An alphabet with an author and a date
Few alphabets have a known inventor. Armenian does: it was designed by Mesrop Mashtots, a monk and scholar, around 405 AD. His aim was for Armenians to read the Bible and the liturgy in their own language, and written Armenian literature was born with it.
The original system had 36 letters. In the Middle Ages two more were added, Օ (o) and Ֆ (f), for sounds in foreign words. That is why people usually speak of 38 letters today. The 1922–1924 spelling reform in Soviet Armenia also counted the ligature և (yev) as a letter, so in that spelling there are 39. Western Armenians and Armenians in Iran kept the classical spelling.
What the letters look like
Armenian letters have capitals and lower case, are written left to right and, in their classical forms, mix curves and straight strokes with great character. Some look like Latin letters, but they are false friends:
- Ս looks like a U but sounds s.
- Ո looks like a rounded capital n and sounds vo or o.
- Օ really does sound o.
On our initial pendant page you will find the full table of all 38 letters with their names and sounds.
The first letters
| Letter | Name | Sound |
|---|---|---|
| Ա ա | ayb | a |
| Բ բ | ben | b |
| Գ գ | gim | g |
| Դ դ | da | d |
| Ե ե | yech | e / ye |
| Զ զ | za | z |
| Մ մ | men | m |
| Ս ս | se | s |
How to choose your initial
The rule is simple: choose by sound, not by spelling. Anna begins with Ա, Sophie with Ս, Mark with Մ, Gabriel with Գ, Elena with Ե. Some sounds have more than one option in Armenian (there are two letters for “t”, two for “r”, two for “k”), and that is where taste comes in: we pick the one that best represents the name and the shape you like most.
If the person has an Armenian name, we use their Armenian initial directly. If a name begins with a sound Armenian does not have, we find the closest letter together.
A letter as a jewel
For Armenian families, wearing a letter of the alphabet is a way of carrying the language with you. It is a common gift for baptisms, birthdays and anniversaries. For someone who does not read Armenian, the letter works as a personal symbol: a beautiful form whose meaning only the wearer knows.
Momik draws every letter by hand, drawing on the calligraphy of Armenian manuscripts, and adapts it to the size of a pendant or a signet ring. He then models it in 3D, and the family workshop in Yerevan lost-wax casts it and finishes it by hand.
Frequently asked questions
How many letters are in the Armenian alphabet?
38 in everyday use: Mesrop Mashtots' original 36 plus Օ and Ֆ, added in the Middle Ages. The 1922–1924 spelling reform also counts և as a letter.
Who created the Armenian alphabet?
Mesrop Mashtots, an Armenian monk and scholar, around 405 AD.
What is the first letter?
Ա (ayb), pronounced like the "a" in "father".
How do I know which Armenian letter matches my name?
Choose by the first sound of the name. For example: Anna → Ա, Sophie → Ս, Mark → Մ, Elena → Ե.