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Scripts

Russian and Ukrainian write in Cyrillic, Polish and Czech in Latin, and BCS in both — Serbian officially in Cyrillic and Latin alike. The letters map closely, and each language has its own national letters.

Transliterator

ResultSʺešʹ že eščë ètix mjagkix francuzskix bulok

Russian and Ukrainian use the scholarly (Slavist) transliteration — the same letters Czech and BCS write with. BCS conversion is exact in both directions.

Cyrillic

  • А аaa

    From Greek alpha.

    Used in: Russian, Ukrainian, BCS (Cyrillic)мама

  • Б бbb

    Made for Slavic: Greek beta had become [v].

    Used in: Russian, Ukrainian, BCS (Cyrillic)брат

  • В вvv ʋ

    From Greek beta, read [v]; Ukrainian [ʋ], [w] before consonants and word-finally.

    Used in: Russian, Ukrainian, BCS (Cyrillic)вода

  • Г гg / hɡ ɦ

    Russian and BCS [ɡ]; Ukrainian [ɦ] (the g → h shift), transliterated h.

    Used in: Russian, Ukrainian, BCS (Cyrillic)голова

  • Ґ ґgɡ

    Ukrainian only: the stop [ɡ] in loans, restored to the alphabet in 1990.

    Used in: Ukrainian· nationalґанок

  • Д дdd

    From Greek delta.

    Used in: Russian, Ukrainian, BCS (Cyrillic)дом

  • Ђ ђđdʑ

    Vuk Karadžić's letter for the reflex of *dj (BCS Latin đ).

    Used in: BCS (Cyrillic)· nationalмеђа

  • Е еeje ɛ e

    Russian [je] or softens the consonant; Ukrainian and BCS plain [ɛ]/[e].

    Used in: Russian, Ukrainian, BCS (Cyrillic)небо

  • Ё ёëjo

    Russian only: stressed [jo]/[o] from e (the e → o shift). Dots usually omitted in print.

    Used in: Russian· nationalмёд

  • Є єjejɛ

    Ukrainian only: [jɛ], the counterpart of Russian е.

    Used in: Ukrainian· nationalмоє

  • Ж жžʐ ʒ

    Glagolitic origin; [ʐ] in Russian, [ʒ] in Ukrainian and BCS.

    Used in: Russian, Ukrainian, BCS (Cyrillic)жена

  • З зzz

    From Greek zeta.

    Used in: Russian, Ukrainian, BCS (Cyrillic)зуб

  • И иi / yi ɪ

    Russian and BCS [i]; Ukrainian [ɪ], transliterated y (it answers Russian ы).

    Used in: Russian, Ukrainian, BCS (Cyrillic)мир

  • І іii

    Ukrainian (and Belarusian) [i] — the і of хліб and кінь. Dropped from Russian in 1918.

    Used in: Ukrainian· nationalліс

  • Ї їjiji

    Ukrainian only: [ji].

    Used in: Ukrainian· nationalїжак

  • Й йjj

    Short i: the glide [j] after vowels.

    Used in: Russian, Ukrainianмой

  • Ј јjj

    BCS Cyrillic takes Latin j for the glide (Vuk's reform, 1818).

    Used in: BCS (Cyrillic)· nationalмоја

  • К кkk

    From Greek kappa.

    Used in: Russian, Ukrainian, BCS (Cyrillic)кот

  • Л лll ɫ

    Hard [ɫ] or soft [lʲ] in Russian and Ukrainian.

    Used in: Russian, Ukrainian, BCS (Cyrillic)лето

  • Љ љljʎ

    BCS: л + ь fused into one letter, [ʎ] (Latin lj).

    Used in: BCS (Cyrillic)· nationalљубав

  • М мmm

    From Greek mu.

    Used in: Russian, Ukrainian, BCS (Cyrillic)море

  • Н нnn

    From Greek nu.

    Used in: Russian, Ukrainian, BCS (Cyrillic)нос

  • Њ њnjɲ

    BCS: н + ь fused, [ɲ] (Latin nj).

    Used in: BCS (Cyrillic)· nationalкоњ

  • О оoo ɔ

    Russian unstressed о is reduced: молоко [məlɐˈko].

    Used in: Russian, Ukrainian, BCS (Cyrillic)око

  • П пpp

    From Greek pi.

    Used in: Russian, Ukrainian, BCS (Cyrillic)пять

  • Р рrr

    From Greek rho.

    Used in: Russian, Ukrainian, BCS (Cyrillic)рука

  • С сss

    From the lunate Greek sigma.

    Used in: Russian, Ukrainian, BCS (Cyrillic)сон

  • Т тtt

    From Greek tau.

    Used in: Russian, Ukrainian, BCS (Cyrillic)три

  • Ћ ћćtɕ

    BCS: the reflex of *tj (Latin ć), from an old Cyrillic djerv.

    Used in: BCS (Cyrillic)· nationalноћ

  • У уuu

    From the Greek digraph ου.

    Used in: Russian, Ukrainian, BCS (Cyrillic)ухо

  • Ф фff

    Greek phi; almost only in loans — Slavic had no native f.

    Used in: Russian, Ukrainian, BCS (Cyrillic)фабрика

  • Х хx / hx

    [x], transliterated x in linguistics (Czech/Polish ch, BCS h).

    Used in: Russian, Ukrainian, BCS (Cyrillic)хлеб

  • Ц цcts

    [ts], Latin c in Polish, Czech and BCS.

    Used in: Russian, Ukrainian, BCS (Cyrillic)отец

  • Ч чčtɕ tʃ

    [tɕ] in Russian, [tʃ] in Ukrainian and BCS.

    Used in: Russian, Ukrainian, BCS (Cyrillic)час

  • Џ џdždʒ

    BCS: [dʒ] (Latin dž), from Romanian Cyrillic.

    Used in: BCS (Cyrillic)· nationalџеп

  • Ш шšʂ ʃ

    From Glagolitic; [ʂ] Russian, [ʃ] Ukrainian and BCS.

    Used in: Russian, Ukrainian, BCS (Cyrillic)шум

  • Щ щščɕː ʃtʃ

    Russian [ɕː], Ukrainian [ʃtʃ]. BCS has no щ: the cluster is written шт/šć.

    Used in: Russian, Ukrainianщи

  • Ъ ъʺj

    Hard sign: once a yer vowel, now only a separator before я ю е ё.

    Used in: Russianподъезд

  • Ы ыyɨ

    Russian [ɨ]; the old back high vowel *y. Ukrainian writes и for it.

    Used in: Russian· nationalсыр

  • Ь ьʹʲ

    Soft sign: once a yer vowel, now marks palatalization.

    Used in: Russian, Ukrainianдень

  • Э эèe

    Russian only: [e] without softening the consonant before it.

    Used in: Russian· nationalэто

  • Ю юjuju

    [ju], or u softening the consonant.

    Used in: Russian, Ukrainianюг

  • Я яjaja

    [ja], or a softening the consonant; continues the nasal *ę in пять, мясо.

    Used in: Russian, Ukrainianяблоко

  • ʼʼj

    Ukrainian apostrophe: a hard consonant before я ю є ї (Russian uses ъ or ь).

    Used in: Ukrainian· nationalпʼять

Latin letters with diacritics

  • Ą ąу / о + nasalɔ̃

    Polish nasal o: continues Proto-Slavic *ǫ (or a lengthened *ę).

    Used in: Polish· nationalząb

  • Ę ęя / е + nasalɛ̃

    Polish nasal e: continues a short nasal; denasalized word-finally.

    Used in: Polish· nationalręka

  • Ć ćть / ћtɕ

    Polish ć (ci before a vowel) and BCS ć (Cyrillic ћ) — the same sound, different histories.

    Used in: Polish, BCS (Latin)· nationalnoć

  • Ś śсьɕ

    Polish soft s (si before a vowel).

    Used in: Polish· nationalśnieg

  • Ź źзьʑ

    Polish soft z (zi before a vowel).

    Used in: Polish· nationalźle

  • Ń ńньɲ

    Polish soft n (ni before a vowel); BCS writes nj, Czech ň.

    Used in: Polish· nationalkoń

  • Ł łл (hard)w

    Polish ł: once a dark [ɫ], now [w] for most speakers.

    Used in: Polish· nationalgłowa

  • Ó óуu

    Polish ó is [u]: an o lengthened before voiced consonants (bóg, gród), like Czech ů and Ukrainian і.

    Used in: Polish· nationalgóra

  • Ż żжʐ

    Polish [ʐ] from *ž. Spelled rz when it comes from r (rzeka).

    Used in: Polish· nationalżona

  • rzр → жʐ

    Polish digraph: soft r became [ʐ]; Czech ř is its cousin.

    Used in: Polish· nationalrzeka

  • sz cz dżш ч джʂ tʂ dʐ

    Polish digraphs for Russian ш ч, Czech/BCS š č dž.

    Used in: Polishszum

  • Č čчtʃ

    The haček (caron) comes from Jan Hus's spelling reform (c. 1406); BCS adopted it with Gaj's alphabet (1830s).

    Used in: Czech, BCS (Latin)· nationalčas

  • Š šшʃ

    Haček letter: Polish sz, Cyrillic ш.

    Used in: Czech, BCS (Latin)· nationalšest

  • Ž žжʒ

    Haček letter: Polish ż, Cyrillic ж.

    Used in: Czech, BCS (Latin)· nationalžena

  • Ř řржr̝

    Czech only: a raised trilled r, from soft r. Polish rz is the cognate spelling.

    Used in: Czech· nationalřeka

  • Ě ěе / ѣjɛ ɲɛ

    Czech ě softens what precedes it (dě [ɟɛ], mě [mɲɛ]); often marks old jat.

    Used in: Czech· nationalsvět

  • Ď ďдьɟ

    Czech soft d.

    Used in: Czech· nationalďábel

  • Ť ťтьc

    Czech soft t.

    Used in: Czech· nationalťukat

  • Ň ňнь / њɲ

    Czech soft n.

    Used in: Czech· nationalkůň

  • Ů ůу (from о)uː

    Czech ů: long u from an older long ó (dům = Polish dom, Ukrainian дім).

    Used in: Czech· nationaldům

  • á é í ó ú ýlong vowelsaː ɛː iː oː uː iː

    Czech čárka marks vowel length, not stress (stress is always on the first syllable).

    Used in: Czech· nationalmléko

  • Đ đђdʑ

    BCS: the reflex of *dj; Cyrillic ђ. Typed dj when đ is unavailable.

    Used in: BCS (Latin)· nationalmeđa

  • Dž džџdʒ

    BCS: one letter written with two characters; Cyrillic џ.

    Used in: BCS (Latin)· nationaldžep

  • Lj ljљʎ

    BCS: one letter, [ʎ]; Cyrillic љ.

    Used in: BCS (Latin)· nationalljubav

  • Nj njњɲ

    BCS: one letter, [ɲ]; Cyrillic њ.

    Used in: BCS (Latin)· nationalkonj

  • Ch chхx

    Polish and Czech ch [x] (Polish h sounds the same); BCS writes h.

    Used in: Polish, Czechchléb

  • H hг [ɦ] / хɦ x

    Czech h is [ɦ] (from *g: hora = гора); Polish h and BCS h are [x].

    Used in: Czech, Polish, BCS (Latin)hora