playing with a spinning top on the floor.

    Word by Word: Child played with spinning-top on floor.

    Notice the difference: 'гралася' (played) uses г, while 'дзиґою' (spinning top) uses ґ.

  4. Ґрунт у саду дуже родючий.

    The soil in the garden is very fertile.

    Word by Word: Soil in garden very fertile.

    'Ґрунт' is the standard word for soil or ground.

Common Mistakes

  • Confusing 'ґрати' (bars) with 'грати' (to play).

    Він любить ґрати у футбол.
    Він любить грати у футбол.

    'Грати' (with г) means 'to play'. 'Ґрати' (with ґ) is a noun meaning 'metal bars' or 'lattice'.

  • Using ґ for all foreign loanwords (Hyper-correction).

    Я читаю ґазету.
    Я читаю газету.

    Most long-established loanwords in Ukrainian use the standard г, even if the source language had a hard /g/.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

ґLevel 1Letter Ґ

Learn This First

The letter ґ is a foundational orthographic element of the Ukrainian language. To learn it, one should first be familiar with the basic Cyrillic alphabet.