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Croatian alphabet: all 30 letters with names and audio
By Bok! · Checked on 1 November 2026
Short answer
The Croatian alphabet has 30 letters. 27 are single letters and 3 are written with two signs: dž, lj and nj. Each of these three counts as one letter. Croatian uses the Latin script, so most letters look like English letters. The new ones are č, ć, dž, đ, lj, nj, š and ž. Below you find all 30 letters with their names, the hard letters with audio, and a short reading practice with work words.
This guide goes deeper than the letters part of our Croatian language for beginners guide. Start there if you are completely new to Croatian.
The 30 letters at a glance
This is the order of the letters in the Croatian spelling guide (Hrvatski pravopis, Institute of Croatian Language and Linguistics). The names are the names the spelling guide gives. You need the names when you spell something, for example your surname at an office: Kako se piše vaše prezime? (How do you spell your surname?)
| # | Letter | Name | Example from Bok! lessons |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A a | a | adresa (address) |
| 2 | B b | be | Bok! (Hi! / Bye!) |
| 3 | C c | ce | ulica (street) |
| 4 | Č č | če | četiri (4) |
| 5 | Ć ć | će | Laku noć. (Good night.) |
| 6 | D d | de | Dobar dan. (Good day. / Hello.) |
| 7 | Dž dž | dže | not in our lessons yet |
| 8 | Đ đ | đe | Doviđenja. (Goodbye.) |
| 9 | E e | e | e-pošta / e-mail (e-mail) |
| 10 | F f | ef | Filipinac (Filipino man) |
| 11 | G g | ge | Gdje radite? (Where do you work?) |
| 12 | H h | ha | Hvala. (Thank you.) |
| 13 | I i | i | ime (first name) |
| 14 | J j | je | jedan (1) |
| 15 | K k | ka | Kako ste? (How are you?) |
| 16 | L l | el | liječnik (doctor) |
| 17 | Lj lj | elj | ljekarna (pharmacy) |
| 18 | M m | em | Molim. (Please. / You're welcome.) |
| 19 | N n | en | nula (0) |
| 20 | Nj nj | enj | datum rođenja (date of birth) |
| 21 | O o | o | osam (8) |
| 22 | P p | pe | pet (5) |
| 23 | R r | er | rujan (September) |
| 24 | S s | es | sedam (7) |
| 25 | Š š | eš | šef (boss) |
| 26 | T t | te | tri (3) |
| 27 | U u | u | utorak (Tuesday) |
| 28 | V v | ve | veljača (February) |
| 29 | Z z | ze | Zabranjen ulaz (No entry) |
| 30 | Ž ž | že | ožujak (March) |
Some notes from the spelling guide:
- q, w, x and y are not among the 30 letters. They are used when you write foreign names and words. In alphabetical order, q comes after p, and w, x and y come after v.
- The names će, dže, đe, elj, enj and eš are, as a rule, not used; the guide lists them for completeness.
- dž, lj and nj are one letter each. When a whole word is in capitals, you write both signs as capitals: DŽ, LJ, NJ. At the start of a sentence or a name, only the first sign is a capital: Dž, Lj, Nj.
The example words come from Bok! lessons. We do not add new Croatian sentences here.
The hard letters: č, ć, dž, đ, lj, nj, š, ž
These eight letters are new for most learners. Watch the pairs: the spelling guide lists č and ć as two different sounds, and dž and đ as two different sounds. Learn them as pairs from the start.
The hints below are rough English comparisons from our lesson 4. They are only a help to start. Listen to the audio and copy it.
These hints are teaching aids, not an official description of Croatian sounds. The č/ć and dž/đ hints are simplified.
| Letter (name) | Rough English hint | Example from Bok! lessons | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| č (če) | like "ch" in "church" | Smjena počinje u šest sati. (The shift starts at six o'clock.) | Different from ć. The spelling guide lists them as two sounds. |
| ć (će) | a softer "ch" | Trebam pomoć. (I need help.) Laku noć. (Good night.) | Different from č. |
| dž (dže) | like "j" in "jam" | – | One letter written with two signs. No word with dž is in our lessons yet. |
| đ (đe) | a softer "dž" | datum rođenja (date of birth) Doviđenja. (Goodbye.) | Different from dž. |
| lj (elj) | like "lli" in "million" | ljekarna (pharmacy) ponedjeljak (Monday) | One letter written with two signs. |
| nj (enj) | like "ny" in "canyon" | država rođenja (country of birth) | One letter written with two signs. |
| š (eš) | like "sh" | Koliko košta? (How much does it cost?) šef (boss) | – |
| ž (že) | like "s" in "measure" | Možete li ponoviti, molim? (Can you repeat, please?) država rođenja (country of birth) | – |
Do not leave out the marks on top of the letters. č, ć, š, ž and đ are separate letters, not decorated c, s, z or d. Write them on forms, too.
Read it like you say it
A simple method for beginners:
- Look at every letter. Read each letter in the word, from left to right. Do not skip letters.
- Do not read the English way. For example, the Croatian c is not "k". Our lesson 4 hint compares it to "ts". The Croatian j is close to "y" in "yes".
- Treat dž, lj and nj as one letter. Say them as one sound, not two.
- Listen, then copy. Play the audio, say the word out loud, and play it again.
- Write it by hand. Copy the word with all the marks. This helps you remember č, ć, š, ž and đ.
If you do not use Latin letters at home, give yourself extra time for this part. Ten minutes a day with the letters is a good start.
Practice: read 10 work words
Read each word or sign out loud. Then find the new letters (č, ć, dž, đ, lj, nj, š, ž). All ten come from the free Bok! lessons 1 to 4. Some have audio.
| # | Word or sign | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | šef | – |
| 2 | ljekarna | – |
| 3 | liječnik | – |
| 4 | Izlaz | – |
| 5 | Zabranjeno pušenje | – |
| 6 | Hitna pomoć | – |
| 7 | autobusno stajalište | |
| 8 | ponedjeljak | – |
| 9 | Doviđenja. | – |
| 10 | Ispunite obrazac. |
Show the answers
- šef (boss): š
- ljekarna (pharmacy): lj
- liječnik (doctor): č
- Izlaz (Exit): no new letter, but read every letter as it is written
- Zabranjeno pušenje (No smoking): nj, š
- Hitna pomoć (ambulance / emergency medical service): ć
- autobusno stajalište (bus stop): š
- ponedjeljak (Monday): lj
- Doviđenja. (Goodbye.): nj, đ
- Ispunite obrazac. (Fill in the form.): no new letter, but read every letter as it is written
For more words for the building site, hotel, kitchen and safety signs, see Croatian words for work.
Why the alphabet matters for the A1.1 exam
The Constitution says that the Croatian language and the Latin script are in official use in the Republic of Croatia (article 12).
From 4 June 2027, many workers who have been in Croatia for at least one year on a residence-and-work permit need a Croatian A1.1 exam. The law calls it an exam in Croatian language and Latin script (ispit poznavanja hrvatskog jezika i latiničnog pisma, Law on Foreigners, article 92.a, added by NN 55/2026). For who must take it and who pays, see Croatian A1.1 exam for your work permit.
The law does not say how the Latin script is checked in the exam. A rulebook will set how the exam is taken (article 92.a, paragraph 9); see our work-permit guide for its status. Learn the letters because you need them to read signs and forms and to learn Croatian, not because we know what the exam will ask.
To check your listening, try our free A1.1 Croatian practice test with audio (practice only, not the real exam).
Bok! explains Croatian in your language: Nepali · Tagalog · Hindi · English. Are you an employer? See Bok! for employers.
Learn the letters with Bok! Short Croatian lessons with audio and quizzes, explained in Nepali, Tagalog, Hindi or English. Bok! is preparation only: it is not the exam and it does not replace it.
FAQ
How many letters are in the Croatian alphabet?
30. The Croatian spelling guide lists 27 single letters and 3 letters written with two signs: dž, lj and nj.
Are q, w, x and y in the Croatian alphabet?
They are not among the 30 letters. The spelling guide says they are used for foreign names and words. In alphabetical order, q comes after p, and w, x and y come after v.
Is dž one letter or two?
One letter, written with two signs. The same is true for lj and nj. In a word written all in capitals you write DŽ; at the start of a sentence or a name you write Dž.
What is the difference between č and ć?
The spelling guide lists them as two different sounds. Our lesson 4 hint: č is like "ch" in "church", ć is a softer "ch". This is only a rough hint; listen to the audio and copy it.
Does the A1.1 exam test the Croatian alphabet?
The law calls it an exam in Croatian language and Latin script (Law on Foreigners, art. 92.a). It does not say how the script is checked; a rulebook will set how the exam is taken (para 9). Bok! is preparation only.
Sources
- Institute of Croatian Language and Linguistics (IHJJ), Hrvatski pravopis, "2. Slova" (letters, names, order, q/w/x/y, capitals of dž/lj/nj): pravopis.hr/slova/
- Hrvatski pravopis, rules for č, ć, dž and đ: pravopis.hr/pravilo/glas-c/1/, pravopis.hr/pravilo/glas-c/2/, pravopis.hr/pravilo/glas-dz/3/, pravopis.hr/pravilo/glas-dj/4/
- Constitution of the Republic of Croatia (consolidated text), NN 85/2010, art. 12: narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2010_07_85_2422.html
- Law on the Amendments to the Law on Foreigners, NN 55/2026 (new art. 92.a): narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2026_05_55_692.html
- Croatian examples and English sound hints: Bok! lessons 1 to 4 (native-speaker review pending).
Checked on 1 November 2026.
This guide is general language help, not legal advice. The exam rules are in the law and can change; check the sources above. Bok! is preparation only.