Komi-Zyrian is another name for the Komi language [3] — "Zyrian" being a traditional name for the Komi people used in Russian (Зыряне, Zyriane). The ISO 639-3 code kpv specifically identifies Komi-Zyrian to distinguish it from Komi-Permyak (koi), a closely related but distinct language variety spoken in the Komi-Permyak Okrug south of the Komi Republic. In modern usage, "Komi" or "Komi-Zyrian" are used interchangeably for the official co-language of the Komi Republic. The Government of the Komi Republic [1] uses "Komi language" (Коми кыв / komi kyv) in official contexts. Komi-Zyrian and Komi-Permyak are close enough to be mutually intelligible to a significant degree but are classified as separate languages .

The Komi Alphabet — 34 Cyrillic Letters of the Co-Official Language of the Komi Republic

Q: What is the Komi language?

Komi (also known as Komi-Zyrian) is a Permic Uralic language [1] spoken in the Komi Republic of northeastern European Russia. It is co-official with Russian in the Komi Republic, giving it one of the strongest official protections of any endangered Uralic language. Komi has approximately 130,000–170,000 speakers, predominantly in the Komi Republic. Komi belongs to the Permic branch of Uralic , alongside Udmurt. This separates it from the Finno-Samic languages (Finnish, Estonian, Sami) despite the shared Uralic ancestry. The Permic branch diverged from the rest of Uralic roughly 4,000–5,000 years ago, during which time Komi and Udmurt developed their distinctive grammatical and phonological features, including the characteristic Ӧ vowel unique to Komi.

Q: What is the unique Komi letter Ӧ?

The letter Ӧ (О with diaeresis) represents a mid central vowel (schwa, /ə/) unique to the Komi Cyrillic alphabet [3] . It is the single most distinctive feature of Komi Cyrillic writing — no other Cyrillic alphabet uses this exact letter. The Ӧ sound is produced with the tongue in the middle of the vowel space and neutral lip position, similar to the unstressed vowel in the English word "about". The Ӧ vowel is extremely common in Komi — it appears in basic vocabulary including numbers, pronouns, and common nouns. Words like ӧти (one), ӧкмыс (nine), and the common adjective suffix -ӧй illustrate how fundamental this vowel is to Komi. The ELAR archive [2] holds recordings that clearly demonstrate the phonetic properties of Ӧ in natural Komi speech .

Q: How many Komi speakers are there?

Komi has approximately 130,000–170,000 speakers [1] , primarily in the Komi Republic but also in diaspora communities throughout Russia. The 2010 Russian census recorded about 156,000 Komi speakers. While this is relatively large for an endangered minority language, the community is aging and the rate of language transmission to younger generations is concerning. The Komi Republic has a population of about 800,000, of whom ethnic Komi constitute approximately 23%. Not all ethnic Komi are Komi speakers — Russian language dominance affects language use even within the ethnic community. The Government of the Komi Republic [1] supports Komi language education, broadcasting, and cultural programmes to strengthen Komi among younger generations .

Q: What language family is Komi?

Komi belongs to the Permic branch of the Uralic language family [3] . Within Uralic, the Permic branch (Komi and Udmurt) separated from the Finno-Samic branch roughly 4,000–5,000 years ago. This makes Komi more distantly related to Finnish, Estonian, Sami, and Hungarian than these languages are to each other. The University of Helsinki's Uralic studies [3] places Komi in a comprehensive family tree of Uralic languages, revealing cognates with Finnish (e.g., Komi куим "three" ~ Finnish kolme ) that go back to the Proto-Uralic ancestor. Despite the deep time separation, shared Uralic features including agglutinative morphology, a rich case system, and vowel harmony remnants are still detectable in Komi grammar .

Q: Is Komi an endangered language?

Komi is classified as endangered [2] despite having over 100,000 speakers and official co-status in the Komi Republic. UNESCO classifies it as endangered because of declining intergenerational transmission. The dominance of Russian in urban areas, economic migration, and the limited presence of Komi in digital and commercial domains are key factors. The official status of Komi in the Komi Republic provides legal protections and institutional support — Komi is taught in schools, broadcast on regional television, and used in some official communications. However, practical language shift toward Russian continues. ELAR [2] documentation and Helsinki research [3] contribute to preserving Komi as a scholarly and community cultural resource .

Q: What is the ISO code for Komi?

Komi has ISO 639-1 code kv and ISO 639-3 code kpv (for Komi-Zyrian specifically) [1] . The presence of a two-letter ISO 639-1 code is notable — it signals Komi's relatively larger speaker community and official status compared to most endangered minority languages, which only receive three-letter ISO 639-3 codes. The code kv appears in HTML lang attributes, software localisation, and international standards. A separate ISO 639-3 code, koi, identifies Komi-Permyak — distinguishing it from Komi-Zyrian (kpv). The two-letter code kv technically covers both varieties. The Government of the Komi Republic [1] uses the ISO codes in official language policy documentation, and ELAR [2] uses kpv for tagging Komi-Zyrian language materials in its archive .

Q: What is the historical writing tradition of Komi?

Komi has one of the most remarkable writing traditions of any Uralic language. In the 14th century , Stephen of Perm — a Russian Orthodox monk — created the Old Permic script (also called Abur) specifically for Komi in order to translate liturgical texts [3] . This makes Komi one of the first minority languages of Russia to receive a dedicated writing system. The Old Permic script was used for several centuries but gradually fell out of use as Russian influence grew. In the Soviet era, Komi was written first in Latin (1918–1938), then in Cyrillic from 1938 onwards. The modern Cyrillic alphabet with Ӧ has been in use since the Soviet period, supported by the Government of the Komi Republic [1] . ELAR documentation [2] preserves materials in the modern Cyrillic standard .

Q: Where is Komi spoken?

Komi is spoken primarily in the Komi Republic [1] , a federal subject of Russia in northeastern European Russia, with Syktyvkar as its capital. The republic covers a large area of the Ural region and is known for its forests and coal resources. Komi speakers are also found in surrounding regions and in diaspora communities across Russia. Within the Komi Republic, Komi speakers are concentrated in rural areas while urban centres (particularly Syktyvkar) are dominated by Russian speakers. The Government of the Komi Republic [1] maintains Komi language institutions in Syktyvkar including the Komi Republican Academy of State Service and Administration, which conducts some activities in Komi, and Komi-language broadcasting services that reach the entire republic .

Komi Alphabet at a Glance

Komi uses a 34-letter Cyrillic alphabet with one unique letter: Ӧ (О with diaeresis) — representing a mid central vowel (schwa) that is absent from Russian and unique to the Komi Cyrillic alphabet
Komi (also called Komi-Zyrian) is a co-official language of the Komi Republic alongside Russian, spoken by approximately 130,000–170,000 people. The Government of the Komi Republic ^[1] supports the language through education, media, and cultural programmes
Komi belongs to the Permic branch of Uralic — the same branch as Udmurt, and distantly related to Finnish, Estonian, and Hungarian. Within Uralic, Permic languages separated from Finno-Samic roughly 4,000–5,000 years ago ^[3]
The Endangered Languages Archive (ELAR) ^[2] holds documentation of Komi, including recordings and transcriptions. The University of Helsinki's Finno-Ugrian studies programme ^[3] provides comparative Uralic research that places Komi within the broader family context
Komi has ISO 639-1 code kv (ISO 639-3: kpv for Komi-Zyrian), one of relatively few endangered minority languages with its own ISO 639-1 two-letter code — a marker of its official status and speaker community size compared to other endangered Uralic languages ^[1]
Komi has a rich literary tradition including the first Komi literary text — the Gospel translation by Stephen of Perm in the 14th century using the ancient Komi writing system (Old Permic script). Modern Komi literature uses the Cyrillic alphabet, supporting a contemporary literary and cultural tradition through the Komi Republic cultural institutions ^[1]

Komi Vowels

Komi has 11 vowel letters in the Cyrillic alphabet: the standard Russian vowels А, Е, Ё, И, О, У, Ы, Э, Ю, Я, plus the unique Komi vowel Ӧ (О with diaeresis — mid central vowel, schwa). This one unique letter is the most distinctive feature of the Komi Cyrillic alphabet.

The sound represented by Ӧ is a mid central vowel — the same sound as the schwa (ə) in many languages, produced in the middle position of the vowel space with a neutral lip and tongue position. This sound is very common in spoken Komi and occurs in many high-frequency words including the number ӧти (one) and the word ӧкмыс (nine) ^[3]. The University of Helsinki's Uralic research documents the role of Ӧ in Komi phonology.

[AH]

[YEH]

[YOH]

[EE]

[OH]

[UH]

[OO]

[IH]

[EH]

[YOO]

[YAH]

[AH]

as in "father"

[YEH]

as in "yet"

[YOH]

as in "yore"

[EE]

as in "see"

[OH]

as in "more"

[UH]

mid central vowel (schwa); О with diaeresis; unique to the Komi alphabet

[OO]

as in "food"

[IH]

back unrounded high vowel; as in Russian "ты"

[EH]

as in "bed"

[YOO]

as in "use"

[YAH]

as in "yard"

Komi Consonants

Komi has 21 consonant letters in the standard Cyrillic alphabet — the same consonants as Russian, without any unique consonant additions. Komi consonant phonology is well documented and includes a palatalisation distinction (hard vs. soft consonants) inherited from Permic development within Uralic.

Komi shows agglutinative morphology typical of Uralic — consonants at word boundaries participate in complex suffix systems with numerous cases for nouns. The ELAR archive ^[2] holds recorded Komi speech illustrating consonant phonetics in natural speech contexts, while Helsinki's comparative Uralic research ^[3] contextualises Komi consonantism within the broader Permic phonological development.

[B]

[V]

[G]

[D]

[ZH]

[Z]

[Y]

[K]

[L]

[M]

[N]

[P]

[R]

[S]

[T]

[F]

[KH]

[TS]

[CH]

[SH]

[SHCH]

[B]

as in "bee"

[V]

as in "vet"

[G]

as in "go"

[D]

as in "day"

[ZH]

as in "measure"

[Z]

as in "zoo"

[Y]

as in "yes"

[K]

as in "key"

[L]

as in "let"

[M]

as in "man"

[N]

as in "no"

[P]

as in "pen"

[R]

trilled r

[S]

as in "sun"

[T]

as in "top"

[F]

as in "far"; mainly in loanwords

[KH]

guttural H, as in Scottish "loch"

[TS]

as in "cats"

[CH]

as in "church"

[SH]

as in "ship"

[SHCH]

as in "fresh cheese"; mainly in Russian loanwords

Komi Special Characters

Komi Cyrillic has three "special" characters relative to standard Russian: the unique vowel Ӧ (mid central vowel), the hard sign Ъ, and the soft sign Ь. Of these, Ӧ is the defining unique letter of Komi; the hard and soft signs are shared with Russian and other Cyrillic languages.

The soft sign Ь is particularly important in Komi — it marks palatalisation of the preceding consonant, which is phonemically significant in distinguishing Komi word forms. The Government of the Komi Republic ^[1] publishes official standards for Komi Cyrillic, ensuring consistent use of all 34 letters including Ӧ in official documents, education, and public communications.

[UH]

Komi Digits

Komi uses Arabic numerals (0–9). The native Komi number words: нуль (0), ӧти (1), кык (2), куим (3), нёль (4), вит (5), квайт (6), сизим (7), кӧкъямыс (8), ӧкмыс (9).

The Komi number word кӧкъямыс (eight) is notably complex — it means "twice four" (кык "two" + ямыс derived from "four"), reflecting an ancient vigesimal (base-20) counting pattern common in Uralic languages. The University of Helsinki's Uralic research ^[3] has studied these etymological patterns as evidence of shared Proto-Uralic numerical cognates.

[нуль]

[ӧти]

[кык]

[куим]

[нёль]

[вит]

[квайт]

[сизим]

[кӧкъямыс]

[ӧкмыс]

[нуль]

Komi: нуль

[ӧти]

Komi: ӧти

[кык]

Komi: кык

[куим]

Komi: куим

[нёль]

Komi: нёль

[вит]

Komi: вит

[квайт]

Komi: квайт

[сизим]

Komi: сизим

[кӧкъямыс]

Komi: кӧкъямыс

[ӧкмыс]

Komi: ӧкмыс

Complete Komi Alphabet

A complete view of all 34 Komi Cyrillic letters in alphabetical order. The unique Komi letter Ӧ follows О in the alphabetical sequence, reflecting its phonological relationship to О. The Government of the Komi Republic ^[1] maintains the official standard for the Komi alphabet and language.

The Komi Republic has a strong tradition of Komi-language publishing, education, and broadcasting. Radio and television programmes in Komi are produced by Komi Republic state broadcasting, and Komi is taught in schools throughout the republic. ELAR ^[2] and the University of Helsinki ^[3] maintain scholarly resources that complement the official language infrastructure supporting Komi literacy and culture.

[AH]

[B]

[V]

[G]

[D]

[YEH]

[YOH]

[ZH]

[Z]

[EE]

[Y]

[K]

[L]

[M]

[N]

[OH]

[UH]

[P]

[R]

[S]

[T]

[OO]

[F]

[KH]

[TS]

[CH]

[SH]

[SHCH]

[IH]

[EH]

[YOO]

[YAH]

Expand All Collapse All

What is the Komi language?

What is Komi-Zyrian?

What is the unique Komi letter Ӧ?

How many Komi speakers are there?

What language family is Komi?

Is Komi an endangered language?

What is the ISO code for Komi?

What is the historical writing tradition of Komi?

Where is Komi spoken?

References:

[1] Government of the Komi Republic (Rkomi). "Komi Language" — official government documentation on the Komi language as a co-official language of the Komi Republic alongside Russian, including language policy, education in Komi, and support for the Komi-Zyrian speaking community of northeastern European Russia. Retrieved from Government of the Komi Republic - https://rkomi.ru/ (URL no longer accessible)
[2] Endangered Languages Archive (ELAR), SOAS University of London. "Komi Language Documentation" — archival materials, recorded speech, grammars and lexical records of the Komi language (Komi-Zyrian), preserving documentation of the Uralic language of the Komi Republic for future scholarly research. Retrieved from ELAR: Endangered Languages Archive
[3] University of Helsinki, Finnish and Finno-Ugrian Studies. "Komi Language Research" — academic research on Komi within the Finno-Ugrian language family at the University of Helsinki, covering the typology, morphology, and historical development of Komi (Komi-Zyrian) as a Permic branch language of Uralic. Retrieved from University of Helsinki: Finnish and Finno-Ugrian Studies - https://www.helsinki.fi/en/faculty-of-arts/research/fields-of-study/finnish-and-finno-ugrian-studies (URL no longer accessible)

Sambhu Raj Singh · LinkedIn · GitHub · Npm

Updated: 12 July 2026

The Komi Alphabet

Komi Alphabet at a Glance

Komi Vowels

Komi Consonants

Komi Special Characters

Komi Digits

Complete Komi Alphabet

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the Komi language?

What is Komi-Zyrian?

What is the unique Komi letter Ӧ?

How many Komi speakers are there?

What language family is Komi?

Is Komi an endangered language?

What is the ISO code for Komi?

What is the historical writing tradition of Komi?

Where is Komi spoken?

References: