Learn Turkish · A1
The Turkish Alphabet and Pronunciation Alfabe ve okunuş
Turkish has 29 letters and is written exactly as it is pronounced. Learn the seven special letters and you can read any word.
The rule
- Turkish uses the Latin alphabet with seven special letters: ç, ş, ğ, ı, İ, ö, ü.
- Every letter is always pronounced the same way. There are no silent letters (except ğ, which lengthens the vowel before it).
- c is never "k" or "s": it is always "j" as in jam: cami [jah-mee] — mosque.
- Stress usually falls on the last syllable: kitáp, evlér. Important exceptions are place names: Ánkara, İstánbul.
- The letters q, w, x do not exist in Turkish.
Overview
| c | "j" as in jam: cam — glass |
|---|---|
| ç | "ch" as in chair: çay — tea |
| ş | "sh" as in ship: şeker — sugar |
| ğ | silent, lengthens the vowel: dağ [daa] — mountain |
| ı | like the "e" in taken: kız — girl |
| i | "ee" as in see: iyi — good |
| ö | like German ö / French "eu": göz — eye |
| ü | like German ü / French "u": gül — rose |
| e | "e" as in bed: ev — house |
| j | "s" as in measure: garaj — garage |
Examples
- Merhaba!Hello!
- Teşekkür ederim.Thank you.
- Günaydın!Good morning!
- Nasılsın?How are you?