Two Alphabets, One Soul.
Belarusian is a language of the crossroads, a unique East Slavic voice that has flourished at the meeting point of diverse traditions. It breathes through two distinct scripts: the official Cyrillic and the historic Lacinka(Latin script). While Cyrillic connects Belarus to its deep Slavic roots and serves as the modern standard, Lacinka is a testament to the country’s centuries-old ties with the European cultural and legal sphere, particularly during the era of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. This dual identity was famously embraced by Nasha Niva, the oldest Belarusian newspaper, which historically published in both scripts to ensure that every speaker could access the news in their preferred alphabet. Today, with the language classified as "vulnerable" by UNESCO, mastering both scripts is an essential act of cultural preservation. It ensures that the full spectrum of Belarusian heritage—from its ancient chronicles to its modern poetry—remains vibrant and accessible to a new generation of learners worldwide.
See it in action on Nasha Niva
The oldest Belarusian newspaper, historically published in both scripts.
| Cyrillic | Lacinka | IPA | English Sound | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| А а | A a | [a] | fAther | Мама (Mother) |
| Б б | B b | [b], [bʲ] | Boy | Брат (Brother) |
| В в | V v | [v], [vʲ] | Vine | Вада (Water) |
| Г г | H h | [ɣ], [ɣʲ] | loCH (voiced) | Горад (City) |
| Д д | D d | [d] | Dog (hard only) | Дзень (Day) |
| Дж дж | Dž dž | [dʐ] | Jam | Джэм (Jam) |
| Дз дз | Dz dz / Dź dź | [dz], [dzʲ] | beDS | Дзякуй (Thank you) |
| Е е | Je je / ie | [jɛ], [ʲɛ] | YEt (or softens consonant) | Не (No) |
| Ё ё | Jo jo / io | [jɔ], [ʲɔ] | YOrk (or softens consonant) | Ён (He) |
| Ж ж | Ž ž | [ʐ] | pleaSure (always hard) | Жыццё (Life) |
| З з | Z z / Ź ź | [z], [zʲ] | Zebra | Зямля (Earth) |
| І і | I i | [i], [ʲi] | mEEt | Імя (Name) |
| Й й | J j | [j] | BoY | Мой (My) |
| К к | K k | [k], [kʲ] | Keep | Кот (Cat) |
| Л л | L l / Ł ł | [lʲ], [l/w] | Love / miLK | Лес (Forest) |
| М м | M m | [m], [mʲ] | Map | Мова (Language) |
| Н н | N n / Ń ń | [n], [nʲ] | No | Ноч (Night) |
| О о | O o | [ɔ] | fOrk | Вока (Eye) |
| П п | P p | [p], [pʲ] | Pet | Папа (Dad) |
| Р р | R r | [r] | Roll (always hard) | Рука (Hand) |
| С с | S s / Ś ś | [s], [sʲ] | Sun | Слова (Word) |
| Т т | T t | [t] | Top (hard only) | Тата (Dad) |
| У у | U u | [u] | bOOt | Урок (Lesson) |
| Ў ў | Ŭ ŭ | [w] | coW / loW | Воўк (Wolf) |
| Ф ф | F f | [f], [fʲ] | Face | Фота (Photo) |
| Х х | Ch ch | [x], [xʲ] | loCH (voiceless) | Хлеб (Bread) |
| Ц ц | C c / Ć ć | [ts], [tsʲ] | siTS | Цар (Tsar) |
| Ч ч | Č č | [tʂ] | CHurch (always hard) | Чай (Tea) |
| Ш ш | Š š | [ʂ] | SHoe (always hard) | Школа (School) |
| Ы ы | Y y | [ɨ] | rosEs (deep i) | Мы (We) |
| Ь ь | ´ (accent) | [-] | Softens previous consonant | Беларусь (Belarus) |
| Э э | E e | [ɛ] | mEt | Гэта (This) |
| Ю ю | Ju ju / iu | [ju], [ʲu] | University | Юнак (Youth) |
| Я я | Ja ja / ia | [ja], [ʲa] | YArd | Яблык (Apple) |
* Lacinka uses special diacritics like š, ž, č and the unique ŭ. It is similar to the Polish and Czech alphabets.