Master Serbian Language Fluency
Serbian Alphabet
Two Alphabets, One Language
One of the most unique things about Serbian is that it uses two official alphabets: Latin and Cyrillic. Think of it like having two sets of clothes for the same person. Both are completely valid, and people in Serbia use them interchangeably. You'll see Cyrillic on street signs and official documents, while Latin is common online and in magazines.
Serbian uses both the Cyrillic and Latin alphabets, and it’s crucial to become comfortable with both.
The great news is that Serbian is a phonetic language. This means that once you learn the sound for each letter, you can pronounce any word you see. Each letter has exactly one sound. There are no silent letters or tricky combinations like in English. This makes learning to read surprisingly straightforward.
The Serbian Alphabets
Serbian has 30 letters, and each Cyrillic letter has a direct one-to-one match with a Latin letter. Many letters will look familiar to you, especially in the Latin script. Others, particularly in Cyrillic, will be new.
Let's look at them side-by-side. The table below shows the uppercase Cyrillic letter, the uppercase Latin letter, and a guide to its pronunciation. Notice that some letters are identical in both scripts, like A, E, J, K, M, O, and T.
| Cyrillic | Latin | Pronunciation Guide |
|---|---|---|
| А а | A a | like a in father |
| Б б | B b | like b in boy |
| В в | V v | like v in van |
| Г г | G g | like g in goat |
| Д д | D d | like d in dog |
| Ђ ђ | Đ đ | like j in jeep (but softer) |
| Е е | E e | like e in bed |
| Ж ж | Ž ž | like s in measure |
| З з | Z z | like z in zoo |
| И и | I i | like ee in see |
| Ј ј | J j | like y in yes |
| К к | K k | like k in kite |
| Л л | L l | like l in love |
| Љ љ | Lj lj | like lli in million |
| М м | M m | like m in mom |
| Н н | N n | like n in no |
| Њ њ | Nj nj | like ni in onion |
| О о | O o | like o in hot |
| П п | P p | like p in pop |
| Р р | R r | a rolled r, as in Spanish |
| С с | S s | like s in sun |
| Т т | T t | like t in top |
| Ћ ћ | Ć ć | like ch in church (but softer) |
| У у | U u | like oo in moon |
| Ф ф | F f | like f in fun |
| Х х | H h | like h in house or the ch in Scottish Loch |
| Ц ц | C c | like ts in cats |
| Ч ч | Č č | like ch in church (harder) |
| Џ џ | Dž dž | like j in judge |
| Ш ш | Š š | like sh in shoe |
Getting Started
The best way to learn is to practice. Start by writing out both alphabets. Say the sound of each letter as you write it. Try to spot Serbian words on signs or in media and see if you can sound them out using the letters you've learned. You'll likely want to start with the Latin script since it's more familiar, but don't ignore Cyrillic.
Your goal should be to become comfortable switching between both scripts. This will open up the entire Serbian-speaking world to you.
Focus on the letters that are completely new or have surprising sounds. For instance, the Cyrillic 'P' makes a rolled 'R' sound, 'C' makes an 'S' sound, and 'B' makes a 'V' sound. The letter 'J' in both scripts makes the 'Y' sound from 'yes'. These little differences are the key to unlocking pronunciation.
Ready to test your knowledge? This quiz will help you check your understanding of the letters and their sounds.
How many official alphabets does the Serbian language use?
The principle that each letter in Serbian has exactly one sound, making pronunciation consistent, is known as being:
With the alphabet as your foundation, you're now ready to start building words and phrases.