The Croatian Alphabet

Pronunciation & Writing

Curious about Croatian letters and sounds? Our beginner-friendly guide breaks down the 30-letter Croatian alphabet, unique pronunciation rules, and essential differences between tricky sounds like č vs ć and dž vs đ. Whether you’re just starting or fine-tuning your skills, this introduction will help you build a strong foundation in spoken and written Croatian.

Alphabet

Who Speaks Croatian?

Croatian is a South Slavic language primarily spoken in Croatia, but it’s also widely understood in Bosnia, Serbia, and Montenegro. It’s the official language of Croatia, so if you’re traveling or communicating with people from any of these neighboring countries, you’ll find it easy to understand each other.

What About Dialects?

Although Croatia is relatively small, it has three main dialects. A person from northern Croatia might struggle to understand someone from the island of Lastovo simply because they’re speaking a different dialect!

Here’s a quick breakdown:

  • Čakavian: Spoken along the Croatian coast, on many islands, and in the Lika region.
  • Kajkavian: Spoken in northern and northwestern Croatia.
  • Štokavian: The most widely spoken, covering most of the country.

In our guide, we focus on the standard literary language, which is based on the New Štokavian Ijekavian pronunciation. Your family or friends might use a different variant at home, though—ask them about it and see how their vocabulary differs!

The Croatian Alphabet

The Croatian alphabet has 30 letters, but don’t worry—there’s no tricky “q,” “w,” “x,” or “y” here! Instead, we have some extra letters that make Croatian unique:

Additional Croatian letters:

  • č
  • ć
  • đ
  • lj
  • nj
  • š
  • ž

Here’s a guide to help you get familiar with Croatian pronunciation:

LetterPronunciationExampleTranslation
A/a/ (“past”)centarcenter
B/b/ (“bat”)bakagrandma
C/ts/ (“hats“)biciklbike
Č/tʃ/ (“chalk”)čokoladachocolate
Ć/tɕ/ (“church”)noćnight
D/d/ (“day”)danday
/dʒ/ (“fudge”)džeppocket
Đ/dʑ/ (“schedule” – American English)đavaodevil
E/e/ (“let”)mesomeat
F/f/ (“film”)filmfilm
G/ɡ/ (“game”)garažagarage
H/x/ (“heaven”)duhantobacco
I/i/ (“east”)internetinternet
J/j/ (“yes”)jabukaapple
K/k/ (“cut”)kinocinema
L/l/ (“love”)mlijekomilk
Lj/ʎ/ (“million”)ljubavlove
M/m/ (“mice”)moresea
N/n/ (“nice”)novacmoney
Nj/ɲ/ (“canyon”)NjemačkaGermany
O/o/ (“opera”)operaopera
P/p/ (“pick”)prstfinger
R/r/ (“Fritz” – rolled “r”)prstfinger
S/s/ (“sound”)salatasalad, lettuce
Š/ʃ/ (“shut”)školaschool
T/t/ (“time”)tišinasilence
U/u/ (“shoot”)uhoear
V/ʋ/ (“vest”)vrijemetime, weather
Z/z/ (“zest”)zimawinter
Ž/ʒ/ (“measure”)žabafrog

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Special Croatian Sounds

Let’s look at some special Croatian letters and their unique sounds. Don’t worry – they might seem tricky at first, but with some practice, you’ll get the hang of it.

One Letter, Two Characters: nj, lj, and dž

Three of the Croatian letters are combinations of two familiar letters (digraphs), and they work together to create unique sounds:

  • nj: pronounced like “ni” in “minion”
  • lj: sounds like “lli” in “million”
  • : similar to “j” in “joy” (but with a slightly harder sound)

Even though these are combinations, they are considered single letters in Croatian. For example:

  • ljeto (→ summer) has four letters (not five, because “lj” counts as one).
  • njiva (→ field) has four letters, 
  • and džep (→ pocket) has three.

Spot the Difference: č ≠ ć and dž ≠ đ

One common area of confusion for Croatian learners is the difference between some similar-looking letters: č vs ć and dž vs đ. It can be tricky at first, but once you understand the distinction, it becomes much easier to pronounce.

The Letters č and ć

  • č is the “hard” version, sounding like “ch” in “charm.”
  • ć is “soft,” and though it doesn’t have a direct English equivalent, it’s close to the “t” sound in British English “tune” (pronounced like “ty”).

The Letters dž and đ

  • sounds like “j” in “joy,” but with a harder tone.

đ doesn’t have a direct English equivalent but is somewhat like the “d” in British English “duke” or the “d” in American English “schedule” (pronounced “dy”).

Quick Tip:

For soft sounds (ć, đ), your tongue should be right behind your front teeth. For harder sounds (č, dž), move your tongue further back along the roof of your mouth.

While it’s important to recognize these differences, it’s worth noting some Croatian speakers don’t make a strong distinction between the sounds in everyday speech. But it’s always helpful to practice getting them right!

Last But Not Least: š and ž

No confusion here! These sounds are easy to remember:

  • š sounds like “sh” in “shoe.”
  • ž sounds like “s” in “measure.”

Pronouncing Croatian

One of the best things about Croatian is that it’s a phonetic language. Every letter represents a single sound, and there are no silent letters. Once you learn the basic sounds, you’ll find Croatian words pretty easy to pronounce.

A few helpful reminders:

  • Every letter is pronounced clearly.
  • There are no silent letters.
  • The pronunciation of each letter stays the same, no matter where it appears in the word.

With a solid understanding of Croatian pronunciation and reading, you’ve taken an essential first step toward speaking and understanding the language more easily. This foundation will help you communicate more naturally as you continue learning.


Language guide

Explore grammar and learning tips in our Croatian language guide.

  • Croatian Diminutive Nouns

    Love & Relationships

    Add warmth to your speech with Croatian diminutives – learn how to form affectionate and cute versions of nouns.

  • Croatian Imperative

    Grammar Essentials

    Want to give a command or make a polite request? This guide teaches how to use and soften the imperative in Croatian.

  • Croatian Noun Gender: Masculine, Feminine & Neuter Explained

    Grammar Essentials

    Every noun in Croatian has a gender – learn to recognize masculine, feminine, and neuter forms with helpful patterns.

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