Learning Georgian
How long does it take to learn the Georgian alphabet?
The short answer
Most people can read Georgian slowly after one to two weeks of 10 to 15 minutes a day. There are 33 letters, each with one sound and no capitals, so once you know them you can sound out any word, even one you’ve never seen.
Why it’s quicker than it looks
Unlike English, Georgian is written exactly as it’s said: no silent letters and no spelling rules on top. And because the letters look nothing like Latin or Cyrillic, there are no false friends to unlearn.
A plan that works
Take the letters in small groups of five or six, starting with the ones in words you see every day. Read real words as soon as you know enough letters for them: metro stations, shop signs, menus. Come back to the letters you mix up (the three k sounds, თ and ტ) until they’re easy.
The hardest letters
Not the shapes but the sounds: the ejectives (კ, პ, ტ, წ, ჭ, ყ) and ღ, ყ and ხ, made further back in the throat. Hear each one next to the letter it’s easy to confuse it with.
Words to hear
Checked October 2026.