Turkish Alphabet: 29 Letters, Pronunciation and Examples
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The Turkish alphabet is one of the first things to learn when you start Turkish.
“Turkish is pronounced the same way it’s written,” or Türkçe okunduğu gibi yazılır, in Turkish. Primary school teachers use this sentence so often that it’s still the first thing that comes to mind when I think about my native language.
As a six-year-old learning to read and write, I never imagined that I would quote my primary school teachers in an article about the Turkish alphabet. Their rule is a helpful starting point, even if the details are a little more interesting.
Turkish spelling is highly regular. Once you know the alphabet, you can read most Turkish words with far fewer surprises than you would encounter in English. This guide gives broad beginner pronunciations, then points out the places where context matters.
A note from the Fluent in 3 Months team before we get started: You can chat away with a native speaker for at least 15 minutes with the “Fluent in 3 Months” method. All it takes is 90 days. Tap this link to find out more.
Table of contents
History of the Turkish Alphabet: From Ottoman to Latin Script
Turkey became a republic in 1923. Five years later, during Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s presidency, Turkey adopted Law No. 1353 on 1 November 1928. The law established the 29-letter, Latin-based Turkish alphabet used today, replacing the Arabic-based Ottoman Turkish script in official use.
The earlier script was derived from Arabic and could represent Ottoman Turkish. The practical difficulty was that Turkish and Arabic have very different sound systems, and Ottoman spelling represented Turkish vowels less transparently for readers. The 1928 alphabet made spelling-to-sound patterns much more regular. “Regular” is not the same as “one letter, one sound” in every context: ğ depends on its surroundings, and g, k, and l can shift slightly next to front or back vowels.
Turkish Alphabet: All 29 Letters and Their Pronunciations
There are 29 letters in the Turkish alphabet: 8 vowels (A, E, I, İ, O, Ö, U, Ü) and 21 consonants (B, C, Ç, D, F, G, Ğ, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, R, S, Ş, T, V, Y, Z).
- The letters ç, ş, ğ, ı, ö, and ü are part of the Turkish alphabet but not the English alphabet. Learn them as separate letters rather than treating them as decorated versions of c, s, g, i, o, and u.
- Some Turkish letters, such as ç, have different pronunciations from what an English speaker might expect.
Tip: If you’re familiar with the International Phonetic Alphabet, you can use it to practise your Turkish pronunciation.
Letter names: a, be, ce, çe, de, e, fe, ge, yumuşak ge, he, ı, i, je, ke, le, me, ne, o, ö, pe, re, se, şe, te, u, ü, ve, ye, ze. Notice that dotted İ/i and dotless I/ı are separate letters, including when capitalised.
Vowel groups and harmony: Turkish divides its vowels into back vowels (a, ı, o, u) and front vowels (e, i, ö, ü), as well as unrounded vowels (a, e, ı, i) and rounded vowels (o, ö, u, ü). Many suffixes change form to match the last vowel in a word. That pattern is called vowel harmony. For example, the plural is evler (“houses”) after front e, but arabalar (“cars”) after back a. Vowel harmony selects the suffix form; it does not create a new letter. It is a powerful reading clue, but loanwords, compounds, and some suffixes do not follow it.
A / a
IPA pronunciation: /a/
English equivalent: like the “a” in car.
Example words:
- arı (“bee”)
- at (“horse”)
- ama (“but”)
B / b
IPA pronunciation: /b/
English equivalent: like the “b” in bus.
Example words:
- bebek (“baby”)
- bir (“one”)
- bazen (“sometimes”)
C / c
IPA pronunciation: /dʒ/
English equivalent: The Turkish c does not produce the /s/ or /k/ sound like in English. Instead, it sounds like the “j” in job.
Example words:
- cuma (“Friday”)
- caz (“jazz”)
- can (“life”)
Ç / ç
IPA pronunciation: /tʃ/
English equivalent: ç represents /tʃ/, like the “ch” in channel.
Example words:
- çay (“tea”)
- çorap (“sock”)
- çok (“a lot”)
D / d
IPA pronunciation: /d/
English equivalent: like the “d” in deal
Example words:
- deniz (“sea”)
- dünya (“world”)
- dün (“yesterday”)
E / e
IPA pronunciation: /e/
English equivalent: Turkish e is broadly /e/, though its exact quality varies by context. The “e” in red is a useful first approximation.
Example words:
- ev (“house”)
- evet (“yes”)
- ekmek (“bread”)
F / f
IPA pronunciation: /f/
English equivalent: like the “f” in far
Example words:
- fikir (“idea”)
- fark (“difference”)
- fincan (“cup”)
G / g
IPA pronunciation: /g/
English equivalent: like the “g” in great.
Example words:
- gün (“day”)
- günaydın (“good morning”)
- güzel (“beautiful”)
Ğ / ğ
IPA pronunciation: context-dependent
English equivalent: This letter has no single English equivalent. It's called yumuşak g, meaning “soft g.” In modern standard Turkish, its realisation depends on its position and the surrounding vowels: it often lengthens a vowel or produces a glide rather than a distinct /g/ sound.
Example words: In standard Turkish vocabulary, ğ does not occur at the beginning of a word; you will see it in the middle or at the end. Listen to yağmur here, then compare these examples:
- yağmur (“rain”)
- dağ (“mountain”)
- ağaç (“tree”)
H / h
IPA pronunciation: /h/
English equivalent: like the “h” in high.
Example words:
- hayır (“no”)
- havuç (“carrot”)
- hep (“always”)
I / ı
IPA pronunciation: /ɯ/
English equivalent: There is no exact equivalent in standard English; /ɯ/ is a close back unrounded vowel. Listen to the pronunciation of a word that contains ı here.
Example words:
- ışık (“light”)
- ıspanak (“spinach”)
- ısı (“heat”)
İ / i
IPA pronunciation: /i/
English equivalent: like the “ee” in deep.
Example words:
- iyi (“good”)
- iş (“work”)
- ilk (“first”)
J / j
IPA pronunciation: /ʒ/
English equivalent: like the “s” in leisure.
Example words:
- jaguar (“jaguar”)
- jimnastik (“gymnastics”)
- jilet (“razor blade”)
K / k
IPA pronunciation: /k/
English equivalent: like the “k” in kite.
Example words:
- kar (“snow”)
- kapı (“door”)
- küçük (“small”)
L / l
IPA pronunciation: /l/
English equivalent: like the “l” in language
Example words:
- limonata (“lemonade”)
- lacivert (“dark blue”)
- lamba (“lamp”)
M / m
IPA pronunciation: /m/
English equivalent: like the “m” in meaning
Example words:
- marul (“lettuce”)
- malzeme (“ingredient”)
- mesela (“for example”)
N / n
IPA pronunciation: /n/
English equivalent: like the “n” in near
Example words:
- nar (“pomegranate”)
- ne (“what”)
- neden (“why”)
O / o
IPA pronunciation: /o/
English equivalent: a pure, rounded “o” sound, without the glide many English speakers use in words such as “open”.
Example words:
- on (“ten”)
- olay (“incident”)
- olur (“sure, that works”)
Ö / ö
IPA pronunciation: /ø/
English equivalent: There is no exact equivalent in standard English; /ø/ is a front rounded vowel, similar to German ö or French eu.
Example words:
- ördek (“duck”)
- ödev (“homework”)
- örnek (“example”)
P / p
IPA pronunciation: /p/
English equivalent: like the “p” in party.
Example words:
- parti (“party”)
- pazar (“Sunday”)
- para (“money”)
R / r
IPA pronunciation: /ɾ/
English equivalent: Turkish r is typically an alveolar tap, unlike the usual English r.
Example words:
- renk (“colour”)
- rahat (“comfortable”)
- risk (“risk”)
S / s
IPA pronunciation: /s/
English equivalent: like the “s” in snake.
Example words:
- saat (“clock”)
- saç (“hair”)
- sarı (“yellow”)
Ş / ş
IPA pronunciation: /ʃ/
English equivalent: like the “sh” in share.
Example words:
- şimdi (“now”)
- şans (“luck”)
- şapka (“hat”)
T / t
IPA pronunciation: /t/
English equivalent: like the “t” in tea.
Example words:
- taze (“fresh”)
- tamam (“okay”)
- timsah (“crocodile”)
U / u
IPA pronunciation: /u/
English equivalent: like the “oo” in boot.
Example words:
- uzak (“far”)
- uçak (“plane”)
- uzun (“tall”)
Ü / ü
IPA pronunciation: /y/
English equivalent: Standard English has no exact equivalent. To produce /y/, keep your tongue in the position for “ee” while rounding your lips. The result should be similar to German ü or French u.
Example words:
- üzüm (“grape”)
- üzgün (“sad”)
- ünlü (“famous”)
V / v
IPA pronunciation: /v/
English equivalent: like the “v” in victory.
Example words:
- vakit (“time”)
- valiz (“suitcase”)
- var (“there is/there are”)
Y / y
IPA pronunciation: /j/
English equivalent: like the y in yellow.
Example words:
- yaz (“summer”)
- yalnız (“alone”)
- yarım (“half”)
Z / z
IPA pronunciation: /z/
English equivalent: like the “z” in zebra.
Example words:
- zarf (“envelope”)
- zürafa (“giraffe”)
- zeki (“intelligent”)
What Letters Are Not in the Turkish Alphabet?
Q, W, and X are not among the 29 letters of the Turkish alphabet. You may still see them in unadapted foreign names, brands, and technical terms. Adapted loanwords often use Turkish spellings instead, so “fax”, for example, becomes faks.
Example: faks (“fax”)
Tips for Reading in Turkish and Practising the Turkish Alphabet
Turkish is fairly easy to read once you know the unfamiliar letters and the few context-sensitive patterns. A useful routine is to listen to one short recording, read its transcript aloud, then record yourself and compare. Pay particular attention to dotted and dotless i, front rounded vowels, and ğ.
You can also build confidence by watching videos, reading short texts aloud, and speaking from day one.
For more listening and study material, see these Turkish learning resources.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Turkish Alphabet
What Are Ü and Ö Turkish?
Ü and Ö are separate Turkish letters. Both are front rounded vowels: ü represents /y/ and ö represents /ø/. They also differ from Turkish u and o.
How Do You Pronounce Ö in Turkish?
Ö is pronounced /ø/, a front rounded vowel similar to German ö or French eu; standard English has no exact equivalent.
Why Is C Pronounced as J in Turkish?
In standard Turkish spelling, c represents /dʒ/, similar to the English “j” in “job”.
What Is the Difference Between I and İ in Turkish?
I and İ are two different letters with different sounds. I represents /ɯ/, a close back unrounded vowel with no exact standard-English equivalent, whereas İ sounds like the English “ee” sound. So if you want to write Istanbul in Turkish, you would write it as İstanbul.
How Do You Pronounce Ç?
Ç represents /tʃ/, like the “ch” in “chocolate” or “channel”.
How Do You Pronounce Ş?
Ş represents /ʃ/, like the “sh” sound in “shop” or “shake”.
Is It Easy to Learn Turkish?
It depends on your background and goals. Benny Lewis, the founder of Fluent in 3 Months, found that Turkish was easier than he expected.
Its regular spelling and patterned suffixes give beginners useful footholds, although vowel harmony and long strings of suffixes take practice. Turkish also contains loanwords from languages including French, Arabic, and Persian. Some appear in the examples above: şans (“luck”, from French chance) and valiz (“suitcase”, from French valise).
What Is â in Turkish?
Although it isn’t very common, you may occasionally see a written as â. It is not a separate letter. In words of Arabic or Persian origin, the circumflex can signal a palatalised preceding g, k, or l. It also helps distinguish pronunciation and meaning in certain words, as in kar (“snow”) and kâr (“profit”).
Example: compare the pronunciation of kar (“snow”) here with kâr (“profit”) here.
First Step: Done!
You now have the 29 Turkish letters, their names, and a reliable first model for their pronunciation. Keep this guide nearby while you listen and read aloud. Each time you meet a word that surprises you, check whether ğ, vowel harmony, or a front/back consonant variation explains it.
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