Script guide › Cyrillic
How to recognize Kyrgyz
Kyrgyz is one of 8 languages in Grafle's Cyrillic group. Here's what it looks like, where you'll see it on signs, and how to tell it apart from its lookalikes.
Spot it fast
- Adds only ң, ө, ү to Russian's alphabet — far fewer extras than Kazakh (no қ, ғ, ә).
What Kyrgyz looks like
Бардык адамдар эркин, кадыр-баркта тең укуктуу болуп жаралат.
Саламатсызбы! Көрүшкөнчө, жакшы калыңыз!
Билим — түгөнбөс байлык.
Cyrillic scripts: Look for reversed-looking letters like я and и, plus shapes like ж, д, б, ч.
Where you'll see it on signs
- Kyrgyzstan
Easy to confuse with
- Kazakh — Kazakh piles on қ, ә and і — bars and hooks everywhere. Kyrgyz adds only ң, ө, ү to the Russian set.
- Mongolian — Both add ң/ө/ү-style letters — Mongolian is the one with constant doubled vowels: уу, ээ, өө.