The Romanian alphabet at a glance
Romanian uses a Latin alphabet with 31 letters. Most look familiar to English speakers, but five letters carry diacritics: ă, â, î, ș, ț. These marks aren’t optional decorations—they change the sound.
Good news for a beginner: Romanian spelling is mostly phonetic, so once you learn how letters map to sounds, reading becomes predictable. A few letters are rare (like Q, W, Y) and appear mostly in foreign names or loanwords.
- 31 letters total: A–Z plus ă, â, î, ș, ț
- K, Q, W, Y used mainly in borrowed words
- J sounds like the “s” in “measure” (/ʒ/)
- R is trilled; practice a light tap and build up
Meet the diacritics: ă, â, î, ș, ț
These five letters are the heart of Romanian pronunciation. Learn them early and you’ll avoid most reading mistakes. Try saying each one slowly, then within a simple word. Don’t worry about perfect IPA—aim for a close, consistent sound.
- ă (uh): a relaxed, short “uh,” like a soft schwa. Example: măr (apple).
- â and î (same sound): a central vowel you don’t have in English; keep the tongue high and central. Examples: câine (dog), în (in).
- ș (sh): “sh” as in “shop.” Example: șapte (seven).
- ț (ts): “ts” as in “cats.” Example: țară (country).
- Diacritics matter: fata (the girl) vs fața (the face)—different words!
Tricky sounds for English speakers
The biggest curveballs are soft vs hard C/G, the rolled R, and how I behaves near consonants. Learn these patterns once and reading feels natural.
Remember: Romanian vowels are clean and short—avoid English-style diphthongs. Keep each vowel crisp.
- C before e/i = “ch” (cer, cinci). Elsewhere “k” (casă).
- G before e/i = “j” (general, gips). Elsewhere hard “g” (gară).
- CH + e/i = hard “k” (chei, chimie); GH + e/i = hard “g” (gheață, ghid).
- R is trilled; start with a light tap (like the “tt” in American “butter”).
- Final -i can soften the preceding consonant (bani vs ban).
Read your first Romanian words in minutes
Try this tiny routine to unlock real words quickly. Set a timer for 10 minutes and move step by step. By the end, you’ll read short phrases out loud with confidence.
Keep a notepad and write what you read. Seeing and saying together helps beginners solidify sound-letter links.
- Step 1: Say the five diacritics out loud twice: ă, â, î, ș, ț.
- Step 2: Drill C/G pairs: ce/ci vs che/chi; ge/gi vs ghe/ghi.
- Step 3: Read mini-words: măr, șase, țară, câine, în.
- Step 4: Combine: șapte țări, toți câinii, un măr.
- Step 5: Record yourself for 1–2 minutes; adjust based on what you hear.
Practice plan and free resources
Consistency beats intensity. Aim for 10–15 minutes a day for two weeks. Focus on the alphabet, then common syllables, then short phrases. If you’re a beginner, keep sessions short and frequent.
You can learn a lot online with free materials: alphabet videos, pronunciation drills, and worksheets. For a clean printout, grab a pdf alphabet chart and mark it up with your own example words. Make it yours.
- Daily micro-goal: 5 minutes on diacritics, 5 on C/G patterns, 5 on reading words.
- Create a personal word bank with 20–30 easy nouns and verbs.
- Use a metronome-like pace: steady, not fast—clarity over speed.
- Search online for “Romanian alphabet pdf” to print a reference sheet.
- Record a weekly selfie-audio to hear progress and fix habits.
FAQ
- How many letters are in the Romanian alphabet?
- There are 31 letters, including five with diacritics: ă, â, î, ș, ț. K, Q, W, and Y are mainly used in foreign words.
- What’s the difference between â and î?
- They represent the same sound. Romanian spelling uses î at the beginning/end of words and â inside words, with a few historical exceptions.
- Are diacritics really necessary when I learn to read?
- Yes. Diacritics change meaning and pronunciation. Skipping them confuses readers and can produce different words, so include them from the start.
- Where can I get a free pdf of the alphabet?
- Search online for “Romanian alphabet pdf” or “alfabetul român pdf.” Choose a clean chart with examples so you can annotate it during practice.
- How long until I can read the basics?
- With 10–15 minutes a day for two weeks, most beginners can read common words and names. The key is daily, focused practice on the core patterns.