Getting started with Romanian is simpler than you might think. The language uses a familiar Latin-based alphabet, but with a few extra letters. In total, there are 31 letters.

Here's the full set:

Romanian is a phonetic language, which is great news for learners. For the most part, words are pronounced exactly as they are spelled. The five standard vowels, A, E, I, O, U, sound very similar to their Spanish or Italian counterparts. The real learning curve comes from the letters with diacritics, which alter their pronunciation.

Ă (ă): This letter makes a sound similar to the unstressed 'a' in the English word "sofa" or the 'u' in "up." It's a relaxed, neutral vowel sound.

 (â) and Î (î): These two letters represent the exact same sound. It's a close, central unrounded vowel that doesn't exist in English. Think of a sound somewhere between the 'ee' in "see" and the 'oo' in "moon." The rule for when to use which is simple: î is used at the beginning and end of words, while â is always used in the middle.

Ș (ș): This one is easy. It makes the 'sh' sound, just like in the word "shoe."

Ț (ț): This letter produces the 'ts' sound you hear at the end of "cats."

Most consonants in Romanian sound just like they do in English. However, the pronunciation of C and G changes when they come before the vowels E or I. This is a pattern found in other Romance languages.

Here’s how it works:

• When c is followed by e or i, it's pronounced like the 'ch' in "cherry." For example, cinci (five).
• When g is followed by e or i, it's pronounced like the 'j' in "gem." For example, ger (frost).

If the letters c or g are followed by any other vowel (a, ă, â, î, o, u), they have a "hard" sound:

• Ca, co, cu: The 'c' sounds like the 'k' in "car." Example: cap (head).
• Ga, go, gu: The 'g' sounds like the 'g' in "go." Example: gol (empty).

What if you want the 'ch' or 'j' sound before a different vowel? You add an 'h' after the c or g. The 'h' itself is silent; it just signals the change in sound. The group che/chi sounds like 'ke'/'ki' in "kettle"/"king". The group ghe/ghi sounds like 'ge'/'gi' in "get"/"give".

With these rules, you can accurately pronounce the vast majority of Romanian words you encounter. The phonetic nature of the language makes reading a straightforward skill to build once you know the basic sounds.

Ready to test your knowledge?

Excellent work. Mastering these foundational sounds is the most important first step in learning to speak Romanian clearly and confidently.