Kazakh Alphabet | Қазақ әліпбесі
The Kazakh alphabet consists of 42 letters using the Cyrillic script with additional letters for Kazakh-specific sounds.
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About the Kazakh Alphabet
The Kazakh alphabet uses the Cyrillic script with 42 letters, including 9 additional letters not found in Russian Cyrillic (Ә, Ғ, Қ, Ң, Ө, Ұ, Ү, Һ, І). Kazakhstan is transitioning to a Latin-based alphabet, but Cyrillic remains the primary script. The alphabet represents the unique sounds of the Kazakh language.
History
Kazakh has been written in various scripts including Arabic, Latin, and Cyrillic. The current Cyrillic alphabet was adopted in 1940 during Soviet rule. Kazakhstan announced plans to transition to a Latin alphabet by 2025, though Cyrillic remains widely used. The Cyrillic alphabet was specifically designed for Kazakh phonology.
Key Features
- Written from left to right
- 42 Cyrillic letters
- 9 letters unique to Kazakh
- Based on Russian Cyrillic
- Transitioning to Latin script
- Adopted in 1940