The Kurdish Alphabet: Kurmanji & Sorani Letters with Pronunciation

Kurdish has not one alphabet but two. Knowing which one your family, your partner or your destination uses saves you weeks of learning the wrong letters.

If you have decided to learn Kurdish, the alphabet is your first real step, and the good news is that it’s a small one. Both Kurdish scripts are close to phonetic: once you know the letters, you can pronounce almost any word you see. That is a big advantage over English or French.

From 20 years of learning languages, from Norwegian to Danish and Swedish, I’ve learned that the first two weeks decide a lot. Learners who get the sounds right early save themselves months of unlearning later. I don’t speak Kurdish myself, so this guide sticks to what a beginner really needs: every letter, its sound in IPA and a real Kurdish example word you can use right away.

Not sure yet whether you need Kurmanji or Sorani? Our guide to learning Kurdish helps you decide in two minutes.

☀️ Free book: "How to Learn Kurdish in Just 7 Weeks"

Discover all the tricks that will help you learn Kurdish quickly and efficiently – much faster than you ever thought possible.

*

Two scripts, one language: why Kurdish has two alphabets

Kurdish is spoken across four countries, and each Kurdish region ended up with the script that fit its political and cultural situation:

The Latin Kurmanji alphabet goes back to Celadet Bedirxan, who published it in 1932 in the Kurdish magazine Hawar in Damascus. That is why it is often called the Hawar alphabet. Sorani took a different path: it adapted the Arabic script, but added letters for Kurdish sounds and turned vowels into full letters.

The Kurmanji alphabet (Latin script): all 31 letters

If you read English, you can read most Kurmanji letters already. Focus on the ones that look familiar but sound different, especially c (like “j” in “jam”), j (like “s” in “measure”), x (like “ch” in Scottish “loch”) and the difference between i and î.

What the Kurmanji alphabet doesn’t show you

The Latin script is very regular, but three things are not visible on paper. They are worth knowing so you are not surprised when you hear native speakers:

• Two kinds of p, t, k and ç: Kurmanji distinguishes a breathy (aspirated) and a plain version of these sounds. Standard spelling writes both the same way, so you learn the difference by listening.
• Sounds from Arabic: Some speakers pronounce a throaty “h” or the Arabic “gh” sound in loanwords. In careful writing you may see ḧ or ẍ, but most texts simply use h and x.
• Stress: Most words are stressed on the last syllable, for example heˈval (friend).

The Sorani alphabet (Arabic-based script)

Sorani looks like Arabic at first glance, but it works differently in one important way: vowels are written as letters. Only the short “i” sound usually stays invisible. That makes Sorani far easier to read aloud than Arabic, once you know the letters. Remember that Sorani is written from right to left, and most letters connect to the next one and change shape slightly depending on their position.

How many letters? You will see 33, 34 or 35, depending on whether the silent carrier letter ئ and the double وو for “û” are counted separately. The table below lists all of them.

Sorani vs. Arabic script: the key differences

• Vowels are letters: ە for “e”, ۆ for “o”, ێ for “ê” and وو for “û” exist only in Kurdish. Arabic usually leaves short vowels out.
• Extra Kurdish letters: پ, چ, ژ, گ, ڤ, ڕ and ڵ cover sounds Arabic doesn’t have.
• Arabic letters that Sorani dropped: Letters like ث, ذ, ص, ض, ط, ظ are not part of the Kurdish alphabet, because Kurdish doesn’t need them.

For an Arabic speaker this means: you recognize the letters in hours, but you need to relearn how vowels work. For everyone else, plan three to six weeks of daily practice until reading feels natural.

Kurmanji and Sorani letters side by side

If your partner’s family writes in one script and you learned the other, this table is your bridge. The Latin letters used in Sorani transliteration follow the same system as Kurmanji:

How to type Kurdish letters

You don’t need a special keyboard to write Kurdish:

• Kurmanji: A Turkish keyboard layout already has ç and ş. For ê, î and û, most systems let you long-press the vowel on a phone or use the international/US-extended layout on a computer.
• Sorani: Windows includes a built-in “Central Kurdish” keyboard layout, and most phone keyboards offer a Sorani or Central Kurdish option in their language settings.

My tip from my own vocabulary learning: type your first 50 words yourself instead of copy-pasting them. Typing forces you to notice every letter, and that is exactly what makes them stick.

How to learn the Kurdish alphabet in two weeks

This is the approach I use for every new script or sound system, adapted to Kurdish:

• Days 1 to 3: Learn the letters that look or sound new: for Kurmanji c, ç, j, x, q, ê, î, û; for Sorani the letter shapes in small groups (ب پ ت, ج چ ح خ, ر ڕ ز ژ).
• Days 4 to 7: Read short words aloud every day. The example words in the tables above are a perfect start. Say them out loud, don’t just read them.
• Week 2: Write and read simple phrases. Sorani learners should write by hand at least once a day, because it trains recognition much faster than a screen.
• From then on: 10 minutes a day with spaced repetition beats one long weekend session. It’s the method behind my guide to learning vocabulary, and it works for letters just as well.

Frequently asked questions about the Kurdish alphabet

How many letters are in the Kurdish alphabet?

The Kurmanji Latin alphabet has 31 letters. The Sorani Arabic-based alphabet has about 33, depending on whether the carrier letter ئ and the double وو are counted separately.

Does Kurdish use the Arabic or the Latin alphabet?

Both. Kurmanji, spoken in Turkey, Syria and most of the diaspora, uses the Latin alphabet. Sorani, spoken in Iraqi and Iranian Kurdistan, uses a modified Arabic script.

Who created the Kurdish Latin alphabet?

Celadet Bedirxan published the Latin Kurmanji alphabet in 1932 in the magazine Hawar in Damascus. It is still the standard today and is often called the Hawar alphabet.

Is the Sorani alphabet the same as the Arabic alphabet?

No. Sorani is based on Arabic script but writes vowels as letters, adds letters for Kurdish sounds such as ڕ, ڵ, ۆ and ێ, and drops Arabic letters Kurdish doesn’t need.

How long does it take to learn the Kurdish alphabet?

With daily practice, most learners read the Kurmanji alphabet within one to two weeks. For Sorani, plan three to six weeks until reading feels natural, less if you already read Arabic or Persian.

Related links

• Learn Kurdish: your complete guide to Kurmanji and Sorani
• Kurdish phrases (Kurmanji): greetings, farewells and everyday expressions
• Sorani Kurdish phrases for beginners
• Learning vocabulary successfully
• The different ways of learning languages
• Learning languages quickly, is it possible?

Prefer another language?

• 🇩🇪 – Kurdisch lernen
• 🇳🇴 – Lær kurdisk på nett