How many letters are in the Romanian alphabet?

There are 31 letters in total. It includes the 26 standard Latin letters plus 5 special diacritics like `ă` and `ș`.

Is Romanian phonetic?

Yes, almost entirely! Once you learn what each letter sounds like, you can read any word correctly, even if you don't know the meaning.

Diacritics are marks added to letters to change their sound. In Romanian, these are `ă`, `â`, `î`, `ș`, and `ț`.

Are Romanian letters the same as English?

Mostly, yes! You'll recognize almost all of them, but remember that the sounds they make are more consistent than in English.

How do I pronounce 'ă'?

It sounds like the 'a' in 'about' or 'banana'. It's a very common, neutral sound in Romanian words like `măr`.

What is the difference between 'â' and 'î'?

They sound exactly the same! The rule is simple: use `î` at the start or end of a word, and `â` in the middle of a word.

How do I pronounce 'ș'?

It's exactly like the 'sh' in 'shoe'. You'll see it in common words like `școală` (school).

What does 'ț' sound like?

It sounds like 'ts' as in 'cats' or 'pizza'. It's a very sharp, crisp sound found in words like `țară`.

Is 'C' always pronounced like 'K'?

No, if `C` is followed by `E` or `I`, it sounds like 'ch' in 'chair'. Otherwise, it sounds like 'k'.

How do I pronounce 'G'?

Like 'C', it changes. Before `E` or `I`, it's soft like 'j' in 'gem'. Otherwise, it's hard like 'g' in 'go'.

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First Steps in Romanian
The Latin Alphabet (Alfabetul)

1 The Latin Alphabet (Alfabetul) 2 Special Characters (Diacriticele) 3 Vowel Sounds (Vocalele) 4 Consonant Basics (Consoanele)

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A0 Script & Writing 5 min read Facile

The Latin Alphabet (Alfabetul)

Master the five diacritics and phonetic consistency to read any Romanian word perfectly from day one.

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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

Romanian uses the Latin alphabet with five special diacritics to represent unique sounds.

The alphabet has 31 letters, including special characters like ă, â, î, ș, and ț.
Most letters are pronounced exactly as they look, making Romanian highly phonetic.
Diacritics change the sound of the base letter, so don't ignore them!

A-Z + Ă + Â + Î + Ș + Ț = 31 Letters

Overview

Welcome to your first big step in Romanian! You are about to learn the Alfabetul. It is the DNA of the language.

Romanian uses the Latin alphabet. This is great news for you. Most letters look exactly like English.

You already know about 80% of the work! The Romanian alphabet has 31 letters. It is mostly phonetic.

This means you say what you see. There are no hidden sounds like in the English word knight. Once you learn the sounds, you can read anything. You will sound like a pro in no time.

Think of it as your secret key to Romania. It opens doors to menus, signs, and new friends.

How This Grammar Works

Romanian is a phonetic language. This is a fancy way of saying it is consistent. Each letter usually has one specific sound.

Unlike English, where A sounds different in apple and cake. In Romanian, A is almost always the same. The alphabet includes the standard 26 Latin letters. However, we add five special characters.

We call these diacritics. They are ă, â, î, ș, and ț. These might look like letters wearing hats or tails. Don't let them scare you.

They are just there to help you be precise. The letters K, Q, W, and Y exist too. But they are rare guests.

You only see them in foreign words like kilogram or weekend. For everything else, the core 27 letters do the heavy lifting.

Formation Pattern

Learning the alphabet follows a simple path. Follow these steps to master it:

Master the standard vowels: A, E, I, O, U. They are pure and short.

Meet the Breve: The letter Ă sounds like the a in about. It is a soft grunt.

Tackle the Circumflex: Â and Î sound identical. It is a deep, guttural sound. Imagine someone poked you in the stomach.

Add the Commas: Ș is sh as in shoe. Ț is ts as in pizza.

Learn the C and G rules: Like Italian, these change sound based on the next letter. CE is che, but CA is ka.

Practice the rolled R: It is a short tap of the tongue. Not a long growl.

Combine them into words: Start with small words like da (yes) and nu (no).

When To Use It

Use this knowledge every single second you interact with Romanian. Use it when you land at the airport and read Ieșire (Exit). Use it when you are hungry and scanning a menu for mămăligă.

It is essential for spelling your name over the phone. If you are in a job interview in Bucharest, correct pronunciation shows respect. Even simple things like reading street signs (Strada) require these basics.

Think of the alphabet as the foundation of a house. You cannot build walls without it. It is the most real-world skill you will acquire.

When Not To Use It

There is almost never a time not to use the alphabet. However, do not apply English phonics to Romanian letters. If you see the word mic (small), do not say it like the English name Mike. Use the Romanian rules!

Also, do not stress about the rare letters Q or W. You will barely use them in daily life. If you see a word with W, it is probably English anyway.

Just relax and stick to the standard 31 letters. Yes, even native speakers forget a comma occasionally in text messages. But for a learner, those commas are your best friends.

Common Mistakes

One big mistake is ignoring the diacritics. Writing fata (the girl) is different from fată (a girl). Those little marks change the meaning! Another mistake is confusing ș with s. One is sh, the other is «s.» If you ask for sare (salt) but say șare, people might look confused. Many people also struggle with the «H.» In Romanian, the H is always breathed. It is never silent like in the French-influenced hour. Finally, don't forget to roll your R. A flat English R is a dead giveaway that you are a tourist. Think of it like a grammar traffic light; if you ignore the signals, things get messy!

Contrast With Similar Patterns

Romanian is the lost cousin of the Romance languages. It looks a lot like Italian or Spanish. If you know Italian, the CE and CI sounds will feel like home.

However, Romanian is the only Romance language with the Ă and Ț sounds. It has a Slavic influence in its music, but the bones are Latin. English is chaotic with spelling.

Romanian is organized. In English, read and read look the same but sound different. In Romanian, if it looks different, it sounds different.

It is much more logical than English. You will find it refreshing!

Quick FAQ

Are Â and Î really the same?

Yes, they sound exactly the same! Î is used at the start/end of words, and Â is used in the middle.

Do I really need to roll my R?

Yes, but keep it light. It’s a flick, not a motorboat engine.

Why does C change sounds?

It depends on the vowel. E and I make it soft (ch), others make it hard (k).

Is the alphabet the hardest part?

Not at all! It is the most consistent part. Once you get it, it stays with you forever.

The Romanian Alphabet Overview

Letter	Name	Sound	Example
A	a	a (father)	acasă
Ă	ă	a (about)	măr
Â	â	î (closed)	român
Î	î	î (closed)	în
Ș	ș	sh (shoe)	școală
Ț	ț	ts (cats)	țară

Meanings

The set of symbols used to represent the Romanian language in writing.

Standard Orthography

The official system of writing Romanian.

“Eu învăț alfabetul.”

“Scrie numele tău.”

Reference Table

Reference table for The Latin Alphabet (Alfabetul)
Letter	Pronunciation	Example Word
Ă / ă	uh (like 'about')	Măr (Apple)
Â / î	Deep 'uh' (guttural)	România / Închis
Ș / ș	sh (like 'shoe')	Școală (School)
Ț / ț	ts (like 'pizza')	Țară (Country)
C (+ e, i)	ch (like 'cherry')	Cireșe (Cherries)
G (+ e, i)	j (like 'gem')	Gelu (Name)
J / j	zh (like 'measure')	Joc (Game)

Spectre de formalité

Formel

Fata este frumoasă.

Fata este frumoasă. (Describing someone)

Neutre

Fata e frumoasă.

Fata e frumoasă. (Describing someone)

Informel

Fata-i frumoasă.

Fata-i frumoasă. (Describing someone)

Argot

Fata-i beton.

Fata-i beton. (Describing someone)

The Romanian Alphabet Structure

Alfabetul

Diacritics

Ă uh
Ș sh
Ț ts

Standard

A, E, I... Pure vowels
R Rolled

The 'C' and 'G' Rules

Soft (before E, I)

Ceai Tea (Ch)

Gelu Name (J)

Hard (before A, O, U, H)

Cal Horse (K)

Gat Neck (G)

How to choose between Â and Î

Is the sound at the start or end of the word?

YES ↓

Use Â (e.g., România)

Is it the very first or last letter?

YES ↓

Use Â

It's a start/end position!

YES ↓

Use Î (e.g., Închis)

The 5 Special Characters

😮

The 'Uh' sounds

• Ă (soft)
• Â/Î (deep)

🐍

The Sizzlers

• Ș (sh)
• Ț (ts)

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Exemples par niveau

A este prima literă.

A is the first letter.

Școala este mare.

The school is big.

Țara mea este frumoasă.

My country is beautiful.

Mănânc un măr.

I eat an apple.

Îmi place să citesc.

I like to read.

Câinele latră tare.

The dog barks loudly.

Ea are o față veselă.

She has a happy face.

Unde este strada?

Where is the street?

Limba română este fascinantă.

The Romanian language is fascinating.

Am învățat alfabetul complet.

I learned the complete alphabet.

Trebuie să scrii corect.

You must write correctly.

Diacriticele sunt importante.

Diacritics are important.

Ortografia română este fonetică.

Romanian orthography is phonetic.

Utilizarea diacriticelor este obligatorie.

The use of diacritics is mandatory.

Am citit o carte veche.

I read an old book.

Acesta este un text tehnic.

This is a technical text.

Evoluția limbii române este complexă.

The evolution of the Romanian language is complex.

Standardele academice sunt stricte.

Academic standards are strict.

Scrierea corectă reflectă educația.

Correct writing reflects education.

Dialectele păstrează forme arhaice.

Dialects preserve archaic forms.

Alfabetul latin a înlocuit chirilicul.

The Latin alphabet replaced the Cyrillic one.

Nuanțele fonetice sunt subtile.

The phonetic nuances are subtle.

Textul literar necesită atenție.

Literary text requires attention.

Sistemul grafic este coerent.

The graphic system is coherent.

Facile à confondre

The Latin Alphabet (Alfabetul) vs â vs î

They sound the same.

The Latin Alphabet (Alfabetul) vs ș vs s

They look similar.

The Latin Alphabet (Alfabetul) vs ț vs t

They look similar.

Erreurs courantes

✗

fata

✓

față

Confusing 't' with 'ț'.

✗

sara

✓

șara

Confusing 's' with 'ș'.

✗

mar

✓

măr

Missing the breve on 'ă'.

✗

✓

în

Missing the circumflex on 'î'.

✗

✓

Using cedilla instead of comma-below.

✗

✓

Using cedilla instead of comma-below.

✗

român

✓

român

Sometimes learners write 'roman' instead of 'român'.

✗

început

✓

început

Using 'â' at the start of a word.

✗

cânta

✓

cânta

Using 'î' in the middle of a word.

✗

școală

✓

școală

Forgetting the diacritic in fast typing.

✗

archaic spelling

✓

modern spelling

Using pre-reform spelling.

✗

dialectal spelling

✓

standard spelling

Using regional spelling in formal text.

✗

incorrect diacritic

✓

correct diacritic

Mixing up 'â' and 'î' in complex words.

Structures de phrases

Numele meu este ___.

Alfabetul are ___ litere.

Eu scriu cu ___.

___ este o literă specială.

Real World Usage

Texting constant

Ce faci?

Social Media very common

Bună ziua!

Job Interview common

Numele meu este...

Travel common

Unde este gara?

Food Delivery occasional

Comand o pizza.

Email common

Stimate domnule...

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💡

The Comma Rule

Always look for the comma under S and T. If it's there, the sound changes completely. It's like a little tail that wags the sound!

⚠️

Don't be a 'Mike'

Avoid English pronunciation habits. Romanian vowels are always short and clean. 'I' is 'ee', never 'eye'.

🎯

The 'H' trick

If you see 'CH' or 'GH', the 'H' acts as a 'hardener'. It forces the C or G to stay hard (K or G) even before E or I.

💬

Spelling Names

Romanians are proud of their unique letters. Pronouncing the 'Ț' in a name like 'Țiriac' correctly will earn you instant respect.

Smart Tips

Always use the comma-below diacritics.

şcoală → școală

Pay attention to the diacritics.

fata → față

Use the Romanian keyboard layout.

copy-paste → direct typing

Practice the sounds out loud.

silent reading → reading aloud

Prononciation

a, e, i, o, u

Vowel sounds

Romanian vowels are short and clear.

ș = sh, ț = ts

Diacritics

They modify the base sound.

Declarative

Merg acasă. ↘

Falling intonation at the end.

Interrogative

Mergem acasă? ↗

Rising intonation at the end.

Mémorise-le

Moyen mnémotechnique

Remember the 5 special letters by thinking of 'A-A-I-S-T' (Ă, Â, Î, Ș, Ț).

Association visuelle

Imagine a 'Ș' as a snake (shhh) and a 'Ț' as a cat (ts-ts).

Rhyme

A, Ă, Â, Î, Ș, Ț are the ones that make us free!

Story

A little boy named Ion (Î) went to the school (Ș) in the country (Ț). He ate an apple (Ă) and felt like a true Romanian (Â).

Word Web

In Romanian, 'Country' is 'Țară'. The 'Ț' provides the 'ts' sound.

Which letter makes the 'sh' sound in 'School' (Școală)?

___coală

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ș

The letter 'Ș' with the comma underneath represents the 'sh' sound.

Complete the word for 'Apple' (Măr).

M___r

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ă

The word for apple is 'măr', using the breve 'ă' sound.

Score: /3