Armenian Alphabet Site

How a 1,600-year-old alphabet shaped Armenian identity - BBC

: Originally consisting of 36 letters, the modern alphabet now includes 39 letters (31 consonants and 8 vowels) after additions in the 12th century.

: While the alphabet is identical, Eastern and Western Armenian dialects vary in how certain letters are pronounced. Essential Phrases for Beginners armenian alphabet

: Armenian is highly phonetic; once the letters are learned, pronunciation is very predictable as each letter generally corresponds to one sound.

: Historically, each letter also held a numerical value , allowing the alphabet to be used for mathematical calculations and recording dates. How a 1,600-year-old alphabet shaped Armenian identity -

: The alphabet is so revered that a dedicated Alphabet Monument exists near Mount Aragats, featuring massive stone sculptures of each letter. Unique Characteristics

: The script is visually independent, not resembling Latin, Cyrillic, or Arabic scripts, though its left-to-right direction was influenced by Greek. : Historically, each letter also held a numerical

: Շնորհակալություն ( Shnorhakalutyun )—though many colloquially use "merci".