Guide to selected alphabets

Ever wondered what д or δ mean? Now you know. This guide gives the common sounds of Greek and Cyrillic letters. Note that IPA symbols like /d/ don't always match the equivalent English letter.

Cyrillic

Аа

A starve /a/

Бб

B build /b/

Вв

V vanquish /v/ some Ukrainian: at end of a word will /w/

Гг

G/H glow /ɡ/ Ukrainian: breathy hand /ɦ/

Дд

D drink /d/

Ее

Ye set /ʲe/ Russian: at start of a word and after a vowel yes /je/

Жж

Zh treasure /ʐ/ Ukrainian and Serbo-Croatian: /ʒ/

Зз

Z zone /z/

Ии

I she /i/ Ukrainian: sill /ɪ/

Йй

Y yes /j/

Кк

K kelp /k/

Лл

L left /l/

Мм

M mend /m/

Нн

N nest /n/

Оо

O roughly American go /o/
or British caught /o/

Пп

P port /p/

Рр

R roughly result /r/

Сс

S sink /s/

Тт

T tan /t/

Уу

U moo /u/

Фф

F first /f/

Хх

H/Kh loch /x/

Цц

Ts pizza /ts/

Чч

Ch switch /tʃ/

Шш

Sh roughly shave /ʃ/ Russian: roughly shave /ʂ/

Щщ

Shch long shave /ɕ(ː)/ Ukranian: shtsh /ʃt͡ʃ/

Ъъ

hard sign modifies certain letters by adding a y /j/ sound before them Bulgarian: roughly but /ɤ̞/

Ыы

Ï roughly sit /i/

Ьь

soft sign softens (palatalises /ʲ/) previous consonant

Ээ

E editor /e/

Юю

Yu youth /ju/

Яя

Ya yarn /ja/

Ґґ

G Ukrainian: glow /g/

Ђђ

Dj Serbo-Croatian: roughly juice /dʑ/

Ёё

Yo roughly yoke /jo/

Єє

Ukrainian Ye Ukrainian: yes /je/

Іі

I Ukrainian: she /i/

Її

Yi Ukrainian: yeast /ji/

Јj

Yi Serbo-Croatian: yes /j/

Ѕѕ

Dz Macedonian: pods /dz/

Љљ

Ly Serbo-Croatian: roughly million /ʎ/

Њњ

Ny Serbo-Croatian: canyon /ɲ/

Ћћ

Tsh Serbo-Croatian: chop /ʃh/

Џџ

Dzh Serbo-Croatian: roughly jump /d͡ʒ/

Modern Greek

Αα

A (alpha) starve /ä/

Ββ

V (beta) vanquish /v/

Γγ

G (gamma) roughly glow /ɣ/

Δδ

Dh (delta) then /ð/

Εε

E (epsilon) emblem /e/

Ζζ

Z (zeta) zone /z/

Ηη

I (eta) she /i/

Θθ

Th (theta) thin /θ/

Ιι

I (iota) she /i/

Κκ

K (kappa) kelp /k/

Λλ

L (lambda) left /l/

Μμ

M (mu) mend /m/

Νν

N (nu) nasty /n/

Οο

O (Omicron) rroughly American go /o/
or British caught /o/

Ππ

P (pi) port /p/

Ρρ

R (rho) roughly turn /r/

Σσς

S (sigma) ς is used at the end of a word sink /s/

Ττ

T (tau) tan /t/

Υυ

Y (upsilon) she /i/

Φφ

F (phi) first /f/

Χχ

Ch (chi) roughly loch /x/

Ψψ

Ps (psi) lapse /ps/

Ωω

O (omega) roughly American go /o/
or British caught /o/