The Albanian alphabet, or alfabeti, is your first step into this beautiful language. It uses the Latin script, just like English, but it has 36 letters. This might sound like a lot, but many of them will look familiar. The great news is that Albanian is a phonetic language. Once you know the sound for each letter, you can pronounce almost any word correctly. Each letter has one consistent sound.

Let's look at all the letters. Notice that some are single letters like in English, while others are pairs of letters, called digraphs, that represent a single sound. These digraphs, like 'Dh' or 'Gj', are considered single letters in Albanian.

You probably noticed a few letters that aren't in the English alphabet: Ç and Ë. You also saw the nine digraphs: Dh, Gj, Ll, Nj, Rr, Sh, Th, Xh, and Zh. It's important to remember that each digraph is a single letter and has its own place in the alphabet.

The letter Ë is the most common vowel in Albanian. Its sound is often soft and unstressed, similar to the 'a' in the English word 'ago'. The letter Ç is more straightforward, making the same 'ch' sound as in 'chair'.

The best way to learn the alphabet is to use it. Start by saying each letter and its sound out loud. Try writing them down. Pay special attention to the ones that are new to you.

Here are a few simple Albanian words. Try to sound them out using the pronunciation guide from the table. Don't worry about the meaning yet, just focus on the sounds.

• Po (Yes)
• Jo (No)
• Unë (I)
• Qen (Dog)
• Faleminderit (Thank you)

Reading them aloud helps connect the written letter to its sound. For example, in qen, you combine the 'ky' sound of Q with the 'e' of E and the 'n' of N. In faleminderit, notice how the single R is a light tap, while the E and Ë have distinct sounds.

Let's review the key letters before you test your knowledge.

Ready to check your understanding?

Great work. Getting comfortable with the alphabet is the most important foundation for learning Albanian.