If you’re just starting to learn Serbian, you might have noticed something very unique about our language.

We write using two completely different alphabets!

One of the most common questions my students ask me is: “Dragana, do I really need to learn both?”

The short answer is: yes, you do.

It’s actually very straightforward.

Serbian is a completely phonetic language. This means that every single letter makes exactly one sound.

There are no silent letters, and no confusing spelling rules like you find in English.

In this guide, I’ll explain how both alphabets work, show you the easiest way to learn them, and break down the regional differences so you know exactly which one to use.

Why does Serbian have two alphabets?

In linguistics, using two different writing systems for the exact same language is called digraphia. Serbian is the only European language that has perfect, active digraphia.

This means that the Serbian Latin alphabet (latinica) and the Serbian Cyrillic alphabet (ćirilica) are 100% equal. They have the exact same number of letters (30 letters each), and they map onto each other perfectly.

This brilliant system was finalized in the 19th century by a man named Vuk Karadžić. He reformed the Serbian language with one very simple, golden rule:

“Write as you speak, and read as it is written.”

Because of this rule, learning to read in Serbian is incredibly fast. Once you memorize the 30 sounds, you can accurately read any word in the entire language!

The Serbian latin alphabet (latinica)

For English speakers, the Serbian Latin alphabet is the easiest place to start. It uses the same letters you already know, but with a few changes.

First, the Serbian alphabet doesn’t have the letters q, w, x, or y.

Second, we have a few special letters with accent marks (called diacritics), and a few letters made of two symbols put together (called digraphs).

Here are the special Serbian Latin letters you need to know:

Here’s how a normal sentence looks in Latin:

The Serbian cyrillic alphabet (ćirilica)

The Cyrillic alphabet is the official script of Serbia. It looks similar to Russian Cyrillic, but it’s actually much simpler because it follows our “one letter, one sound” rule.

Every single letter in the Latin alphabet has an exact match in the Cyrillic alphabet.

Many Cyrillic letters look exactly the same as their Latin counterparts: A, E, J, K, M, O, T.

However, there are unique Cyrillic letters you’ll need to learn. Here’s a helpful translation table for the unique Cyrillic letters:

Here’s the exact same sentence from earlier, but written in Cyrillic. Notice how the sounds don’t change at all!

Tricky letters: “false friends” to watch out for

From a language learning perspective, the hardest part of learning Serbian Cyrillic isn’t the new symbols. It’s the “false friends.”

False friends are Cyrillic letters that look like English letters, but make a totally different sound. Your brain will automatically want to read them the English way!

Watch out for these tricksters:

• В / в - Looks like a B, but it’s actually a V.
• Р / р - Looks like a P, but it’s actually an R.
• С / с - Looks like a C, but it’s actually an S.
• Н / н - Looks like an H, but it’s actually an N.
• Х / х - Looks like an X, but it’s actually an H.
• У / у - Looks like a Y, but it’s actually a U (pronounced “oo”).

A great learning tip is to practice reading common international words (cognates) in Cyrillic to train your brain out of these bad habits.

Regional variations: which alphabet should you use?

Because Serbian is spoken across several countries in the Balkans, you might be wondering when to use which alphabet.

Here’s a quick breakdown of how the alphabets are used regionally:

In Serbia:

By the Serbian Constitution, Cyrillic is the official alphabet. You’ll see it on government buildings, official documents, street signs, and in traditional newspapers. However, Latin is used almost equally in daily life! If you’re texting a friend in Belgrade, scrolling through Serbian social media, or watching TV commercials, you’ll mostly see the Latin alphabet.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina:

In the Republika Srpska region of Bosnia, Cyrillic is highly favored and widely used for official purposes. In the rest of Bosnia, the Latin alphabet is dominant.

In Montenegro:

Both alphabets are legally equal in Montenegro. However, in modern daily life, the Latin alphabet is much more common, especially among younger generations and on the internet.

My advice for beginners:

Start by mastering the Serbian Latin alphabet first. Because you already know English, you can learn the few special Latin letters in a single afternoon. This allows you to start learning vocabulary and grammar immediately.

Once you feel comfortable speaking basic phrases, print out a Cyrillic chart and practice decoding words. Treat it like a fun secret code.