Learn the Armenian alphabet in a week: a day-by-day plan

The Armenian alphabet was created by Mesrop Mashtots in 405 AD. It had 36 letters; Օ and Ֆ were added later, and Eastern Armenian also counts ու and և as letters — 39 in total. That sounds like a lot, but almost every letter always sounds the same, so 15 minutes a day for a week is enough.

How to practise

• Each day: 5–6 new letters plus yesterday's.
• A letter is three things: its shape, its name and its sound. Say each one out loud.
• Write by hand — handwriting sticks better than just looking. In Barik you can trace every letter with your finger.
• Read real words straight away: a letter without a word is quickly forgotten.

Day 1. Letters that look friendly

Ա ա (a), Մ մ (m), Ն ն (n), Ս ս (s), Կ կ (k), Լ լ (l). You can already read:

• մայրmayrmother
• քաղաքkʰaghakʰcity, town
• լավlavgood, well

Day 2. Vowels

Ե ե (e, "ye" at the start of a word), Է է (e), Ի ի (i), Ո ո (o, "vo" at the start), ՈՒ ու (u), Օ օ (o).

Day 3. Voiced and voiceless pairs

Բ բ (b) and Պ պ (p), Գ գ (g) and Կ կ (k), Դ դ (d) and Տ տ (t), Զ զ (z), Վ վ (v).

Day 4. Aspirated consonants

Armenian has voiceless sounds with a puff of air: Թ թ (tʰ), Փ փ (pʰ), Ք ք (kʰ), Չ չ (chʰ), Ց ց (tsʰ). Say "t" and breathe out right after it — that is թ.

• քույրkʰuyrsister
• թեյtʰeytea

Day 5. Hissing sounds

Շ շ (sh), Ժ ժ (zh), Ճ ճ (ch), Ջ ջ (j), Ծ ծ (ts), Ձ ձ (dz).

Day 6. Special sounds

Խ խ (kh, as in "loch"), Ղ ղ (gh, like a French r), Հ հ (h), Ռ ռ (rolled r) and Ր ր (soft r), Յ յ (y), Ֆ ֆ (f), Ը ը (a short neutral vowel).

Day 7. Review

Go through the whole alphabet, hide the hints and name every letter. Then read ten words in a row — if you can, the alphabet is yours.

• ՀայաստանhayastanArmenia
• ԵրևանyerevanYerevan
• խաղողkhaghoghgrapes
• ծիրանtsiranapricot
• նուռnurrpomegranate

Next

Once you recognise the letters, move on to the reading rules and the first 100 words.