Armenian Alphabet Characteristics

(E) = Eastern

(W) = Western

Multiple Armenian Letters per Sound

Sound	Letter	Num	Name	Letter	Num	Name	Letter	Num	Name
b	Բ բ	2	ben (E)	Պ պ	800	be (W)
g	Գգ	3	gim (E)	Կ կ	60	gen (W)
d	Դ դ	4	da (E)	Տ տ	4000	dyun (W)
e	Ե ե	5	yech	Է է	7	eh
t	Թ թ	9	to	Դ դ	4	ta (W)	Տ տ	4000	tyun (E)
ts	Ծ ծ	50	tsa (E)	Ձ ձ	80	tsa (W)	Ց ց	6000	tso
dz			dza (W)			dza (E)
k	Կ կ	60	ken (E)	Ք ք	9000	keh	Գ գ	3	kim (W)
h	Հ հ	70	ho	Յ յ	300	hi (W)
ch	Ճ ճ	100	che (E)	Ջ ջ	900	che (W)	Չ չ	700	cha
j			je (W)			je (E)
p	Պ պ	800	peh (E)	Բ բ	2	pen (W)	Փ փ	8000	pyur
r	Ռ ռ	1000	ra	Ր ր	5000	re
o	O o	NA	oh	Ո ո	600	vo
v	Վ վ	3000	vev	Ւ ւ	7000	hyun (W)

Double English Consonant Sounds

Sound	Letter	Num	Name	Letter	Num	Name	Letter	Num	Name
jh	Ժ ժ	10	jhe
kh	Խ խ	40	khe
ts	Ծ ծ	50	tsa (E)	Ձ ձ	80	tsa (W)	Ց ց	6000	tso
dz	Ձ ձ	80	dza (E)	Ծ ծ	50	dza (W)
gh	Ղ ղ	90	ghad
ch	Ճ ճ	100	che (E)	Չ չ	700	tcha	Ջ ջ	900	che (W)
sh	Շ շ	500	sha

Digraphs Trigraph

Sound	Letters	Usage
u	ՈՒ ու
yu	ԻՒ իւ	traditional orthography
	ՅՈՒ յու	reformed orthography

Use Lowercase English Letters

Letter	Num	Name	English Letter	Sound
Հ հ	70	ho	h	h
Ո ո	600	vo	n	vo o
Ս ս	2000	se	u	s
Ց ց	6000	tso	g	ts
Օ օ	NA	oh	o	o
Տ տ	4000	tyun (E)	S	t
		dyun (W)		d

Double Sounds

Letter	Num	Name	Sound	Beginning of word	Middle of word
Ե ե	5	yech	e	ye	e
Յ յ	300	hi	h	h (W)	y (E)
Ո ո	600	vo	o	vo	o
և	NA	yev	yev	yev	ev

Different in Eastern Western

Letter	Num	Name	Sound		Letter	Num	Name	Sound
Բ բ	2	ben (E)	b		Ճ ճ	100	che (E)	ch
		pen (W)	p				je (W)	j
Գ գ	3	gim (E)	g		Յ յ	300	hi (E)	y
		kim (W)	k				hi (W)	h
Դ դ	4	da (E)	d		Պ պ	800	pe (E)	p
		ta (W)	t				be (W)	b
Ծ ծ	50	tsa (E)	ts		Ջ ջ	900	je (E)	j
		dza (W)	dz				che (W)	ch
Կ կ	60	ken (E)	k		Տ տ	4000	tyun (E)	t
		gen (W)	g				dyun (W)	d
Ձ ձ	80	dza (E)	dz		Ւ ւ	7000	hyun (E)	u
		tsa (W)	ts				hyun (W)	v

Similar Capitals 23

Letter	Num	Name	Sound
Բ բ	2	ben (E)	b
		pen (W)	p
Գ գ	3	gim (E)	g
		kim (W)	k
Դ դ	4	da (E)	d
		ta (W)	t
Ե ե	5	yech	e ye
Է է	7	eh	e
Ը ը	8	ut	uh
Թ թ	9	to	t
Ժ ժ	10	jhe	jh
Ի ի	20	ini	ee
Լ լ	30	lyun	l
Խ խ	40	khe	kh
Կ կ	60	ken (E)	k
		gen (W)	g
Ղ ղ	90	ghad	gh
Ճ ճ	100	che (E)	ch
		je (W)	j
Մ մ	200	men	m
Ն ն	400	nu	n
Ո ո	600	vo	vo o
Ս ս	2000	se	s
Վ վ	3000	vev	v
Ր ր	5000	re	r
Ք ք	9000	ke	k
Օ օ	NA	oh	o
Ֆ ֆ	NA	fe	f

Different Capitals 15

Letter	Num	Name	Sound
Ա ա	1	ayb (E)	a
		ayp (W)
Զ զ	6	za	z
Ծ ծ	50	tsa (E)	ts
		dza (W)	dz
Հ հ	70	ho	h
Ձ ձ	80	dza (E)	dz
		tsa (W)	ts
Յ յ	300	hi (E)	y
		hi (W)	h
Շ շ	500	sha	sh
Չ չ	700	tcha	ch'
Պ պ	800	peh	p
Ջ ջ	900	je (E)	j
		che (W)	ch
Ռ ռ	1000	ra	rr
Տ տ	4000	tyun (E)	t
		dyun (W)	d
Ց ց	6000	tso	ts'
Ւ ւ	7000	hyun (E)	u
		hyun (W)	v
Փ փ	8000	pyur	p'

Similar Sounding Letters

Sound	Letter	Num	Name
o	Ո ո	600	vo
	O o	NA	oh
ch	Ճ ճ	100	che (E)
	Չ չ	700	tcha
	Ջ ջ	900	che (W)
k	Կ կ	60	ken (E)
	Գ գ	3	kim (W)
	Ք ք	9000	keh
j	Ժ ժ	10	jhe
	Ճ ճ	100	je (W)
	Ջ ջ	900	je (E)
e	Ե ե	5	yech
	Է է	7	eh
t	Տ տ	4000	tyun (E)
	Դ դ	4	ta (W)
	Թ թ	9	to
p	Պ պ	800	peh (E)
	Բ բ	2	pen (W)
	Փ փ	8000	pyur
r	Ռ ռ	1000	ra
	Ր ր	5000	re

References

3 “In reformed orthography, the letter ւ appears only as a component of ու. In traditional orthography, the letter usually represents /v/, except in the digraph իւ /ju/. The spelling reform in Soviet Armenia replaced իւ with the trigraph յու.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_alphabet#The_alphabet Note 5

4 “In traditional orthography ու and և are respectively considered a digraph and a ligature. In reformed orthography they are separate letters of the alphabet.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_alphabet#The_alphabet Note 4

5 “The letter Ւ, ւ, once the 34th letter of the Armenian alphabet, is no longer used in the modern Eastern Armenian alphabet; ու and և are considered independent letters . ՈՒ and ԵՎ are used in words written in block capitals, Ու and Եվ are used as the first letter of lower case words beginning with a capital, and ու and և are lower case.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Naming_conventions_(Armenian) Loose transcription, Note 3

6 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Naming_conventions_(Armenian) Loose transcription

7 “Only in traditional orthography word-initially and in compound words.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_alphabet#The_alphabet Note 1 Name: Traditional - yi Reformed - hi

8 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_alphabet#The_alphabet

Author of this article: Ronald Ojakian