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Alphabet reference

The Serbian alphabet, side by side

Serbian uses 30 Cyrillic letters and 30 matching Latin letters. Every sound has a consistent place in both scripts, making the alphabet logical once you see the pairs.

All Serbian Cyrillic and Latin letters

Read the Cyrillic letter first and use the Latin form as its direct equivalent. Serbian spelling follows pronunciation closely, so these 30 pairs unlock most written words.

А аA a
Б бB b
В вV v
Г гG g
Д дD d
Ђ ђĐ đ
Е еE e
Ж жŽ ž
З зZ z
И иI i
Ј јJ j
К кK k
Л лL l
Љ љLj lj
М мM m
Н нN n
Њ њNj nj
О оO o
П пP p
Р рR r
С сS s
Т тT t
Ћ ћĆ ć
У уU u
Ф фF f
Х хH h
Ц цC c
Ч чČ č
Џ џDž dž
Ш шŠ š

Letters English speakers often confuse

Looks familiar, sounds differentВ = VRead вода as voda, not boda.
Looks familiar, sounds differentР = RRead риба as riba, not piba.
One Cyrillic letterЉ = LjAs in љубав / ljubav, meaning love.
One Cyrillic letterЊ = NjAs in коњ / konj, meaning horse.
Two ch-like soundsЧ = Č · Ћ = ĆKeep them separate through repeated listening and spelling.
One Cyrillic letterЏ = DžAs in џеп / džep, meaning pocket.

How to learn the alphabet faster

  1. Say the sound, not the letter name. Connect м directly to its Serbian sound.
  2. Read whole words early. Words give each shape a useful context.
  3. Practice both scripts. Convert Latin to Cyrillic and then reverse the direction.
  4. Track weak letters. Letters you miss should appear more often than letters you already recognize.
Good news

Serbian does not use silent letters in the way English often does. Once you know the alphabet, unfamiliar words are usually readable.

Make all 30 letters automatic

Hear each sound, reveal the Latin reading, and practice the letters that need the most attention.

Practice this in Serbian Steps