The Western Armenian alphabet

Western Armenian uses the same letters as Eastern, but reads about a dozen of them differently — and counts 38 letters rather than 39: Ւ is a letter of its own, while ու is a combination.

The letters that swap

Ten consonants are read differently, in pairs: what is b in Eastern is p in Western, and the other way round. The same goes for g and k, d and t, dz and ts, j and ch. At the start of a word, յ is h.

Word	Western	Eastern	Meaning
Բարեւ	parev	barev	hello
Գիրք	kirk	girk'	book
Դուռ	tur	dur	door
Ծառ	dzar	tsar	tree
Կատու	gadu	katu	cat
Ձուկ	tsug	dzuk	fish
Ճաշ	jash	chash	lunch
Պանիր	banir	panir	cheese
Ջուր	chur	jur	water
Տուն	dun	tun	house

All 38 letters

Letter	Name	Western	Eastern
Ա ա	Այբ ayp	a	a
Բ բ	Բեն pen	p	b
Գ գ	Գիմ kim	k	g
Դ դ	Դա ta	t	d
Ե ե	Եչ yech	ye / e	ye / e
Զ զ	Զա za	z	z
Է է	Է e	e	e
Ը ը	Ըթ ət	ə	ə
Թ թ	Թօ to	t	t'
Ժ ժ	Ժէ zhe	zh	zh
Ի ի	Ինի ini	i	i
Լ լ	Լիւն lyun	l	l
Խ խ	Խէ khe	kh	kh
Ծ ծ	Ծա dza	dz	ts
Կ կ	Կեն gen	g	k
Հ հ	Հօ ho	h	h
Ձ ձ	Ձա tsa	ts	dz
Ղ ղ	Ղատ ghad	gh	gh
Ճ ճ	Ճէ je	j	ch
Մ մ	Մեն men	m	m
Յ յ	Յի hi	h / y	y
Ն ն	Նու nu	n	n
Շ շ	Շա sha	sh	sh
Ո ո	Ո vo	vo / o	vo / o
Չ չ	Չա cha	ch	ch'
Պ պ	Պէ be	b	p
Ջ ջ	Ջէ che	ch	j
Ռ ռ	Ռա ra	r	rr
Ս ս	Սէ se	s	s
Վ վ	Վեւ vev	v	v
Տ տ	Տիւն dyun	d	t
Ր ր	Րէ re	r	r
Ց ց	Ցօ tso	ts	ts'
Ւ ւ	Հիւն hyun	v (ու = u)	—
Փ փ	Փիւր pyur	p	p'
Ք ք	Քէ ke	k	k'
Օ օ	Օ o	o	o
Ֆ ֆ	Ֆէ fe	f	f

Reads differently in Western

Traditional spelling, in six rules

ւEastern: Լավ
After a vowel, ւ is read v.
Լաւ lav — good
իւEastern: Յուղ
Inside a word, իւ is read yu.
Իւղ yugh — oil
-իւEastern: Թիվ
At the end of a word, իւ is read iv.
Թիւ tiv — number
յ-Eastern: Հույս
At the start of a word, յ is read h.
Յոյս huys — hope
ոյEastern: Լույս
ոյ is read uy.
Լոյս luys — light
էEastern: Հայերեն
Many words keep է where Eastern writes ե.
Հայերէն hayeren — Armenian (language)

Questions

How many letters does the Western Armenian alphabet have?

38: the 36 letters of Mesrop Mashtots plus Օ and Ֆ, added in the Middle Ages. Eastern Armenian counts 39 because it treats ու and և as letters and drops Ւ.

Why do Western and Eastern read the same letter differently?

The two standards grew apart over centuries, on either side of the border between the Ottoman and Russian empires. Western Armenian shifted several consonants: the letter Բ, b in Yerevan, became p in Constantinople.

Which spelling does Western Armenian use?

The classical (traditional) orthography. Armenia adopted a reformed spelling in the Soviet period; Western Armenian never did, so it writes Շնորհակալութիւն where Eastern writes Շնորհակալություն.

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