Finnish alphabet facts for kids
The Finnish language uses an alphabet with 29 letters. It's mostly based on the Latin alphabet, which is what English uses too. But Finnish has some special letters that make it unique! Learning about these letters helps us understand how Finnish words are spelled and pronounced.
What Letters Does Finnish Use?
The Finnish alphabet includes these 29 letters: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z, Å, Ä, and Ö.
You might notice that most of these letters are the same as in the English alphabet. However, Finnish also has three special letters: Å, Ä, and Ö. These are very important for Finnish words.
Letters That Are Less Common
Some letters in the Finnish alphabet are not used very often. These usually appear in words that Finnish has borrowed from other languages, called loanwords.
For example, the letters B, C, F, and G are mostly found in newer loanwords. However, the letter G is also part of a special sound in native Finnish words when it's combined with N, like in "NG".
Other letters are even rarer. Q, Š, W, X, Z, and Ž are hardly ever used in Finnish words. The letter Å is also quite rare in Finnish itself, but it's important for names and words from Swedish, especially in areas where Swedish is also spoken, like the Åland Islands.
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