Kyrgyz alphabet: a clear beginner guide

The 36 letters

The standard order is: А а, Б б, В в, Г г, Д д, Е е, Ё ё, Ж ж, З з, И и, Й й, К к, Л л, М м, Н н, Ң ң, О о, Ө ө, П п, Р р, С с, Т т, У у, Ү ү, Ф ф, Х х, Ц ц, Ч ч, Ш ш, Щ щ, Ъ ъ, Ы ы, Ь ь, Э э, Ю ю, Я я.

The three letters unique to Kyrgyz Cyrillic

Learners who know Russian Cyrillic can focus first on ң, ө and ү. Their Latin equivalents below are learning aids, not an official replacement for Kyrgyz Cyrillic.

Ң ң

ñ / ngA nasal sound like “ng” in sing.жаңы — new

Ө ө

öA rounded front vowel, similar to German ö.сөз — word

Ү ү

üA rounded front vowel, similar to German ü.үй — house, home

Vowels and vowel harmony

Kyrgyz endings often change to match the vowels in the stem. At first, listen for broad groups rather than memorising every rule in isolation. Seeing related forms side by side helps the pattern settle naturally.

үй → үйгө

üy → üygöhome → to home

жол → жолдо

jol → joldoroad → on the road

Letters mostly found in loanwords

Letters such as в, ф, ц, щ, ъ and ь are most common in borrowed words, names or Russian-influenced vocabulary. Learn to recognise them, but prioritise high-frequency Kyrgyz words when building your first vocabulary.

A five-minute reading drill

• Read one short word aloud and point to each letter.
• Copy it once by hand or type it with a Kyrgyz keyboard.
• Say the meaning without looking.
• Read one complete example sentence containing the word.
• Return to the word the next day before adding a new set.