Three sounds from the throat and back

One letter, two cases

Ukrainian uses 33 Cyrillic letters, read from left to right. Capitals start sentences and names. These lessons use upright print: handwriting and italics can look different. A letter name is a label; the sound cue tells you how to read it. The soft sign is a letter but has no sound of its own.

he

Г г makes a voiced h-like sound. Ґ ґ has an extra upturn and makes hard g.

г

he

ge

Ґ ґ makes hard g, as in go. Look for the small upturn that distinguishes it from Г г.

ґ

ge

kha

Х х is the friction sound in Scottish loch, not ks. Compare Г г, voiced h, and Ґ ґ, hard g.

х

kha