The alphabet at a glance
Albanian uses a Latin-based alphabet with 36 letters. Several are digraphs treated as full letters: dh, gj, ll, nj, rr, sh, th, xh and zh.
Sounds worth learning first
Focus on ë (a relaxed central vowel), q and gj (soft palatal sounds), rr (strong rolled r), and xh (similar to the sound in “jam”). Reading becomes surprisingly regular once these are familiar.
A useful habit
Read short words aloud rather than memorising letter names in isolation. Albanian spelling is much more predictable than English spelling.
Quick reference
| sh | like “sh” in ship |
| xh | like “j” in jam |
| th | like “th” in thin |
| nj | similar to “ny” in canyon |
| ë | unstressed central vowel |
Continue with the interactive lesson
Use the lesson to practise the same topic with exercises and progression.