Turkish (Türkçe) is a Turkic language spoken primarily in Turkey and Northern Cyprus. It belongs to the Oghuz branch of the Turkic language family and has been written in the Latin script since 1928, replacing the Ottoman Turkish alphabet.
Today, Turkish is spoken by approximately 88 million native speakers and about 90 million total speakers worldwide. It is the official language of Turkey and Northern Cyprus and is spoken by minority communities in several Balkan countries.
The Turkish alphabet has 29 letters – 8 vowels and 21 consonants. Unlike English, Turkish does not use the letters Q, W, and X. It includes unique letters like ç, ğ, ı (dotless i), ş, ö, and ü.
Below is the breakdown of all letters and characters used in Turkish.
Turkish Vowel Letters
The Turkish alphabet has 8 vowel letters: a, e, ı (dotless i), i (dotted i), o, ö, u, ü. The distinction between ı and i is unique to Turkish and crucial for correct pronunciation and spelling.
Turkish Vowels (Lowercase)
Turkish Vowels (Uppercase)
Turkish-Specific Letters
Turkish has 6 letters not found in English: ç (che), ğ (yumuşak ge), ı (dotless i), ş (şe), ö, and ü. These letters are essential for proper Turkish spelling and pronunciation. Note that Turkish does not use Q, W, or X.
Turkish-Specific Letters (Lowercase)
Turkish-Specific Letters (Uppercase)
Turkish Vowel Harmony
Turkish follows vowel harmony rules where vowels in suffixes must harmonize with the vowels in the root word. Vowels are classified as front/back (e, i, ö, ü vs a, ı, o, u) and rounded/unrounded (o, ö, u, ü vs a, e, ı, i).
This harmony system is fundamental to Turkish grammar and word formation.
Turkish Consonant Letters
Turkish has 21 consonant letters. The soft g (ğ) is special – it lengthens the preceding vowel and is never pronounced as a hard consonant.
Turkish consonants are generally pronounced as they are written, making Turkish spelling quite phonetic.
Turkish Consonants (Lowercase)
Turkish Consonants (Uppercase)
Special Characters in Turkish
Turkish writing uses punctuation marks and symbols including period (.), comma (,), question mark (?), exclamation (!), and quotation marks. Turkish also uses the Turkish Lira symbol (₺).
Turkish punctuation rules are similar to those used in other Latin script languages.
Digits in Turkish
Turkish uses the standard Arabic numerals 0–9, with Turkish number names: sıfır, bir, iki, üç, dört, beş, altı, yedi, sekiz, dokuz.
Like many European languages, Turkish uses comma (,) as the decimal separator.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many letters are in Turkish?
The Turkish alphabet has 29 letters: 8 vowels (a, e, ı, i, o, ö, u, ü) and 21 consonants. Turkish does not use the letters Q, W, and X.
What is the dotless i in Turkish?
The dotless i (ı) is a unique feature of Turkish. It is different from the dotted i (i). The uppercase of ı is I (dotless), while the uppercase of i is İ (dotted). This distinction is crucial for correct spelling and pronunciation.
What is vowel harmony in Turkish?
Vowel harmony is a rule where vowels in suffixes must harmonize with root word vowels. Vowels are classified as front/back and rounded/unrounded. This system affects how words are formed and conjugated in Turkish.
Where is Turkish spoken?
Turkish is primarily spoken in Turkey and Northern Cyprus. It is also spoken by minority communities in Bulgaria, Greece, North Macedonia, Romania, and other Balkan countries.
How many people speak Turkish?
Turkish is spoken by approximately 88 million native speakers and about 90 million total speakers worldwide, making it one of the most widely spoken Turkic languages.
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