List of Cyrillic multigraphs

The following multigraphs are used in the Cyrillic script. The palatalized consonants of Russian and other languages written as C-⟨ь⟩ are mostly predictable and therefore not included here unless they are irregular. Likewise, in the languages of the Caucasus, there are numerous other predictable multigraphs that are not included. These include doubled letters (or whole digraphs) that indicate 'tense' ('strong') consonants and long vowels; sequences with ⟨в⟩, ⟨у⟩, ⟨ә⟩ for labialized consonants; and sequences with ⟨ӏ⟩ or ⟨ъ⟩ for ejective consonants or pharyngealized consonants and vowels. Tatar also has discontinuous digraphs. See Cyrillic digraphs for examples.

А Edit

⟨а а⟩:

Archi: [aː]

⟨а аӏ⟩:

Archi: [aːˤ]

⟨а н⟩:

Dungan: [æ̃]

⟨а ь⟩:

⟨аӏ⟩:

Archi: [aˤ]

В Edit

⟨в ь⟩:

Shughni: [w]

Г Edit

⟨г в⟩:

⟨г г⟩:

Tabasaran: [ɣ]

⟨г у⟩:

Adyghe: [ɡʷ]
Kabardian: [ɡʷ]
Ossetian: [ɡʷ]
Also found in several other languages where ⟨у⟩ is used for labialization (though this is a predictable effect of assimilation, and therefore does not result in a true digraph).

⟨г ў⟩:

Aleut language (Bering dialect): [w]

⟨г ъ⟩:

Abaza: [ʁ]
Adyghe: [ʁ]
Aghul: [ʁ]
Archi: [ʁ]
Avar: [ʁ]
Bezhta: [ʁ]
Crimean Tatar: [ɣ]
Dargwa: [ɣ]
Kabardian: [ʁ]
Karachay-Balkar: [ʁ]
Kumyk: [ʁ]
Lezgian: [ʁ]
Ossetian: [ʁ]
Tabasaran: [ʕ]
Tatar: word-final [ʁ]

⟨г ъ в⟩:

⟨г ъ у⟩:

⟨г ъ ь⟩:

Abaza: [ʁʲ]

⟨г ъӏ⟩:

Archi: [ʁˤ]

⟨г ъӏв⟩:

Archi: [ʁˤʷ]

⟨г ь⟩:

Abaza: [ɡʲ]
Abkhaz: [ɡʲ]
Aghul: [h]
Archi: [h]
Avar: [ɦ]
Bezhta: [h]
Dargwa: [h]
Kumyk: [h]
Lezgian: [h]
Shughni: [ɣ]
Tabasaran: [h]

⟨г ә⟩:

Abkhaz: [ɡʷ]

⟨гӏ⟩:

Abaza: [ʕ]
Aghul: [ʕ]
Archi: [ʕ]
Avar: [ʕ]
Chechen: [ɣ]
Dargwa: [ʡ]
Ingush: [ʁ]

⟨гӏв⟩:

Abaza: [ʕʷ]

Ӷ Edit

⟨ӷ ь⟩:

Abkhaz: [ʁʲ]

⟨ӷ ә⟩:

Abkhaz: [ʁʷ]

Д Edit

⟨д ж⟩

Abaza: [d͡ʒ]
Adyghe: [d͡ʒ]
Aghul: [d͡z]
Belarusian: [d͡ʐ]
Bulgarian: [d͡ʒ]
Crimean Tatar: [d͡ʒ]
Dargwa: [d͡ʒ]
Kabardian: [d͡ʒ]
Karachay-Balkar: [d͡ʒ] (Karachay); [d͡z] (Balkar)
Komi: [d͡ʒ]
Lezgian: [d͡ʒ]
Ossetian: [d͡ʒ]
Russian: [d͡ʐ]
Tabasaran: [d͡ʒ]
Ukrainian: [d͡ʒ]

⟨д ж в⟩

Abaza: [d͡ʒʷ]

⟨д ж ь⟩

Abaza: [d͡ʑ]

⟨д з⟩

⟨д з у⟩:

Adyghe: [d͡zʷ]

⟨д ч⟩:

Russian: [t͡ɕ] (though this is a predictable effect of assimilation, and therefore not a true digraph)

⟨д ь⟩:

Yakut: [d͡ʑ]

⟨д ә⟩:

Abkhaz: [dʷ]

Е Edit

⟨е е⟩

Archi: [eː]

⟨е еӏ⟩

Archi: [eːˤ]

⟨еӏ⟩

Archi: [eˤ]

Ё Edit

⟨ё н⟩:

Dungan: [jɔ̃]

⟨ё ь⟩:

Chechen: [jø]

Ж Edit

⟨ж в⟩

⟨ж д⟩:

Russian: usually not a digraph, and pronounced [ʐd] (palatalized to [ʐdʲ] before ⟨ь⟩ and palatalizing vowels). However, in the word дождь ("rain") and its derivatives, the conservative Moscow pronunciation uses the sound [ʑː] (devoiced to [ɕː] in the nominative singular of дождь). The unpalatalized pronunciation [ʐː] in these words (unlike words with ⟨жж⟩ or ⟨зж⟩) is uncommon and considered nonstandard.

⟨ж ж⟩:

Russian: usually not a digraph, and pronounced [ʐː]. However, the conservative Moscow pronunciation uses the sound [ʑː] (though this is becoming increasingly outdated).^[1]

⟨ж ч⟩:

Russian: [ɕː] (though this is a predictable effect of assimilation, and therefore not a true digraph)

⟨ж ъ⟩:

Adyghe: [ʐ]

⟨ж ъ у⟩:

Adyghe: [ʒʷ]

⟨ж ь⟩:

⟨ж ә⟩:

Abkhaz: [ʒʷ]

З Edit

⟨з в⟩ :

Archi: [zʷ]
Lezgian: [zʷ]

⟨з ж⟩

Russian: [ʐː] (regular) or [ʑː] (conservative Moscow pronunciation) (though this is a predictable effect of assimilation, and therefore not a true digraph)

⟨з ч⟩:

Russian: [ɕː] (though this is a predictable effect of assimilation, and therefore not a true digraph)

Ӡ Edit

⟨ӡ ә⟩:

Abkhaz: [d͡ʑʷ]

И Edit

⟨и и⟩ :

Archi: [iː]

⟨и иӏ⟩ :

Archi: [iːˤ]

⟨и й⟩:

Chechen: [iː]
Mongolian: [iː]

⟨иӏ⟩ :

Archi: [iˤ]

Й Edit

⟨й х⟩:

Moksha: [ç]

К Edit

⟨к в⟩:

Abaza: [kʷ]
Archi: [kʷʰ]
Lezgian: [kʷ] or [kʷʰ]
Khanty: [kʷ]

⟨к к⟩:

⟨к к в⟩:

Archi: [kːʷ]

⟨к к х⟩:

Chechen: [qː]

⟨к к ъ⟩:

Archi: [qːʼ]

⟨к к ъӏ⟩:

Archi: [qːˤʼ]

⟨к к ъӏв⟩:

Archi: [qːˤʷʼ]

⟨к у⟩:

Adyghe: [kʷ]
Kabardian: [kʷ]
Ossetian: [kʷ] or [kʷʰ]
Also found in several other languages where ⟨у⟩ is used for labialization (though this is a predictable effect of assimilation, and therefore does not result in a true digraph).

⟨к х⟩:

Chechen [q]
Ingush [q]

Trigraph Кхъ

⟨к х ъ⟩

Kabardian: [q͡χ]

⟨к х ъ у⟩

Kabardian: [q͡χʷ]

⟨к ъ⟩:

⟨к ъ в⟩:

⟨к ъ у⟩:

⟨к ъ ь⟩:

Abaza: [qʲʼ]

⟨к ъӏ⟩:

Archi: [qˤʼ]

⟨к ъӏв⟩:

Archi: [qˤʷʼ]

⟨к ь⟩:

⟨к ь в⟩:

Archi: [k͡ʟ̝̊ʷʼ]
Lezgian: [qʷʼ]

⟨к ә⟩:

Abkhaz: [kʼʷ]

⟨кӏ⟩:

⟨кӏв⟩:

⟨кӏкӏ⟩:

Avar: [kːʼ]

⟨кӏу⟩:

Adyghe: [kʷʼ]
Kabardian: [kʷʼ]

⟨кӏь⟩:

Abaza: [kʲʼ]

⟨к ʼ⟩:

Itelmen: [kʼ]
Nivkh: [kʰ]

Қ Edit

⟨қ ь⟩:

Abkhaz: [kʰʲ]

⟨қ ә⟩:

Abkhaz: [kʷʰ]

Ҟ Edit

⟨ҟ ь⟩:

Abkhaz: [qʲʼ]

⟨ҟ ә⟩:

Abkhaz: [qʼʷ]

Ӄ Edit

⟨ӄ ʼ⟩:

Itelmen: [qʼ]
Nivkh: [qʰ]

Л Edit

⟨л л ъ⟩:

Archi: [ʟ̝̊ː]

⟨л л ъ в⟩:

Archi: [ʟ̝̊ːʷ]

⟨л х⟩:

Moksha: [l̥]
Mongolian: [ɬʰ]

⟨л ъ⟩:

⟨л ъ в⟩:

Archi: [ʟ̝̊ʷ]

⟨л ъ л ъ⟩:

Avar: [ɬː]

⟨л ь⟩:

Abaza: [ɮ]

⟨лӏ⟩ :

⟨лӏв⟩ :

Archi: [k͡ʟ̝̊ʷ]

Н Edit

⟨н г⟩: ⟨н г⟩:

Karachay-Balkar: [ŋ]
Kumyk: [ɴ] or [ŋ]
Uzbek: [ŋ]

⟨н ъ⟩:

Crimean Tatar: [ŋ]

⟨н ь⟩:

Yakut: [ɲ]
In the cyrillization of Chinese it is used for a word-final [n], equivalent to pinyin ⟨n⟩.

Ң Edit

⟨ң в⟩:

Khanty: [ŋʷ]

О Edit

⟨о в⟩:

Chechen: [ɔʊ]
Ingush: [ow]

⟨о е⟩:

Selkup: [æ]

⟨о н⟩:

Dungan [aŋ]

⟨о о⟩ :

Archi: [oː]
Shughni: [oː]

⟨о оӏ⟩ :

Archi: [oːˤ]

⟨о ь⟩:

Chechen: [ø]
Kumyk: [ø]
Nogai: [ø]

⟨оӏ⟩ :

Archi: [oˤ]

П Edit

⟨п п⟩

⟨п ъ⟩:

Ossetian: [pʼ]

⟨пӏ⟩ :

⟨пӏу⟩ :

Adyghe: [pʷʼ]

⟨п ʼ⟩:

Itelmen: [pʼ]
Nivkh: [pʰ]

Р Edit

⟨р х⟩:

Moksha: [r̥]

⟨р хӏ⟩:

Chechen: [r̥]
Ingush [r̥]

С Edit

⟨с в⟩:

Archi: [sʷ]
Lezgian: [sʷ]

⟨с ж⟩:

Russian: [ʐː] (though this is a predictable effect of assimilation, and therefore not a true digraph)

⟨с с⟩:

Aghul: [sː]
Archi: [sː]
Avar: [sː]
Chechen: [sː]

⟨с щ⟩:

Russian: [ɕː] (though this is a predictable effect of assimilation, and therefore not a true digraph)

Т Edit

⟨т в⟩ :

Archi: [tʷʰ]
Lezgian: [tʷ] or [tʷʰ]

⟨т л⟩ :

Abaza: [ɬ]

⟨т т⟩:

⟨т ч⟩:

Russian: [t͡ɕ] (though this is a predictable effect of assimilation, and therefore not a true digraph)

⟨т ш⟩:

Abaza: [t͡ʃ]
Komi: [t͡ʃ]

⟨т ъ⟩:

Ossetian: [tʼ]

⟨т ә⟩:

Abkhaz: [tʼʷ]

⟨тӏ⟩:

⟨тӏв⟩ :

Lezgian: [tʷʼ]

⟨тӏу⟩:

Adyghe: [tʷʼ]

⟨т ʼ⟩:

Itelmen: [tʼ]
Nivkh: [tʰ]

Ҭ Edit

⟨ҭ ә⟩:

Abkhaz: [tʷʰ]

У Edit

⟨у в⟩:

Chechen: [uː]
Ingush: [uw]

⟨у о⟩:

Shughni: [ɵ]

⟨у у⟩ :

Archi: [uː]
Shughni: [uː]

⟨у уӏ⟩ :

Archi: [uːˤ]

⟨у ь⟩:

Aghul: [y]
Chechen: [y]
Kumyk: [y]
Lezgian: [y]
Nogai: [y]
Tabasaran: [y]

⟨у ь й⟩:

Chechen: [yː]

⟨уӏ⟩ :

Archi: [uˤ]

Ү Edit

⟨ү й⟩:

Turkmen: (until 1993, in that year the Turkmen alphabet became Latin) [yː]

Ф Edit

⟨ф ф⟩:

Aghul: [fː]

⟨фӏ⟩:

Abaza: [fʼ]
Kabardian: [fʼ]

Х Edit

⟨х в⟩:

Abaza: [χʷ]
Archi: [χʷ]
Lezgian: [χʷ]
Khanty: [χʷ] or [xv]

⟨х у⟩:

Kabardian: [xʷ]
Ossetian: [χʷ]

⟨х х⟩:

⟨х х в⟩:

Archi: [χːʷ]

⟨х х ьӏ⟩:

Archi: [χːˤ]

⟨х х ьӏв⟩:

Archi: [χːˤʷ]

⟨х ъ⟩:

⟨х ъ в⟩:

⟨х ъ у⟩:

⟨х ъӏ⟩:

Archi: [qˤʰ]

⟨х ъӏв⟩:

Archi: [qˤʷʰ]

⟨х ь⟩:

Abaza: [χʲ]
Abkhaz: [χʲ]
Adyghe: [ħ]
Aghul: [x]
Avar: [x]
Chechen: [ʜ]
Dargwa: [ç]
Ingush: [ʜ]
Kabardian: [ħ]
Lezgian: [x]
Tabasaran: [x]

⟨х ь в⟩:

Lezgian: [xʷ]

⟨х ь х ь⟩:

Aghul: [xː]
Avar: [xː]

⟨х ьӏ⟩:

Archi: [χˤ]

⟨х ьӏв⟩:

Archi: [χˤʷ]

⟨х ә⟩:

Abkhaz: [χʷ]

⟨хӏ⟩:

Abaza: [ħ]
Aghul: [ħ]
Archi: [ʜ]
Avar: [ʜ]
Chechen: [h]
Dargwa: [ʁ]
Ingush [h]

⟨хӏв⟩:

Abaza: [ħʷ]

Ҳ Edit

⟨ҳ ә⟩:

Abkhaz: [ħʷ]

Ц Edit

⟨ц в⟩ :

Archi: [t͡sʷ]
Lezgian: [t͡sʷ] or [t͡sʷʰ]

⟨ц з⟩:

In the cyrillization of Chinese it is used for [t͡s] and [t͡ɕ], equivalent to pinyin ⟨z⟩ and, before an iotated vowel, ⟨j⟩.

⟨ц у⟩:

Adyghe: [t͡sʷ]

⟨ц ц⟩:

⟨ц цӏ⟩:

Archi: [t͡sːʼ]

⟨ц ъ⟩:

Ossetian: [t͡sʼ]

⟨ц ә⟩:

Abkhaz: [t͡ɕʷ]

⟨цӏ⟩:

⟨цӏв⟩ :

Lezgian: [t͡sʷʼ]

⟨цӏцӏ⟩:

Avar: [t͡sːʼ]

Ҵ Edit

⟨ҵ ә⟩:

Abkhaz: [t͡ɕʷʼ]

Ч Edit

⟨ч в⟩:

⟨ч ж⟩:

In the cyrillization of Chinese it is used for [t͡ʂ], equivalent to pinyin ⟨zh⟩.

⟨ч ч⟩:

⟨ч ъ⟩:

Adyghe: [t͡ʂ]
Ossetian: [t͡ʃʼ]

⟨чӏ⟩:

⟨чӏв⟩:

Abaza: [t͡ʃʷʼ]
Archi: [t͡ʃʷʼ]

⟨чӏчӏ⟩:

Avar: [t͡ʃːʼ]

⟨ч ʼ⟩:

Itelmen: [t͡ʃʼ]

Џ Edit

⟨џ ь⟩:

Abkhaz: [d͡ʒ]

Ш Edit

⟨ш в⟩:

⟨ш ч⟩:

Russian: [ɕː] (though this is a predictable effect of assimilation, and therefore not a true digraph)

⟨ш ъ⟩:

Adyghe: [ʂ]

⟨ш ъ у⟩:

Adyghe: [ʃʷ]

⟨ш ь⟩:

Abkhaz: [ʃ]

⟨ш ә⟩:

Abkhaz: [ʃʷ]

⟨шӏ⟩:

Abaza: [t͡ʃʼ]
Adyghe: [ʃʼ]

⟨шӏу⟩:

Adyghe: [ʃʷʼ]

Щ Edit

⟨щ в⟩:

Archi: [ʃːʷ]

⟨щӏ⟩:

Kabardian: [ɕʼ]

Ы Edit

⟨ыӏ⟩:

Tsakhur: [ɨˤ]

Э Edit

⟨э й⟩:

Shughni: [ɛj]

⟨э р⟩:

Dungan: [aɻ]

⟨э э⟩:

Archi: [eː]
Shughni: [eː]

⟨э эӏ⟩:

Archi: [eːˤ]

⟨эӏ⟩:

Archi: [eˤ]

Ю Edit

⟨ю й⟩:

In the cyrillization of Chinese it is used for [y], equivalent to pinyin ⟨yu⟩.

⟨ю ь⟩:

Chechen: [jy]

Я Edit

⟨я н⟩:

Dungan: [jæ̃]

⟨я ь⟩:

Chechen: [jæ]
Ingush [jæ]

ӏ Edit

⟨ӏу⟩:

Adyghe: [ʔʷ]
Kabardian: [ʔʷ]

References Edit

^ Yanushevskaya, Irena; Bunčić, Daniel (2015), "Russian", Journal of the International Phonetic Association, 45 (2): 224, doi:10.1017/S0025100314000395

[1] Yanushevskaya, Irena; Bunčić, Daniel (2015), "Russian", Journal of the International Phonetic Association, 45 (2): 224, doi:10.1017/S0025100314000395

[1]