Mastering Georgian: A Beginner’s Guide to the Alphabet and Pronunciation

Welcome to the fascinating world of the Georgian language, known for its distinctive script and melodious sound! If you’re just venturing into Georgian, getting familiar with its unique alphabet is the first and most crucial step.

Georgian isn’t related to any other language family in Europe, and its alphabet, Mkhedruli, is equally unique, with its beautiful, curving characters.

Below, you’ll find the complete 33-letter Georgian alphabet, along with pronunciation guidance using English words to help you get started.

Please note: These examples are meant as a guide only. The sounds might not be exact matches to English, especially the ejective consonants, which are specific to Georgian and a few other languages. Listening to native speakers and consistent practice are key to mastering the pronunciation.

1. ა (a) – [ɑ] as in “father”
2. ბ (b) – [b] as in “bat”
3. გ (g) – [ɡ] as in “go”
4. დ (d) – [d] as in “dog”
5. ე (e) – [ɛ] as in “bed”
6. ვ (v) – [v] as in “van”
7. ზ (z) – [z] as in “zoo”
8. თ (t) – [tʰ] as in “top” with a breathy release
9. ი (i) – [i] as in “machine”
10. კ (k’) – [kʼ] ejective as in “skirt” with a glottalized release
11. ლ (l) – [l] as in “love”
12. მ (m) – [m] as in “man”
13. ნ (n) – [n] as in “no”
14. ო (o) – [ɔ] as in “or”
15. პ (p’) – [pʼ] ejective as in “spot” with a glottalized release
16. ჟ (zh) – [ʒ] as in “vision”
17. რ (r) – [r] rolled as in Spanish “perro”
18. ს (s) – [s] as in “sun”
19. ტ (t’) – [tʼ] ejective as in “stop” with a glottalized release
20. უ (u) – [u] as in “food”
21. ფ (p) – [pʰ] as in “pot” with a breathy release
22. ქ (k) – [kʰ] as in “kite” with a breathy release
23. ღ (gh) – [ɣ] as in “loch” (Scottish), a voiced velar fricative
24. ყ (q’) – [qʼ] ejective, similar to “k”, but further back in the throat
25. შ (sh) – [ʃ] as in “shoe”
26. ჩ (ch) – [tʃ] as in “chip”
27. ც (ts) – [tsʰ] as in “cats” with a breathy release
28. ძ (dz) – [dz] as in “adze”
29. წ (ts’) – [tsʼ] ejective as in “cats” with a glottalized release
30. ჭ (ch’) – [tʃʼ] ejective as in “church” with a glottalized release
31. ხ (kh) – [x] as in “Bach” (German), a voiceless velar fricative
32. ჯ (j) – [dʒ] as in “judge”
33. ჰ (h) – [h] as in “hat”