View source for Cyrillic script

{{Short description|Writing system used for various Eurasian languages}}
{{Redirect2|Cyrillic|Cyrillic alphabet|the national variants of the Cyrillic script|Cyrillic alphabets|other uses|Cyrillic (disambiguation)}}
{{More citations needed|date=January 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{Infobox writing system
| name        = Cyrillic script
| type        = [[Alphabet]]
| time        = [[early Cyrillic alphabet|Earliest variants]] exist {{circa|893}}<ref name="Auty">Auty, R. ''Handbook of Old Church Slavonic, Part II: Texts and Glossary.'' 1977.</ref> – {{circa|940}}
| direction   = Left-to-right
| languages   = See [[Cyrillic alphabets|Languages using Cyrillic]]
| official script = {{Collapsible list
  |title = 7 sovereign states<!-- The official script of Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan is Latin, as is clear from the articles about those countries so any different status will need reliable sources. -->
 |{{flag|Belarus}}
 |{{flag|Bulgaria}}
 |{{flag|Kyrgyzstan}}
 |{{flag|Russia}}
 |{{flag|Serbia}}{{Efn|The Serbian language can be written in both Cyrillic and Latin script. Only Cyrillic script is used in official documents.}}
 |{{flag|Ukraine}}
 |{{flag|Tajikistan}}
 |'''3 partially recognised states'''
 |{{flag|Abkhazia}}
 |{{flag|South Ossetia}}
 |{{flag|Transnistria}}
 }}

{{Collapsible list
  |title = 5 intergovernmental organizations 
| {{flag|Commonwealth of Independent States}}
| {{flag|Eurasian Economic Union}}
| {{flag|European Union}}
| [[Shanghai Cooperation Organisation]]
| {{flag|United Nations}}
}}

Co-official script in:
{{Collapsible list
  |title      = 5 sovereign states{{Efn|Turkmenistan has one official language, Turkmen, which is written in Latin. The daily official newspaper is published in both Turkmen (''Türkmenistan'')<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gazetler &#124; TDNG |url=https://metbugat.gov.tm/newspapers?id=10 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415035750/https://metbugat.gov.tm/newspapers?id=10 |archive-date=15 April 2021 |access-date=28 March 2021 |website=metbugat.gov.tm}}</ref> and Russian [[Neytralny Turkmenistan|(''Нейтральный Туркменистан'')]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gazetler &#124; TDNG |url=https://metbugat.gov.tm/newspapers?id=11 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415033446/https://metbugat.gov.tm/newspapers?id=11 |archive-date=15 April 2021 |access-date=28 March 2021 |website=metbugat.gov.tm}}</ref>}}
 |{{flag|Bosnia and Herzegovina}}{{Efn|Two of the three official languages in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnian and Serbian, can be written in Cyrillic.}}
 |{{flag|Kazakhstan}}{{Efn|Kazakh language will be transitioned to a Latin script from 2023 to 2031. Russian, the co-official language in Kazakhstan, will continue to be written in Cyrillic.}}{{Citation needed|date=February 2023|reason=Kazakh language is confirmed to be transitioned to a Latin script beginning in 2023, a cite should be added if the transition has already begun or see is going to later during the year. As long as Russian is the second official language in the country, Kazakhstan should not be removed from the list}}
 |{{flag|Mongolia}}{{Efn|Cyrillic is used co-officially alongside the [[Mongolian script]].}}
 |{{flag|Montenegro}}{{Efn|The Montenegrin language, the official language of Montenegro, is written in Latin and Cyrillic.}}
 |{{flag|North Macedonia}}{{Efn|North Macedonia has two official languages, Macedonian, which is written in Cyrillic, and Albanian, written in Latin.}}
 |'''1 partially recognised state'''
 |{{flag|Kosovo}}{{Efn|Serbian, one of the two official languages in Kosovo, can be written in Cyrillic.}}
}}

| states      = 
| footnotes   = Names: {{langx|be|кірыліца}}; {{langx|bg|кирилица}} {{IPA|bg|ˈkirilit͡sɐ|}}; {{langx|mk|кирилица}} {{IPA|mk|kiˈrilit͡sa|}}; {{langx|ru|кириллица}} {{IPA|ru|kʲɪˈrʲilʲɪtsə|}}; {{langx|sr|ћирилица}} {{IPA|sr|t͡ɕirǐlit͡sa|}}; {{langx|uk|кирилиця}} {{IPA|uk|kɪˈrɪlɪt͡sʲɐ|}}.
| fam1        = [[Egyptian hieroglyphs]]<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/521235.stm Oldest alphabet found in Egypt]. BBC. 1999-11-15. Retrieved 2015-01-14.</ref>
| fam2        = [[Proto-Sinaitic]]
| fam3        = [[Phoenician alphabet|Phoenician]]
| fam4       = [[Greek script]] 
| fam5        = [[Glagolitic script|Glagolitic]] also inspired by [[Uncial script]]
| fam6        = [[Early Cyrillic script]]
| sisters     = {{plainlist|
*[[Armenian alphabet|Armenian]]
*[[Coptic alphabet|Coptic]]
*[[Latin script|Latin]]
}}
| children    = [[Old Permic script]]
| unicode     = {{ublist |class=nowrap |[https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U0400.pdf U+0400–U+04FF] {{smaller|Cyrillic}} |[https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U0500.pdf U+0500–U+052F] {{smaller|Cyrillic Supplement}} |[https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U2DE0.pdf U+2DE0–U+2DFF] {{smaller|Cyrillic Extended-A}} |[https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/UA640.pdf U+A640–U+A69F] {{smaller|Cyrillic Extended-B}} |[https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U1C80.pdf U+1C80–U+1C8F] {{smaller|Cyrillic Extended-C}} |[https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U1E030.pdf U+1E030–U+1E08F] {{smaller|Cyrillic Extended-D}}}}
| iso15924    = Cyrl
| iso15924 note = <br/><code>Cyrs</code> ([[Old Church Slavonic]] variant)
| sample      = Romanian Cyrillic - Lord's Prayer text.svg
| caption     = 1850s Romanian text (Lord's Prayer), written with the Cyrillic script
}}
The '''Cyrillic script''' ({{IPAc-en|s|ᵻ|ˈ|ɹ|ɪ|l|ᵻ|k|audio=LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-Cyrillic.wav}} {{respell|sirr|IL|ik}})<ref>{{Cite OED|term=Cyrillic|id=1142284800|access-date=2025-04-15|access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite MW|Cyrillic|access-date=2025-04-15}}</ref> is a [[writing system]] used for various languages across [[Eurasia]]. It is the designated national script in various [[Slavic languages|Slavic]], [[Turkic languages|Turkic]], [[Mongolic languages|Mongolic]], [[Uralic languages|Uralic]], [[Caucasian languages|Caucasian]] and [[Iranian languages|Iranic]]-speaking countries in [[Southeastern Europe]], [[Eastern Europe]], the [[Caucasus]], [[Central Asia]], [[North Asia]], and [[East Asia]], and used by many other [[minority language]]s.

{{As of|2019|}}, around 250&nbsp;million people in [[Eurasia]] use Cyrillic as the official script for their [[national language]]s, with [[Russia]] accounting for about half of them.<ref>[[List of countries by population]]</ref> With the [[accession of Bulgaria to the European Union]] on 1 January 2007, Cyrillic became the third official script of the [[Languages of the European Union#Writing systems|European Union]], following the [[Latin script|Latin]] and [[Greek alphabet|Greek]] alphabets.<ref>{{cite web |first1=Leonard |last1=Orban |title=Cyrillic, the third official alphabet of the EU, was created by a truly multilingual European |url=http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-07-330_en.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-07-330_en.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |publisher=[[European Union]] |access-date=3 August 2014 |date=24 May 2007}}</ref>

The [[Early Cyrillic alphabet]] was developed during the 9th century AD at the [[Preslav Literary School]] in the [[First Bulgarian Empire]] during the reign of [[Tsar]] [[Simeon I of Bulgaria|Simeon I the Great]], probably by the disciples of the two [[Byzantine]] brothers [[Saints Cyril and Methodius|Cyril and Methodius]], who had previously created the [[Glagolitic script]]. Among them were [[Clement of Ohrid]], [[Naum of Preslav]], [[Constantine of Preslav]], [[John the Exarch|Joan Ekzarh]], [[Chernorizets Hrabar]], [[Saint Angelar|Angelar]], [[Saint Sava (disciple of Saints Cyril and Methodius)|Sava]] and other scholars.<ref>''Columbia Encyclopedia'', Sixth Edition. 2001–05, s.v. "Cyril and Methodius, Saints"; ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', Encyclopædia Britannica Incorporated, Warren E. Preece – 1972, p. 846, s.v., "Cyril and Methodius, Saints" and "Eastern Orthodoxy, Missions ancient and modern"; ''Encyclopedia of World Cultures'', David H. Levinson, 1991, p. 239, s.v., "Social Science"; Eric M. Meyers, ''The Oxford Encyclopedia of Archaeology in the Near East'', p. 151, 1997; Lunt, ''Slavic Review'', June 1964, p. 216; Roman Jakobson, ''Crucial problems of Cyrillo-Methodian Studies''; Leonid Ivan Strakhovsky, ''A Handbook of Slavic Studies'', p. 98; V. Bogdanovich, ''History of the ancient Serbian literature'', Belgrade, 1980, p.&nbsp;119.</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=Francis |last=Dvornik |title=The Slavs: Their Early History and Civilization |url=https://archive.org/details/slavstheirearlyh00dvor |url-access=limited |quote=The Psalter and the Book of Prophets were adapted or "modernized" with special regard to their use in Bulgarian churches and it was in this school that the [[Glagolitic script]] was replaced by the so-called Cyrillic writing, which was more akin to the Greek uncial, simplified matters considerably and is still used by the Orthodox Slavs. |year=1956 |place=Boston |publisher=American Academy of Arts and Sciences |page=[https://archive.org/details/slavstheirearlyh00dvor/page/n184 179] }}</ref>{{sfnp|Curta|2006|pp=221–222}}<ref>{{cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J-H9BTVHKRMC&pg=PR98 |chapter=The Orthodox Church in the Byzantine Empire |title=Oxford History of the Christian Church |first1=J. M. |last1=Hussey |first2=Andrew |last2=Louth |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-19-161488-0 |pages=100 }}</ref> The script is named in honor of [[Cyril the Philosopher|Saint Cyril]].

==Etymology==
Since the script was conceived and popularised by the followers of [[Cyril and Methodius]] in Bulgaria, rather than by Cyril and Methodius themselves,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bidwell |first1=Charles Everett |url=https://archive.org/details/ERIC_ED016193/mode/2up |title=Alphabets of the Modern Slavic Languages |date=1967 |publisher=University of Pittsburgh |location=Pittsburgh |page=4|quote=Cyrillic was apparently adopted by the followers of Cyril and Methodius in Bulgaria (where they had retired at the invitation of the Czar of the Bulgars as a more favorable field for their activities, after encountering opposition from western oriented missionaries in Moravia).}}</ref> its name denotes homage rather than authorship.<ref>{{cite book |last1=MacCulloch |first1=Diarmaid |title=A History of Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years |date=2020 |publisher=The Folio Society |location=London |quote=Cyrillic ... in reference to the monastic name he adopted right at the end of his life, Cyril. That was an adroit piece of homage ...}}</ref>

==History==
{{Main|Early Cyrillic alphabet}}
[[File:Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana p169 Serbian Alphabet Serbian Language Serbian Literatue Saint Cyril and Metodius Illyrian 2 pages.png|thumb|
[[Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana]] attributed [[Serbian Cyrillic alphabet|Cyrillic script]] to [[Cyril and Methodius|Saint Cyril and Methodius]],14th century
]]
[[File:Krepchanski_manastir.jpg|thumb|left|View of the cave monastery near the village of [[Krepcha]], [[Opaka Municipality]] in Bulgaria. Found here is the oldest Cyrillic inscription, dated to 921.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://dobrotoliubie.com/2021/10/15/провежда-се-международна-конференци/ |title=Провежда се международна конференция в гр. Опака за св. Антоний от Крепчанския манастир  |trans-title=An international conference is being held in the town of Opaka for St. Anthony of the Krepchan Monastery |date=October 15, 2021 |quote=Another inscription found by Popkonstantinov during the survey of the monastery speaks of the time of its creation. It consists of nine lines and has come down to us much damaged. 59 letters are saved. The first three lines are readable. What is preserved of him reads: "In the year 921, in the month of October, the servant of God Anton died..."}}</ref>]]
[[File:Azbuka 1574 by Ivan Fyodorov v3.png|thumb|left|I A page from Буквар (ABC (Reader)), the first Old Slavonic textbook, printed by [[Ivan Fedorov (printer)|Ivan Fyodorov]] in 1574 in Lviv. This page features the Cyrillic alphabet.]]The Cyrillic script was created during the [[First Bulgarian Empire]].<ref name=Cubberley1996>Paul Cubberley (1996) "The Slavic Alphabets". In Daniels and Bright, eds. ''The World's Writing Systems.'' Oxford University Press. {{ISBN|0-19-507993-0}}.</ref> Modern scholars believe that the [[Early Cyrillic alphabet]] was created at the [[Preslav Literary School]], the most important early literary and cultural center of the First Bulgarian Empire and of all [[Slavs]]:
{{blockquote|Unlike the Churchmen in Ohrid, Preslav scholars were much more dependent upon Greek models and quickly abandoned the [[Glagolitic script]]s in favor of an adaptation of the Greek [[Uncial script|uncial]] to the needs of Slavic, which is now known as the Cyrillic alphabet.{{sfnp|Curta|2006|pp=221–222}}}}

A number of prominent Bulgarian writers and scholars worked at the school, including [[Naum of Preslav]] until 893; [[Constantine of Preslav]]; [[John the Exarch|Joan Ekzarh]] (also transcr. John the Exarch); and [[Chernorizets Hrabar]], among others. The school was also a center of translation, mostly of [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] authors. The Cyrillic script is derived from the [[Greek alphabet|Greek uncial script]] letters, augmented by [[Typographic ligature|ligature]]s and consonants from the older Glagolitic alphabet for sounds not found in Greek. Glagolitic and Cyrillic were formalized by the Byzantine [[Saints Cyril and Methodius]] and their Bulgarian disciples, such as Saints [[Saint Naum|Naum]], [[Clement of Ohrid|Clement]], [[Saint Angelar|Angelar]], and [[Saint Sava (disciple of Saints Cyril and Methodius)|Sava]]. They spread and taught Christianity in the whole of Bulgaria.<ref name="Columbia Encyclopedia 1972, p. 846">''Columbia Encyclopedia'', Sixth Edition. 2001–05, s.v. "Cyril and Methodius, Saints"; ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', Encyclopædia Britannica Incorporated, Warren E. Preece – 1972, p. 846, s.v., "Cyril and Methodius, Saints" and "Eastern Orthodoxy, Missions ancient and modern"; ''Encyclopedia of World Cultures'', David H. Levinson, 1991, p. 239, s.v., "Social Science"; Eric M. Meyers, ''The Oxford Encyclopedia of Archaeology in the Near East'', p. 151, 1997; Lunt, ''Slavic Review'', June, 1964, p. 216; Roman Jakobson, ''Crucial problems of Cyrillo-Methodian Studies''; Leonid Ivan Strakhovsky, ''A Handbook of Slavic Studies'', p. 98; V. Bogdanovich, ''History of the ancient Serbian literature'', Belgrade, 1980, p.&nbsp;119.</ref><ref name="ReferenceB">The Columbia Encyclopaedia, Sixth Edition. 2001–05, O.Ed. Saints Cyril and Methodius "Cyril and Methodius, Saints) 869 and 884, respectively, "Greek missionaries, brothers, called Apostles to the Slavs and fathers of Slavonic literature."</ref><ref name="BritGlago">Encyclopædia Britannica, ''Major alphabets of the world, Cyrillic and Glagolitic alphabets'', 2008, O.Ed. "The two early Slavic alphabets, the Cyrillic and the Glagolitic, were invented by St. Cyril, or Constantine (c. 827–869), and St. Methodii (c. 825–884). These men from Thessaloniki who became apostles to the southern Slavs, whom they converted to Christianity."</ref><ref>{{ODB | last1 = Hollingsworth | first1 = P. A. | title = Constantine the Philosopher | page = 507|quote=Constantine (Cyril) and his brother Methodius were the sons of the droungarios Leo and Maria, who may have been a Slav.}}</ref> Paul Cubberley posits that although Cyril may have codified and expanded Glagolitic, it was his students in the First Bulgarian Empire under Tsar [[Simeon the Great]] that developed Cyrillic from the Greek letters in the 890s as a more suitable script for church books.<ref name="Cubberley1996" />

{{Alphabet}}

Cyrillic spread among other Slavic peoples, as well as among non-Slavic [[Romanians]]. The earliest datable Cyrillic inscriptions have been found in the area of [[Preslav]], in the medieval city itself and at nearby [[Patleina Monastery]], both in present-day [[Shumen Province]], as well as in the [[Ravna Monastery]] and in the [[Varna Monastery]]. The new script became the basis of [[alphabet]]s used in various languages in [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox Church]]-dominated Eastern Europe, both Slavic and non-Slavic languages (such as [[Romanian language|Romanian]], until the 1860s). For centuries, Cyrillic was also used by Catholic and Muslim Slavs.

Cyrillic and Glagolitic were used for the [[Church Slavonic language]], especially the [[Old Church Slavonic]] variant. Hence expressions such as "И is the tenth Cyrillic letter" typically refer to the order of the Church Slavonic alphabet; not every Cyrillic alphabet uses every letter available in the script. The Cyrillic script came to dominate Glagolitic in the 12th century.

The literature produced in Old Church Slavonic soon spread north from Bulgaria and became the [[lingua franca]] of the Balkans and Eastern Europe.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite journal |title=On the relationship of old Church Slavonic to the written language of early Rus |first=Horace G. |last=Lunt |journal= Russian Linguistics |volume=11 |number= 2 |date= January 1987|pages=133–162 |doi=10.1007/BF00242073 |s2cid=166319427 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book
|last=Schenker
|first=Alexander
|title=The Dawn of Slavic
|publisher=Yale University Press
|year=1995
|pages=185–186, 189–190
}}</ref><ref>{{cite book
|last=Lunt
|first=Horace
|title=Old Church Slavonic Grammar
|year=2001
|url=https://archive.org/details/oldchurchslavoni00lunt
|url-access=limited
|publisher=Mouton de Gruyter
|pages=[https://archive.org/details/oldchurchslavoni00lunt/page/n19 3]–4
|isbn=9783110162844
}}</ref><ref>{{cite book
|last=Wien
|first=Lysaght
|title=Old Church Slavonic (Old Bulgarian)-Middle Greek-Modern English dictionary
|publisher=Verlag Bruder Hollinek
|year=1983}}</ref><ref name=fortson>Benjamin W. Fortson. ''Indo-European Language and Culture: An Introduction'', p.&nbsp;374.</ref>

Cyrillic in modern-day Bosnia<ref name=Balic>{{cite book |title=Die Kultur der Bosniaken, Supplement I: Inventar des bosnischen literarischen Erbes in orientalischen Sprachen |last=Balić |first=Smail |year=1978 |publisher=Adolf Holzhausens, Vienna |location=Vienna |pages=49–50, 111 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=The Literature of the Bosnian Muslims: a Quadrilingual Heritage |last=Algar |first=Hamid |year=1995 |publisher=Nadwah Ketakwaan Melalui Kreativiti |location=Kuala Lumpur |pages=254–268 }}</ref> is an extinct and disputed variant of the [[Cyrillic alphabets|Cyrillic alphabet]] that originated in [[medieval Bosnia|medieval period]]. Paleographers consider the earliest features of script had likely begun to appear between the 10th or 11th century, with the [[Humac tablet]] to be the first such document using this type of script and is believed to date from this period.<ref name="dzaja-lovrenovic-polemic-vjenac">{{cite web |title=Srećko M. Džaja vs. Ivan Lovrenović – polemika o kulturnom identitetu BiH  |url=http://ivanlovrenovic.com/2015/06/srecko-m-dzaja-vs-ivan-lovrenovic-polemika-o-kulturnom-identitetu-bih/ |website=Ivan Lovrenović |publisher=Polemics appeared between [[Srećko M. Džaja]] & [[Ivan Lovrenović]] in Zagreb's biweekly "Vijenac", later in whole published in Journal of Franciscan theology in Sarajevo, "Bosna franciscana" No.42 |access-date=6 June 2018 |language=hr |date=2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180411013513/http://ivanlovrenovic.com/2015/06/srecko-m-dzaja-vs-ivan-lovrenovic-polemika-o-kulturnom-identitetu-bih/ |archive-date=11 April 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It was used continuously until the 18th century, with sporadic usage extending into the 20th century.<ref name="ILIEV-2013-SHORT-HISTORY">{{cite journal |last1=Iliev |first1=Ivan G.|title=Short history of the Cyrillic alphabet |date=2013 |url=http://www.ijors.net/issue2_2_2013/articles/iliev.html |journal=International Journal of Russian Studies |issue=2 |access-date=4 July 2016}}</ref>

With the orthographic reform of Saint [[Patriarch Evtimiy of Bulgaria|Evtimiy of Tarnovo]] and other prominent representatives of the [[Tarnovo Literary School]] of the 14th and 15th centuries, such as [[Gregory Tsamblak]] and [[Constantine of Kostenets]], the school influenced Russian, Serbian, Wallachian and Moldavian medieval culture. This is known in Russia as the second [[South Slavs|South-Slavic]] influence.

In 1708{{ndash}}10, the Cyrillic script used in Russia was heavily reformed by [[Peter the Great]], who had recently returned from his [[Grand Embassy of Peter the Great|Grand Embassy]] in [[Western Europe]]. The new letterforms, called the [[Civil script]], became closer to those of the Latin alphabet; several archaic letters were abolished and several new letters were introduced designed by Peter himself. Letters became distinguished between upper and lower case. West European typography culture was also adopted.<ref name="Civil Type">{{cite book |last=Yefimov |first=Vladimir |contribution=Civil Type and Kis Cyrillic |title=Language Culture Type: International Type Design in the Age of Unicode |editor-last=Berry |editor-first=John D. |publisher=Graphis Press |place=New York City |year=2002 |isbn=978-1932026016 |contribution-url=http://typejournal.ru/en/articles/Civil-Type |access-date=2 January 2017 |archive-date=8 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161208094455/http://typejournal.ru/en/articles/Civil-Type |url-status=live }}</ref> The pre-reform letterforms, called ''poluustav'' ({{langx|ru|полуустав}}), were notably retained in Church Slavonic and are sometimes used in Russian even today, especially if one wants to give a text a 'Slavic' or 'archaic' feel.

The alphabet used for the modern Church Slavonic language in Eastern Orthodox and [[Eastern Catholic]] rites still resembles early Cyrillic. However, over the course of the following millennium, Cyrillic adapted to changes in spoken language, developed regional variations to suit the features of national languages, and was subjected to academic reform and political decrees. A notable example of such linguistic reform can be attributed to [[Vuk Karadžić|Vuk Stefanović Karadžić]], who updated the [[Serbian Cyrillic alphabet]] by removing certain graphemes no longer represented in the vernacular and introducing graphemes specific to Serbian (i.e., Љ Њ Ђ Ћ Џ Ј), distancing it from the Church Slavonic alphabet in use prior to the reform. Today, [[Languages using Cyrillic|many languages]] in the [[Languages of the Balkans|Balkans]], Eastern Europe, and [[Eurasiatic languages|northern Eurasia]] are written in Cyrillic alphabets.

==Letters==
[[File:Archive-ugent-be-973E9242-B062-11E1-9EF1-99BDAAF23FF7 DS-375 (cropped).jpg|upright=1.35|thumb|Example of the Cyrillic script. Excerpt from the manuscript "Bdinski Zbornik". Written in 1360.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bdinski Zbornik[manuscript] 
|url=https://lib.ugent.be/viewer/archive.ugent.be:973E9242-B062-11E1-9EF1-99BDAAF23FF7#?c=&m=&s=&cv=30&xywh=-810,-1,7145,4335|access-date=2020-08-26 |website=lib.ugent.be}}</ref>]]Cyrillic script spread throughout the East Slavic and some South Slavic territories, being adopted for writing local languages, such as [[Old East Slavic]]. Its adaptation to local languages produced a number of Cyrillic alphabets, discussed below.

{| cellpadding=4 style="font-size:larger; text-align:center;" class="Unicode" summary="Letters of the early Cyrillic alphabet"
|+ style="font-size:smaller;" | The [[early Cyrillic alphabet]]<ref>А. Н. Стеценко. ''Хрестоматия по Старославянскому Языку'', 1984.</ref><ref>Cubberley, Paul. ''The Slavic Alphabets'', 1996.</ref>
|-
| {{script|Cyrs|{{script|Cyrs|[[A (Cyrillic)|А]]}}}} || {{script|Cyrs|[[Be (Cyrillic)|Б]]}} || {{script|Cyrs|[[Ve (Cyrillic)|В]]}} || {{script|Cyrs|[[Ge (Cyrillic)|Г]]}} || {{script|Cyrs|[[De (Cyrillic)|Д]]}} || [[Ukrainian Ye|Є]]{{efn|Variant form: E.}}|| {{script|Cyrs|[[Zhe (Cyrillic)|Ж]]}} || {{script|Cyrs|[[Dze (Cyrillic)|Ꙃ]]}}{{efn|Variant  forms: Ƨ, Ѕ.}}|| {{script|Cyrs|[[Ze (Cyrillic)|Ꙁ]]}}{{efn|Variant  form: З.}}|| {{script|Cyrs|[[I (Cyrillic)|И]]}}{{efn|Early form: Η, which later evolved into И.}}|| {{script|Cyrs|[[Yi (Cyrillic)|Ї]]}}{{efn|Variant form: І.}}
|[[Djerv|Ꙉ]]|| {{script|Cyrs|[[Ka (Cyrillic)|К]]}} || {{script|Cyrs|[[El (Cyrillic)|Л]]}} || {{script|Cyrs|[[Em (Cyrillic)|М]]}} || {{script|Cyrs|[[En (Cyrillic)|Н]]}}{{efn|Early form: Ν, which later evolved into Н.}}|| {{script|Cyrs|[[O (Cyrillic)|О]]}}{{efn|Variant form: Ѻ.}}|| {{script|Cyrs|[[Pe (Cyrillic)|П]]}} 
|{{script|Cyrs|[[Koppa (Cyrillic)|Ҁ]]}}<ref name="Lunt">Lunt, Horace G. ''Old Church Slavonic Grammar, Seventh Edition'', 2001.</ref>|| {{script|Cyrs|[[Er (Cyrillic)|Р]]}} || {{script|Cyrs|[[Es (Cyrillic)|С]]}} || {{script|Cyrs|[[Te (Cyrillic)|Т]]}} || {{script|Cyrs|[[Uk (Cyrillic)|ОУ]]}}{{efn|Variant forms: ОѴ, Ꙋ.}}
|-
| [[Ef (Cyrillic)|Ф]]|| {{script|Cyrs|[[Kha (Cyrillic)|Х]]}}|| {{script|Cyrs|[[Omega (Cyrillic)|Ѡ]]}}{{efn|Variant forms: Ꙍ, Ѽ.}}|| [[Ot (Cyrillic)|Ѿ]]|| {{script|Cyrs|[[Tse (Cyrillic)|Ц]]}}|| {{script|Cyrs|[[Che (Cyrillic)|Ч]]}}|| {{script|Cyrs|[[Sha (Cyrillic)|Ш]]}}|| {{script|Cyrs|[[Shcha|Щ]]}}|| {{script|Cyrs|[[Yer|Ъ]]}}|| {{script|Cyrs|[[Yery|ЪI]]}}{{efn|Variant forms: ЪІ, ЪИ, ЬЇ, Ы, ЬИ.}}|| {{script|Cyrs|[[soft sign|Ь]]}}
|{{script|Cyrs|[[yat|Ѣ]]}}|| {{script|Cyrs|[[Iotated A (Cyrillic)|Ꙗ]]}}|| {{script|Cyrs|[[Iotated E (Cyrillic)|Ѥ]]}}|| {{script|Cyrs|[[Yu (Cyrillic)|Ю]]}}{{efn|Variant form: Ꙕ.}}|| {{script|Cyrs|[[yus|Ѫ]]}}{{efn|Variant form: Ꙛ.}}|| {{script|Cyrs|[[yus|Ѭ]]}}|| {{script|Cyrs|[[yus|Ѧ]]}}{{efn|Variant form: Ꙙ.}}
|{{script|Cyrs|[[yus|Ѩ]]}}{{efn|Variant form: Ꙝ.}}|| {{script|Cyrs|[[Ksi (Cyrillic)|Ѯ]]}} || {{script|Cyrs|[[Psi (Cyrillic)|Ѱ]]}} || {{script|Cyrs|[[Fita|Ѳ]]}} || {{script|Cyrs|[[Izhitsa|Ѵ]]}} 
|}

=== Majuscule and minuscule ===
Capital and lowercase letters were not distinguished in old manuscripts.

[[File:Meletius Smotrisky Cyrillic Alphabet.PNG|thumb|A page from the ''Church Slavonic Grammar'' of [[Meletius Smotrytsky]] (1619)]]

Yeri ({{script|Cyrs|Ы}}) was originally a [[ligature (typography)|ligature]] of Yer and I ({{script|Cyrs|Ъ}} + {{script|Cyrs|І}} = {{script|Cyrs|Ы}}). [[Iotation]] was indicated by ligatures formed with the letter І: {{script|Cyrs|[[Iotated A (Cyrillic)|Ꙗ]]}} (not an ancestor of modern Ya, Я, which is derived from {{script|Cyrs|Ѧ}}), {{script|Cyrs|Ѥ}}, {{script|Cyrs|Ю}} (ligature of {{script|Cyrs|І}} and {{script|Cyrs|ОУ}}), {{script|Cyrs|Ѩ}}, {{script|Cyrs|Ѭ}}. Sometimes different letters were used interchangeably, for example {{script|Cyrs|И}} = {{script|Cyrs|І}} = {{script|Cyrs|Ї}}, as were typographical variants like {{script|Cyrs|О}} = {{script|Cyrs|Ѻ}}. There were also commonly used ligatures like {{script|Cyrs|ѠТ}} = {{script|Cyrs|Ѿ}}.

=== Numbers ===
The letters also had numeric values, based not on Cyrillic alphabetical order, but inherited from the letters' [[Greek numerals|Greek ancestors]].{{Citation needed|date=March 2023}}

{| cellpadding=4 style="text-align:center;" class="Unicode" summary="Letters of the Early Cyrillic alphabet"
|+ [[Cyrillic numerals]]
|-
| 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || 8 || 9
|-
| {{script|Cyrs|А}} || {{script|Cyrs|В}} || {{script|Cyrs|Г}} || {{script|Cyrs|Д}} || {{script|Cyrs|Є}} ({{script|Cyrs|Е}}) || {{script|Cyrs|Ѕ}} ({{script|Cyrs|Ꙃ}}, {{script|Cyrs|Ꙅ}}) || {{script|Cyrs|З}} ({{script|Cyrs|Ꙁ}}) || {{script|Cyrs|И}} || {{script|Cyrs|Ѳ}}
|-
|colspan="9"|
|-
| 10|| 20|| 30|| 40|| 50|| 60|| 70|| 80|| 90
|-
| {{script|Cyrs|І}} ({{script|Cyrs|Ї}}) || {{script|Cyrs|К}} || {{script|Cyrs|Л}} || {{script|Cyrs|М}} || {{script|Cyrs|Н}} || {{script|Cyrs|Ѯ}} ({{script|Cyrs|Ч}}) || {{script|Cyrs|Ѻ}} ({{script|Cyrs|О}}) || {{script|Cyrs|П}} || {{script|Cyrs|Ч}} ({{script|Cyrs|Ҁ}})
|-
|colspan="9"|
|-
|100||200||300||400||500||600||700||800||900
|-
| {{script|Cyrs|Р}} || {{script|Cyrs|С}} || {{script|Cyrs|Т}} || {{script|Cyrs|Ѵ}} ({{script|Cyrs|Ѵ}}, {{script|Cyrs|Оу}}, {{script|Cyrs|Ꙋ}}) || {{script|Cyrs|Ф}} || {{script|Cyrs|Х}} || {{script|Cyrs|Ѱ}} || {{script|Cyrs|Ѡ}} ({{script|Cyrs|Ѿ}}, {{script|Cyrs|Ꙍ}}) || {{script|Cyrs|Ц}} ({{script|Cyrs|Ѧ}})
|}

===Computer support===
[[Computer font]]s for early Cyrillic alphabets are not routinely provided. Many of the letterforms differ from those of modern Cyrillic, varied a great deal between [[manuscript]]s, and changed over time.  In accordance with [[Unicode]] policy, the standard does not include letterform variations or [[Ligature (typography)|ligatures]] found in manuscript sources unless they can be shown to conform to the Unicode definition of a character: this aspect is the responsibility of the typeface designer.

The Unicode 5.1 standard, released on 4 April 2008, greatly improved computer support for the early Cyrillic and the modern [[Church Slavonic]] language. In Microsoft Windows, the [[Segoe UI]] user interface font is notable for having complete support for the archaic Cyrillic letters since Windows 8.{{citation needed|date=February 2018}}

===Currency signs===
Some [[currency sign]]s have derived from Cyrillic letters:
* The Ukrainian [[hryvnia sign]] (₴) is from the [[cursive]] [[minuscule]] [[Ukrainian alphabet|Ukrainian Cyrillic letter]] [[Ge (Cyrillic)|He]] (<span style="font-family: times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">''г''</span>).
* The Russian [[ruble sign]] (₽) from the majuscule Р.
* The [[Kyrgyzstani som]] sign (⃀) from the majuscule С (es) 
* The [[Kazakhstani tenge]] sign (₸) from Т
* The [[Mongolian tögrög]] sign (₮) from Т

==Letterforms and type design==
The development of Cyrillic [[letter form]]s passed directly from the [[medieval]] stage to the late [[Baroque]], without a [[Renaissance]] phase as in [[Western Europe]]. Late Medieval Cyrillic letters (categorized as [[vyaz (Cyrillic calligraphy)|vyaz']] and still found on many [[icon]] inscriptions today) show a marked tendency to be very tall and narrow, with strokes often shared between adjacent letters.

[[Peter the Great]], Tsar of Russia, mandated the use of [[Civil script|westernized letter forms]] ([[:ru:Гражданский шрифт|ru]]) in the early 18th century.{{citation needed|date=February 2024}} Over time, these were largely adopted in the other languages that use the script. Thus, unlike the majority of modern Greek typefaces that retained their own set of design principles for lower-case letters (such as the placement of [[serif]]s, the shapes of stroke ends, and stroke-thickness rules, although Greek capital letters do use Latin design principles), modern Cyrillic [[typeface|types]] are much the same as modern Latin types of the same typeface family. The development of some Cyrillic [[computer font]]s from Latin ones has also contributed to a visual Latinization of Cyrillic type.

=== Lowercase forms ===
[[File:Cyrillic upright-cursive-n.svg|frame|right|Letters [[Ge (Cyrillic)|Ge]], [[De (Cyrillic)|De]], [[I (Cyrillic)|I]], [[Short I]], [[Em (Cyrillic)|Em]], [[Te (Cyrillic)|Te]], [[Tse (Cyrillic)|Tse]], [[Be (Cyrillic)|Be]] and [[Ve (Cyrillic)|Ve]] in upright (printed) and cursive (handwritten) variants. (Top is set in Georgia type, bottom in Odesa Script.)]]
Cyrillic [[capital letters|uppercase]] and [[lower case|lowercase]] letter forms are not as differentiated as in Latin typography. Upright Cyrillic lowercase letters are essentially [[small caps|small capitals]] (with exceptions: Cyrillic {{angle bracket|а}}, {{angle bracket|е}}, {{angle bracket|і}}, {{angle bracket|ј}}, {{angle bracket|р}}, and {{angle bracket|у}} adopted Latin lowercase shapes, lowercase {{angle bracket|ф}} is typically based on {{angle bracket|p}} from Latin typefaces, lowercase {{angle bracket|б}}, {{angle bracket|ђ}} and {{angle bracket|ћ}} are traditional handwritten forms), although a good-quality Cyrillic typeface will still include separate small-caps glyphs.<ref>{{harvp|Bringhurst|2002}} writes: "in Cyrillic, the difference between normal lower case and small caps is more subtle than it is in the Latin or Greek alphabets" (p.&nbsp;32) and "in most Cyrillic faces, the lower case is close in color and shape to Latin small caps" (p.&nbsp;107).</ref>

Cyrillic typefaces, as well as Latin ones, have [[roman type|roman]] and [[italic type|italic]] forms (practically all popular modern computer fonts include parallel sets of Latin and Cyrillic letters, where many glyphs, uppercase as well as lowercase, are shared by both). However, the native typeface terminology in most Slavic languages (for example, in Russian) does not use the words "roman" and "italic" in this sense.{{efn|The Russian name {{lang|ru-Latn|ital'yanskiy shrift}} (Italian type) refers to a particular typeface family, whereas {{lang|ru-Latn|rimskiy shrift}} (roman type) is just a synonym for Latin type, Latin alphabet.}} Instead, the nomenclature follows German naming patterns:{{citation needed|date=February 2024}}<!-- When a citation is found, please recycle at [[Typeface#Style of typefaces]] -->

[[File:Cyrillic alternates.svg|thumb|right|200px|
Alternative variants of lowercase (cursive) Cyrillic letters: Б/б, Д/д, Г/г, И/и, П/п, Т/т, Ш/ш. 
{{legend|#9CC2E5|Default Russian (Eastern) forms on the left.}}
{{legend|#F4B083|Alternate Bulgarian (Western) upright forms in the middle.}} 
{{legend|#FFD966|Alternate Serbian/Macedonian (Southern) italic forms on the right.}}
''See also:''<br>
[[File:Cyrillic cursive.svg|75px|left]] [[File:Special Cyrillics BGDPT.svg|75px|right]]
]]
* Roman type is called ''{{lang|ru-Latn|pryamoy shrift}}'' ("upright type"){{snd}}compare with ''{{lang|de|Normalschrift}}'' ("regular type") in German
* Italic type is called ''{{lang|ru-Latn|kursiv}}'' ("cursive") or ''{{lang|ru-Latn|kursivniy shrift}}'' ("cursive type"){{snd}}from the German word ''{{lang|de|Kursive}}'', meaning italic typefaces and not cursive writing
* [[Cursive]] handwriting is ''{{lang|ru-Latn|rukopisniy shrift}}'' ("handwritten type"){{snd}}in German: ''{{lang|de|[[:de:Kurrentschrift|Kurrentschrift]]}}'' or ''{{lang|de|Laufschrift}}'', both meaning literally 'running type'
* A (mechanically) sloped oblique type of [[sans-serif]] faces is ''{{lang|ru-Latn|naklonniy shrift}}'' ("sloped" or "slanted type").
* A boldfaced type is called ''{{lang|ru-Latn|poluzhirniy shrift}}'' ("semi-bold type"), because there existed fully boldfaced shapes that have been out of use since the beginning of the 20th century.

=== Italic and cursive forms ===
Similarly to Latin typefaces, italic and cursive forms of many Cyrillic letters (typically lowercase; uppercase only for handwritten or stylish types) are very different from their upright roman types. In certain cases, the correspondence between uppercase and lowercase glyphs does not coincide in Latin and Cyrillic types: for example, italic Cyrillic <span style="font-family: times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: larger">{{angle bracket|''т''}}</span> is the lowercase counterpart of {{angle bracket|''Т''}} not of {{angle bracket|''М''}}.

{| border=0 cellpadding=4 cellspacing=1 style="padding:0 .5em .2em; border:1px solid #999; margin:1em 0;"
|+ Differences between upright and italic Cyrillic letters of the [[Russian alphabet]]; italic forms significantly different from their upright analogues, or especially confusing to users of a Latin alphabet, are highlighted; also available as a [[commons:Image:Cyrillic-italics-nonitalics.png|graphical image]].
|- style="font-family:Vollkorn,FreeSerif,Cambria,'Times New Roman','Nimbus Roman No9 L','Century Schoolbook L','Trebuchet MS','URW Bookman L','URW Chancery L','URW Palladio L',Teams,serif; font-size:large; text-align:center; " lang="ru"
!lang="en"| upright
| а || б || в || г || д || е || ё || ж || з || и || й || к || л || м || н || о || п || р || с || т || у || ф || х || ц || ч || ш || щ || ъ || ы || ь || э || ю || я
|- style="font-family:Vollkorn,FreeSerif,Cambria,'Times New Roman','Nimbus Roman No9 L','Century Schoolbook L','Trebuchet MS','URW Bookman L','URW Chancery L','URW Palladio L',Teams,serif; font-size:large; text-align:center; " lang="ru"
!lang="en"| italic
||''а'' || ''б'' ||style="background:#BBF"| ''в'' ||style="background:#BBF"| ''г'' ||style="background:#BBF"| ''д'' || ''е'' || ''ё'' || ''ж'' || ''з'' ||style="background:#BBF"| ''и'' ||style="background:#BBF"| ''й'' || ''к'' || ''л'' || ''м'' || ''н'' || ''о'' ||style="background:#BBF"| ''п'' || ''р'' || ''с'' ||style="background:#BBF"| ''т'' || ''у'' || ''ф'' || ''х'' ||style="background:#BBF"| ''ц'' || ''ч'' ||style="background:#BBF"| ''ш'' ||style="background:#BBF"| ''щ'' || ''ъ'' || ''ы'' || ''ь'' || ''э'' || ''ю'' || ''я''
|}

Note: in some typefaces or styles, {{angle bracket|''д''}}, i.e. the lowercase italic Cyrillic {{angle bracket|д}}, may look like Latin {{angle bracket|''g''}}, and {{angle bracket|''т''}}, i.e. lowercase italic Cyrillic {{angle bracket|т}}, may look like small-capital italic {{angle bracket|T}}.

{{anchor|Serbian}}{{anchor|Macedonian}}
In Standard Serbian, as well as in Macedonian,<ref>{{cite book |title=Pravopis na makedonskiot jazik |date=2017 |publisher=Institut za makedonski jazik Krste Misirkov |location=Skopje |isbn=978-608-220-042-2 |page=3 |url=http://www.pravopis.mk/sites/default/files/Pravopis-2017.PDF |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.pravopis.mk/sites/default/files/Pravopis-2017.PDF |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |ref=MakedonskiPravopis}}</ref> some italic and cursive letters are allowed to be different, to more closely resemble the handwritten letters. The regular (upright) shapes are generally standardized in [[small caps]] form.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Peshikan |first1=Mitar |last2=Jerković |first2=Jovan |last3=Pižurica |first3=Mato |title=Pravopis srpskoga jezika |date=1994 |publisher=Matica Srpska |location=Beograd |isbn=978-86-363-0296-5 |page=42 |ref=PravopisSrpskog}}</ref>

{| border=0 cellpadding=4 cellspacing=1 style="padding:0 .5em .2em; border:1px solid #999; margin:1em 0;"
|+ Mandatory (blue) and optional (green) italic lowercase variants, alongside unique letters (red), in South-European orthography
|- style="font-family:Vollkorn,FreeSerif,Cambria,'Times New Roman','Nimbus Roman No9 L','Century Schoolbook L','Trebuchet MS','URW Bookman L','URW Chancery L','URW Palladio L',Teams,serif; font-size:large; text-align:center; " lang="ru"
!lang="en"| Russian
||''а'' || ''б'' || ''в'' || ''г'' || ''д'' || ''—'' || ''е'' || ''ж'' || ''з'' || ''и'' || ''й'' || ''—'' || ''к'' || ''л'' || ''—'' || ''м'' || ''н'' || ''—'' || ''о'' || ''п'' || ''р'' || ''с'' || ''т'' || ''—'' || ''у'' || ''ф'' || ''х'' || ''ц'' || ''ч'' || ''—'' || ''ш'' || ''щ'' || ''ъ'' || ''ы'' || ''ь'' || ''э'' || ''ю'' || ''я''
|- style="font-family:Vollkorn,FreeSerif,Cambria,'Times New Roman','Nimbus Roman No9 L','Century Schoolbook L','Trebuchet MS','URW Bookman L','URW Chancery L','URW Palladio L',Teams,serif; font-size:large; text-align:center; " lang="sr"
!lang="en"| Serbian
||''а'' ||style="background:#BBF"|''б'' || ''в'' ||style="background:#BBF"| ''г'' ||style="background:#BBF"| ''д'' ||style="background:#FBB"| ''ђ'' || ''е'' || ''ж'' || ''з'' || ''и'' || ''—'' ||style="background:#FBB"| ''ј'' || ''к'' || ''л'' ||style="background:#FBB"| ''љ'' || ''м'' || ''н'' ||style="background:#FBB"| ''њ'' || ''о'' ||style="background:#BBF"| ''п'' || ''р'' || ''с'' ||style="background:#BBF"| ''т'' ||style="background:#FBB"| ''ћ'' || ''у'' || ''ф'' || ''х'' || ''ц'' || ''ч'' ||style="background:#FBB"| ''џ'' ||style="background:#BFB"| ''ш'' || ''—'' || ''—'' || ''—'' || ''—'' || ''—'' || ''—'' || ''—''
|- style="font-family:Vollkorn,FreeSerif,Cambria,'Times New Roman','Nimbus Roman No9 L','Century Schoolbook L','Trebuchet MS','URW Bookman L','URW Chancery L','URW Palladio L',Teams,serif; font-size:large; text-align:center; " lang="ru"
!lang="en"| Simulation
||''а'' ||style="background:#BBF"|''δ'' || ''в'' ||style="background:#BBF"| ''ī'' ||style="background:#BBF"| ''ɡ'' ||style="background:#FBB"| ''ђ'' || ''е'' || ''ж'' || ''з'' || ''и'' || ''—'' ||style="background:#FBB"| ''ј'' || ''к'' || ''л'' ||style="background:#FBB"| ''љ'' || ''м'' || ''н'' ||style="background:#FBB"| ''њ'' || ''о'' ||style="background:#BBF"| ''ū'' || ''р'' || ''с'' ||style="background:#BBF"| ''ш&#772;'' ||style="background:#FBB"| ''ћ'' || ''у'' || ''ф'' || ''х'' || ''ц'' || ''ч'' ||style="background:#FBB"| ''џ'' ||style="background:#BFB"| ''ш&#817;'' || ''—'' || ''—'' || ''—'' || ''—'' || ''—'' || ''—'' || ''—''
|}

Notes: Depending on fonts available, the Serbian row may appear identical to the Russian row. Unicode approximations are used in the ''[[Faux Cyrillic|faux]]'' row to ensure it can be rendered properly across all systems.

{{anchor|Bulgarian}}
In the [[Bulgarian alphabet]], many lowercase letterforms may more closely resemble the cursive forms on the one hand and Latin glyphs on the other hand, e.g. by having an ascender or descender or by using rounded arcs instead of sharp corners.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://cargocollective.com/cyrillicslyblog/Two-Cyrillics-a-critical-history-I| title = Cyrillicsly: Two Cyrillics: a critical history I}}</ref> Sometimes, uppercase letters may have a different shape as well, e.g. more triangular, Д and Л, like Greek delta Δ and lambda Λ.

{| border=0 cellpadding=4 cellspacing=1 style="padding:0 .5em .2em; border:1px solid #999; margin:1em 0;"
|+ Differences between Russian and Bulgarian glyphs of upright Cyrillic lowercase letters; Bulgarian glyphs significantly different from their Russian analogues or different from their italic form are highlighted
|- style="font-family:Vollkorn,FreeSerif,Cambria,'Times New Roman','Nimbus Roman No9 L','Century Schoolbook L','Trebuchet MS','URW Bookman L','URW Chancery L','URW Palladio L',Teams,serif; font-size:large; text-align:center; " lang="ru"
!lang="en"| default
| а || б || в || г || д || е || ж || з || и || й || к || л || м || н || о || п || р || с || т || у || ф || х || ц || ч || ш || щ || ъ || ь || ю || я
|- style="font-family:Vollkorn,FreeSerif,Cambria,'Times New Roman','Nimbus Roman No9 L','Century Schoolbook L','Trebuchet MS','URW Bookman L','URW Chancery L','URW Palladio L',Teams,serif; font-size:large; text-align:center; " lang="bg"
!lang="en"| Bulgarian
| а || б ||style="background:#BFB"| в ||style="background:#BBF"| г ||style="background:#BBF"| д || е ||style="background:#BFB"| ж ||style="background:#BFB"| з ||style="background:#BBF"| и ||style="background:#BBF"| й ||style="background:#BFB"| к ||style="background:#BFB"| л || м || н || о ||style="background:#BBF"| п || р || с ||style="background:#BBF"| т || у ||style="background:#BFB"| ф || х ||style="background:#BBF"| ц || ч ||style="background:#BBF"| ш ||style="background:#BBF"| щ || ъ ||style="background:#BFB"| ь ||style="background:#BFB"| ю || я
|- style="font-family:Vollkorn,FreeSerif,Cambria,'Times New Roman','Nimbus Roman No9 L','Century Schoolbook L','Trebuchet MS','URW Bookman L','URW Chancery L','URW Palladio L',Teams,serif; font-size:large; text-align:center; " lang="ru"
!lang="en"| Simulation
| а || б ||style="background:#BFB"| {{not a typo|ϐ}} ||style="background:#BBF"| ƨ ||style="background:#BBF"| ɡ || е ||style="background:#BFB"| <span style="position: relative;">ж<span style="position: absolute; right: 50%; bottom: 0"><span style="position: relative; right: -50%; bottom: 0">l</span></span></span> ||style="background:#BFB"| ȝ ||style="background:#BBF"| u ||style="background:#BBF"| ŭ ||style="background:#BFB"| k ||style="background:#BFB"| ʌ || м || н || o ||style="background:#BBF"| n || р || с ||style="background:#BBF"| m || у ||style="background:#BFB"| ɸ || х ||style="background:#BBF"| u̡ || ч ||style="background:#BBF"| ɯ ||style="background:#BBF"| ɯ̡ || ъ ||style="background:#BFB"| ƅ ||style="background:#BFB"| lo || я
|}

Notes: Depending on fonts available, the Bulgarian row may appear identical to the Russian row. Unicode approximations are used in the ''[[Faux Cyrillic|faux]]'' row to ensure it can be rendered properly across all systems; in some cases, such as ж with ''k''-like ascender, no such approximation exists.

=== Accessing variant forms ===

Computer fonts typically default to the Central/Eastern, Russian letterforms, and require the use of [[OpenType]] [[list of typographic features|Layout (OTL) features]] to display the Western, Bulgarian or Southern, Serbian/Macedonian forms. Depending on the choices made by the (computer) font designer, they may either be automatically activated by the ''local variant'' <code>locl</code> feature for text tagged with an appropriate [[ISO 639-1|language code]], or the author needs to opt-in by activating a ''stylistic set'' <code>ss##</code> or ''character variant'' <code>cv##</code> feature. These solutions only enjoy partial support and may render with default glyphs in certain software configurations, and the reader may not see the same result as the author intended.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.fontsmith.com/blog/2016/10/12/cyrillic-script-variations-and-the-importance-of-localisation| title = Cyrillic script variations and the importance of localisation - Fontshare.com| date = 24 September 2020| access-date = 29 April 2021| archive-date = 29 April 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210429193041/https://www.fontsmith.com/blog/2016/10/12/cyrillic-script-variations-and-the-importance-of-localisation| url-status = dead}}</ref>

==Cyrillic alphabets==
{{Main|Cyrillic alphabets}}

Among others, Cyrillic is the standard script for writing the following languages:

'''Slavic languages''':
*[[Belarusian language|Belarusian]]
*[[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]]
*[[Macedonian language|Macedonian]]
*[[Russian language|Russian]]
*[[Rusyn language|Rusyn]]
*[[Serbo-Croatian]] ([[Bosnian language|Bosnian]], [[Montenegrin language|Montenegrin]] and [[Serbian language|Serbian]])
*[[Ukrainian language|Ukrainian]]

'''Non-Slavic languages of Russia''':
{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-2}}
*[[Abaza language|Abaza]]
*[[Adyghe language|Adyghe]]
*[[Avar language|Avar]]
*[[Azerbaijani language|Azerbaijani]] (in [[Dagestan]])
*[[Bashkir language|Bashkir]]
*[[Buryat language|Buryat]]
*[[Chechen language|Chechen]]
*[[Chuvash language|Chuvash]]
*[[Erzya language|Erzya]]
*[[Ingush language|Ingush]]
*[[Kabardian language|Kabardian]]
*[[Kalmyk Oirat|Kalmyk]]
*[[Karachay-Balkar language|Karachay-Balkar]]
{{Col-2}}
*[[Kildin Sami language|Kildin Sami]]
*[[Komi language|Komi]]
*[[Mari language|Mari]]
*[[Moksha language|Moksha]]
*[[Nogai language|Nogai]]
*[[Ossetian language|Ossetian]] (in [[North Ossetia–Alania]])
*[[Romani orthography#Cyrillic script|Romani]]
*[[Sakha language|Sakha/Yakut]]
*[[Tatar language|Tatar]]
*[[Tuvan language|Tuvan]]
*[[Udmurt language|Udmurt]]
*[[Siberian Yupik language|Yuit]] (Yupik)
{{Col-end}}
'''Non-Slavic languages in other countries''': 
{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-2}}
*[[Abkhaz language|Abkhaz]]
*[[Aleut language|Aleut]] (now mostly in church texts)
*[[Dungan language|Dungan]]
*[[Kazakh language|Kazakh]] (to be replaced by Latin script by 2031<ref name="MongolSwitch">{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/26/kazakhstan-switch-official-alphabet-cyrillic-latin|title=Alphabet soup as Kazakh leader orders switch from Cyrillic to Latin letters|agency=Reuters|date=2017-10-26|work=The Guardian|access-date=2017-10-30|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>)
*[[Kyrgyz language|Kyrgyz]]
{{Col-2}}
*[[Mongolian language|Mongolian]] (to also be written with traditional [[Mongolian script]] by 2025<ref name="KazSwitch">{{Cite news|url=https://news.mn/en/791396|title=Mongolia to restore traditional alphabet by 2025|last=The Times|date=2020-03-20|work=News.MN|access-date=2020-06-08|language=en-GB}}</ref>)
*[[Tajik language|Tajik]]
*[[Tlingit alphabet#Cyrillic alphabets|Tlingit]] (now only in church texts)
*[[Turkmen language|Turkmen]] (officially replaced by Latin script)
*[[Uzbek language|Uzbek]] (generally replaced by Latin script but still used officially)
*[[Yupik languages#Writing systems|Yupik]] (in [[Alaska]]){{citation needed|date=August 2021}}
{{Col-end}}

The Cyrillic script has also been used for languages of Alaska,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alaskan Orthodox texts |url=http://www.asna.ca/alaska/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706164728/http://www.asna.ca/alaska/ |archive-date=Jul 6, 2011 |access-date=2011-06-20 |website=All Saints of North America Orthodox Church}}</ref> [[Slavic Europe]] (except for [[Western Slavs|Western Slavic]] and [[Slovenian language|Slovenian]]), the [[Caucasus]], the languages of [[Idel-Ural]], [[Siberia]], and the [[Russian Far East]].

The first alphabet derived from Cyrillic was [[Abur]], used for the [[Komi language]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=SHORT History of the Cyrillic ALPHABET |first1=Ivan G. |last1=Iliev |url=https://www.ijors.net/issue2_2_2013/articles/iliev.html |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=International Journal of Russian Studies }}</ref> Other Cyrillic alphabets include the [[Molodtsov alphabet]] for the Komi language and various alphabets for [[Caucasian languages]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Komi language and alphabet |url=https://omniglot.com/writing/komi.htm |access-date=2023-10-06 |website=omniglot.com}}</ref>

==Usage of Cyrillic versus other scripts==
[[File:Cyrillic monument.jpg|thumb|165px|Cyrillic Script Monument in [[Antarctica]] near the Bulgarian base [[St. Kliment Ohridski Base|St. Kliment Ohridski]]]]

===Latin script===
A number of languages written in a Cyrillic alphabet have also been written in a [[Latin alphabet]], such as [[Azerbaijani language|Azerbaijani]], [[Uzbek language|Uzbek]], [[Serbian language|Serbian]], and [[Romanian language|Romanian]] (in the [[Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic|Moldavian SSR]] until 1989 and in the [[Danubian Principalities]] throughout the 19th century). After the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991, some of the former republics officially shifted from Cyrillic to Latin. The transition is complete in most of Moldova (except the breakaway region of [[Transnistria]], where [[Moldovan Cyrillic alphabet|Moldovan Cyrillic]] is official), [[Turkmenistan]], and [[Azerbaijan]]. [[Uzbekistan]] still uses both systems, and [[Kazakhstan]] has officially begun a transition from Cyrillic to Latin (scheduled to be complete by 2025). The [[Russia]]n government has mandated that Cyrillic must be used for all public communications in all [[federal subjects of Russia]], to promote closer ties across the federation. This act was controversial for speakers of many Slavic languages; for others, such as [[Chechen language|Chechen]] and [[Ingush language|Ingush]] speakers, the law had political ramifications. For example, the separatist Chechen government mandated a Latin script which is still used by many Chechens.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}

{{CSS image crop
|Image = Cyrillic alphabet world distribution.svg
|bSize = 1100
|cWidth = 400
|cHeight = 205
|oTop = 0
|oLeft = 560
|Location = right
|Description = Countries with widespread use of the Cyrillic script:<br />
{{legend|#0b280b|Sole official script}}
{{legend|#44aa00|Co-official with another script (either because the official language is biscriptal, or the state is bilingual)}}
{{legend|#99d400|Being replaced with Latin, but is still in official use}}
{{legend|#ccffaa|Legacy script for the official language, or large minority use}}
{{legend|#D7D7D7|Cyrillic is not widely used}}
}}
[[File:Cyrillic Europe.PNG|thumb|Cyrillic Script in [[Europe]]]]
Standard [[Serbian language|Serbian]] uses [[Serbian language#Writing system|both the Cyrillic and Latin scripts]]. Cyrillic is nominally the official script of Serbia's administration according to the Serbian constitution;<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.ustavni.sud.rs/page/view/en-GB/235-100028/constitution| title = Serbian constitution| access-date = 12 March 2014| archive-date = 23 July 2011| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110723055855/http://www.ustavni.sud.rs/page/view/en-GB/235-100028/constitution| url-status = dead}}</ref> however, the law does not regulate scripts in standard language, or standard language itself by any means. In practice the scripts are equal, with Latin being used more often in a less official capacity.<ref>{{Cite journal | url=http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2008/0529/p20s01-woeu.html | title=Serbian signs of the times are not in Cyrillic| journal=Christian Science Monitor| date=2008-05-29}}</ref>

The [[Zhuang alphabet]], used between the 1950s and 1980s in portions of the People's Republic of China, used a mixture of Latin, phonetic, numeral-based, and Cyrillic letters. The non-Latin letters, including Cyrillic, were removed from the alphabet in 1982 and replaced with Latin letters that closely resembled the letters they replaced.<ref>{{Citation |last=Grey |first=Alexandra |title=Language Standardisation and Language Variation in Multilingual Contexts |chapter=8 How Standard Zhuang has Met with Market Forces |date=2021-12-14 |pages=163–182 |publisher=Multilingual Matters |language=en |doi=10.21832/9781800411562-011 |isbn=978-1-80041-156-2 |s2cid=245301540 |postscript=.|doi-access=free |hdl=10453/150285 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

===Romanization===
{{Main|Romanization of Cyrillic}}
There are various systems for [[romanization]] of Cyrillic text, including [[transliteration]] to convey Cyrillic spelling in [[Latin]] letters, and [[Transcription (linguistics)|transcription]] to convey [[pronunciation]].

Standard Cyrillic-to-Latin transliteration systems include:
*[[Scientific transliteration of Cyrillic|Scientific transliteration]], used in linguistics, is based on the [[Gaj's Latin alphabet|Serbo-Croatian Latin alphabet]].
*The Working Group on Romanization Systems<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.eki.ee/wgrs/| title = ''UNGEGN Working Group on Romanization Systems''}}</ref> of the [[United Nations]] recommends different systems for specific languages. These are the most commonly used around the world.
*[[ISO 9]]:1995, from the International Organization for Standardization.
*American Library Association and Library of Congress Romanization tables for Slavic alphabets ([[ALA-LC Romanization]]), used in North American libraries.
*[[BGN/PCGN Romanization]] (1947), United States Board on Geographic Names & Permanent Committee on Geographical Names for British Official Use).
*[[GOST 16876-71|GOST 16876]], a now defunct Soviet transliteration standard. Replaced by [[GOST 7.79-2000]], which is based on ISO 9.
*Various informal romanizations of Cyrillic, which adapt the Cyrillic script to Latin and sometimes Greek glyphs for compatibility with small character sets.

See also [[Romanization of Belarusian]], [[Romanization of Bulgarian|Bulgarian]], [[romanization of Kyrgyz|Kyrgyz]], [[romanization of Russian|Russian]], [[romanization of Macedonian|Macedonian]] and [[romanization of Ukrainian|Ukrainian]].

===Cyrillization===
Representing other writing systems with Cyrillic letters is called [[Cyrillization]].

==Summary table==
{| border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="Unicode" style="vertical-align:top; border-collapse:collapse; border:1px solid #999; text-align:center; clear:both;"
|-
! colspan=12 style="background-color:#fbec5d; font-family:inherit; font-weight:normal;" | '''[[Slavic languages|Slavic]] Cyrillic letters'''
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f8f8f8;"
| style="width:7%;"| [[A (Cyrillic)|<big>А</big><br/><small>A</small>]]
| style="width:7%;"| [[A (Cyrillic)|<big>А́</big><br/><small>A with acute</small>]]
| style="width:7%;"| [[A with grave (Cyrillic)|<big>А̀</big><br /><small>A with grave</small>]]
| style="width:7%;"| [[A with circumflex (Cyrillic)|<big>А̂</big><br /><small>A with circumflex</small>]]
| style="width:7%;"| [[A with macron (Cyrillic)|<big>А̄</big><br /><small>A with macron</small>]]
| style="width:7%;"| [[A with breve (Cyrillic)|<big>Ӑ</big><br /><small>A with<br />breve</small>]]
| style="width:7%;"| [[A with diaeresis (Cyrillic)|<big>Ӓ</big><br /><small>A with diaeresis</small>]]
| style="width:7%;"| [[Be (Cyrillic)|<big>Б</big><br /><small>Be</small>]]
| style="width:7%;"| [[Ve (Cyrillic)|<big>В</big><br /><small>Ve</small>]]
| style="width:7%;"| [[Ge (Cyrillic)|<big>Г</big><br><small>Ge (Ghe)</small>]]
| style="width:7%;"| [[Ghe with upturn|<big>Ґ</big><br><small>Ghe upturn</small>]]
| style="width:7%;"| [[De (Cyrillic)|<big>Д</big><br><small>De</small>]]
|- valign=top
| style="width:7%;"| [[Dje|<big>Ђ</big><br><small>Dje</small>]]
| style="width:7%;"| [[Gje|<big>Ѓ</big><br><small>Gje</small>]]
| style="width:7%;"| [[Ye (Cyrillic)|<big>Е</big><br><small>Ye</small>]]
| style="width:7%;"| [[Ye (Cyrillic)|<big>Е́</big><br><small>Ye with acute</small>]]
| [[Ye with grave|<big>Ѐ</big><br><small>Ye with grave</small>]]
| [[Ye with circumflex|<big>Е̂</big><br><small>Ye with circumflex</small>]]
| [[Ye with macron|<big>Е̄</big><br><small>Ye with macron</small>]]
| [[Yo (Cyrillic)|<big>Ё</big><br><small>Yo</small>]]
| [[Ukrainian Ye|<big>Є</big><br><small>Ukrainian Ye</small>]]
| [[Ukrainian Ye with acute|<big>Є́</big><br><small>Ukrainian Ye with acute</small>]]
| [[Zhe (Cyrillic)|<big>Ж</big><br><small>Zhe</small>]]
| [[Ze (Cyrillic)|<big>З</big><br><small>Ze</small>]]
|- valign=top
| [[Zje|<big>З́</big><br><small>Zje</small>]]
| [[Dze|<big>Ѕ</big><br><small>Dze</small>]]
| [[I (Cyrillic)|<big>И</big><br><small>I</small>]]
| [[Dotted I (Cyrillic)|<big>І</big><br><small>Dotted I</small>]]
| [[Dotted I with acute|<big>І́</big><br><small>Dotted I with acute</small>]]
| [[Yi (Cyrillic)|<big>Ї</big><br><small>Yi</small>]]
| [[Iota (Cyrillic)|<big>Ꙇ</big><br><small>Iota</small>]]
| [[I (Cyrillic)|<big>И́</big><br><small>I with acute</small>]]
| [[I with grave (Cyrillic)|<big>Ѝ</big><br><small>I with grave</small>]]
| [[I with circumflex (Cyrillic)|<big>И̂</big><br><small>I with circumflex</small>]]
| [[I with macron (Cyrillic)|<big>Ӣ</big><br><small>I with macron</small>]]
| [[Short I|<big>Й</big><br><small>Short I</small>]]
|- valign=top
| [[I with diaeresis (Cyrillic)|<big>Ӥ</big><br><small>I with diaeresis</small>]]
| [[Je (Cyrillic)|<big>Ј</big><br><small>Je</small>]]
| [[Ka (Cyrillic)|<big>К</big><br><small>Ka</small>]]
| [[El (Cyrillic)|<big>Л</big><br><small>El</small>]]
| [[Lje|<big>Љ</big><br><small>Lje</small>]]
| [[Em (Cyrillic)|<big>М</big><br><small>Em</small>]]
| [[En (Cyrillic)|<big>Н</big><br><small>En</small>]]
| [[Nje|<big>Њ</big><br><small>Nje</small>]]
| [[O (Cyrillic)|<big>О</big><br><small>O</small>]]
| [[O (Cyrillic)|<big>О́</big><br><small>O with acute</small>]]
| [[O with grave (Cyrillic)|<big>О̀</big><br><small>O with grave</small>]]
| [[O with circumflex (Cyrillic)|<big>О̂</big><br><small>O with circumflex</small>]]
|- valign=top
| [[O with macron (Cyrillic)|<big>О̄</big><br><small>O with macron</small>]]
| [[O with diaeresis (Cyrillic)|<big>Ӧ</big><br><small>O with diaeresis</small>]]
| [[Pe (Cyrillic)|<big>П</big><br><small>Pe</small>]]
| [[Er (Cyrillic)|<big>Р</big><br><small>Er</small>]]
| [[Es (Cyrillic)|<big>С</big><br><small>Es</small>]]
| [[Sje|<big>С́</big><br><small>Sje</small>]]
| [[Te (Cyrillic)|<big>Т</big><br><small>Te</small>]]
| [[Tshe|<big>Ћ</big><br><small>Tje</small>]]
| [[Kje|<big>Ќ</big><br><small>Kje</small>]]
| [[U (Cyrillic)|<big>У</big><br><small>U</small>]]
| [[U (Cyrillic)|<big>У́</big><br><small>U with acute</small>]]
| [[U with grave (Cyrillic)|<big>У̀</big><br><small>U with grave</small>]]
|- valign=top
| [[U with circumflex (Cyrillic)|<big>У̂</big><br><small>U with circumflex</small>]]
| [[U with macron (Cyrillic)|<big>Ӯ</big><br><small>U with macron</small>]]
| [[Short U (Cyrillic)|<big>Ў</big><br><small>Short U</small>]]
| [[U with diaeresis (Cyrillic)|<big>Ӱ</big><br><small>U with<br>diaeresis</small>]]
| [[Ef (Cyrillic)|<big>Ф</big><br><small>Ef</small>]]
| [[Kha (Cyrillic)|<big>Х</big><br><small>Kha</small>]]
| [[Tse (Cyrillic)|<big>Ц</big><br><small>Tse</small>]]
| [[Che (Cyrillic)|<big>Ч</big><br><small>Che</small>]]
| [[Dzhe|<big>Џ</big><br><small>Dzhe</small>]]
| [[Sha (Cyrillic)|<big>Ш</big><br><small>Sha</small>]]
| [[Shcha|<big>Щ</big><br><small>Shcha</small>]]
| [[Neutral Yer|<big>Ꙏ</big><br><small>Neutral Yer</small>]]
|- valign=top
| [[Hard sign|<big>Ъ</big><br><small>Hard&nbsp;sign (Yer)</small>]]
| [[Hard sign with grave|<big>Ъ̀</big><br><small>Hard sign with grave</small>]]
| [[Yery|<big>Ы</big><br><small>Yery</small>]]
| [[Yery|<big>Ы́</big><br><small>Yery</small>]]
| [[Soft sign|<big>Ь</big><br><small>Soft&nbsp;sign (Yeri)</small>]]
| [[E (Cyrillic)|<big>Э</big><br><small>E</small>]]
| [[E (Cyrillic)|<big>Э́</big><br><small>E with acute</small>]]
| [[Yu (Cyrillic)|<big>Ю</big><br><small>Yu</small>]]
| [[Yu (Cyrillic)|<big>Ю́</big><br><small>Yu with acute</small>]]
| [[Yu with grave|<big>Ю̀</big><br><small>Yu with grave</small>]]
| [[Ya (Cyrillic)|<big>Я</big><br><small>Ya</small>]]
|- valign=top
| [[Ya with acute|<big>Я́</big><br><small>Ya with acute</small>]]
| [[Ya with grave|<big>Я̀</big><br><small>Ya with grave</small>]]
|- valign=top
| colspan=12 style="background-color:#b0bf1a; font-family:inherit; font-weight:normal;"| '''Examples of non-Slavic Cyrillic letters (see [[List of Cyrillic letters]] for more)'''
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f8f8f8;"
| [[A with ring above (Cyrillic)|<big>А̊</big><br /><small>A with<br />ring</small>]]
| [[Schwa (Cyrillic)|<big>Ә</big><br><small>Schwa</small>]]
| [[Schwa with diaeresis|<big>Ӛ</big><br><small>Schwa with<br>diaeresis</small>]]
| [[Ae (Cyrillic)|<big>Ӕ</big><br><small>Ae</small>]]
| [[Ge with stroke|<big>Ғ</big><br><small>Ghayn</small>]]
| [[Ge with middle hook|<big>Ҕ</big><br><small>Ge with<br>middle hook</small>]]
| [[Ge with stroke and hook|<big>Ӻ</big><br><small>Ghayn with<br>hook</small>]]
| [[Ge with descender|<big>Ӷ</big><br><small>Ge with<br>descender</small>]]
| [[Zhe with breve|<big>Ӂ</big><br><small>Zhe with<br>breve</small>]]
| [[Zhe with diaeresis|<big>Ӝ</big><br><small>Zhe with<br>diaeresis</small>]]
| [[Dhe (Cyrillic)|<big>Ҙ</big><br><small>Dhe</small>]]
| [[Abkhazian Dze|<big>Ӡ</big><br><small>Abkhazian<br>Dze</small>]]
|- valign=top
| [[Bashkir Qa|<big>Ҡ</big><br><small>Bashkir Qa</small>]]
| [[Ka with stroke|<big>Ҟ</big><br><small>Ka with<br>stroke</small>]]
| [[En with tail|<big>Ӊ</big><br><small>En with<br>tail</small>]]
| [[En with descender|<big>Ң</big><br><small>En with<br>descender</small>]]
| [[En with hook|<big>Ӈ</big><br><small>En with<br>hook</small>]]
| [[En-ge|<big>Ҥ</big><br><small>En-ge</small>]]
| [[O with breve (Cyrillic)|<big>О̆</big><br><small>O with breve</small>]]
| [[Oe (Cyrillic)|<big>Ө</big><br><small>Oe</small>]]
| [[O-hook|<big>Ҩ</big><br><small>O-hook</small>]]
| [[Er with tick|<big>Ҏ</big><br><small>Er with<br>tick</small>]]
| [[The (Cyrillic)|<big>Ҫ</big><br><small>The</small>]]
| [[Te with descender|<big>Ҭ</big><br><small>Te with<br>descender</small>]]
|- valign=top
| [[U with double acute (Cyrillic)|<big>Ӳ</big><br><small>U with<br>double acute</small>]]
| [[Ue (Cyrillic)|<big>Ү</big><br><small>Ue</small>]]
| [[Kazakh Short U|<big>Ұ</big><br><small>Kazakh Short U</small>]]
| [[Kha with descender|<big>Ҳ</big><br><small>Kha with<br>descender</small>]]
| [[Kha with hook|<big>Ӽ</big><br><small>Kha with<br>hook</small>]]
| [[Kha with stroke|<big>Ӿ</big><br><small>Kha with<br>stroke</small>]]
| [[Shha|<big>Һ</big><br><small>Shha (He)</small>]]
| [[Te Tse (Cyrillic)|<big>Ҵ</big><br><small>Te Tse</small>]]
| [[Che with descender|<big>Ҷ</big><br><small>Che with<br>descender</small>]]
| [[Khakassian Che|<big>Ӌ</big><br><small>Khakassian<br>Che</small>]]
|[[Che with vertical stroke|<big>Ҹ</big><br><small>Che with<br>vertical stroke</small>]]
|[[Abkhazian Che|<big>Ҽ</big><br><small>Abkhazian<br />Che</small>]]
|- valign=top
|[[Semisoft sign|<big>Ҍ</big><br><small>Semisoft<br />sign</small>]]
|[[Palochka|<big>Ӏ</big><br><small>Palochka</small>]]
|- valign=top
| colspan=12 style="background-color:#87ceeb;font-family:inherit; font-weight:normal;" | '''Cyrillic letters used in the past'''
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f8f8f8;"
| [[Yat|<big>Ѣ</big><br><small>Yat</small>]]
| [[Iotated A|<big>Ꙗ</big><br><small>Iotated&nbsp;A</small>]]
| [[Iotated E|<big>Ѥ</big><br><small>Iotated&nbsp;E</small>]]
| [[Yus|<big>Ѧ</big><br><small>Small&nbsp;yus</small>]]
| [[Yus|<big>Ѫ</big><br><small>Big&nbsp;yus</small>]]
| [[Yus|<big>Ѩ</big><br><small>Iotated small&nbsp;yus</small>]]
| [[Yus|<big>Ѭ</big><br><small>Iotated big&nbsp;yus</small>]]
| [[Ksi (Cyrillic)|<big>Ѯ</big><br><small>Ksi</small>]]
| [[Psi (Cyrillic)|<big>Ѱ</big><br><small>Psi</small>]]
| [[Yn (Cyrillic)|<big>Ꙟ</big><br><small>Yn</small>]]
| [[Fita|<big>Ѳ</big><br><small>Fita</small>]]
| [[Izhitsa|<big>Ѵ</big><br><small>Izhitsa</small>]]
|- valign=top
| [[Izhitsa okovy|<big>Ѷ</big><br><small>Izhitsa okovy</small>]]
| [[Koppa (Cyrillic)|<big>Ҁ</big><br><small>Koppa</small>]]
| [[Uk (Cyrillic)|<big>ОУ</big><br><small>Uk</small>]]
| [[Omega (Cyrillic)|<big>Ѡ</big><br><small>Omega</small>]]
| [[Ot (Cyrillic)|<big>Ѿ</big><br><small>Ot</small>]]
|}

<div style="overflow:auto">
{| style="text-align: left; empty-cells: hide; font-size: 0.9em" class="wikitable"
|+ Cyrillic alphabets comparison table
! colspan="73" style="text-align: center" |Early scripts
|-
! Church Slavonic
!А
!
!Б
!В
!Г
!
!Д
!
!(Ѕ)
!Е
!
!
!Ж
!
!Ѕ/З
!
!И
!І
!
!
!
!К
!
!Л
!
!М
!
!Н
!
!
!О
!
!П
!
!Р
!
!С
!
!Т
!
!Оу
!
!(Ѡ)
!Ф
!Х
!
!Ц
!
!Ч
!
!Ш
!Щ
!Ъ
!Ы
!Ѣ
!Ь
!
!
!Ю
!Ꙗ
!
!
!Ѥ
!Ѧ
!Ѩ
!Ѫ
!Ѭ
!'''Ѯ'''
!Ѱ
!Ѳ
!Ѵ
!''Ҁ''
|-
! colspan="73" style="text-align: center" | Most common shared letters
|-
! ''Common''
| А || &nbsp; || Б || В || Г || &nbsp; || Д || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Е || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Ж || &nbsp; || З
| &nbsp; || И || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Й
| К || &nbsp; || Л || &nbsp; || М || &nbsp; || Н || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || О || &nbsp; || П || &nbsp;
| Р || &nbsp; || С || &nbsp; || Т || &nbsp; || У || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Ф || Х || &nbsp;
| Ц || &nbsp; || Ч || &nbsp; || Ш || Щ || Ъ || Ы || &nbsp; || Ь || Э || &nbsp; || Ю || Я
|-
! colspan="73" style="text-align: center" | South Slavic languages
|-
! Bulgarian
| А || &nbsp; || Б || В || Г || &nbsp; || Д || &nbsp; || {{small|Дз}} || Е || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Ж || &nbsp; || З
| &nbsp; || И || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Й
| К || &nbsp; || Л || &nbsp; || М || &nbsp; || Н || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || О || &nbsp; || П || &nbsp;
| Р || &nbsp; || С || &nbsp; || Т || &nbsp; || У || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Ф || Х || &nbsp;
| Ц || &nbsp; || Ч || {{small|Дж}} || Ш || Щ || Ъ || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Ь || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Ю || Я
|-
!Macedonian
| А || &nbsp; || Б || В || Г || &nbsp; || Д || Ѓ || Ѕ || Е || &nbsp;|| &nbsp; || Ж || &nbsp; || З
| &nbsp; || И || &nbsp; || Ј || &nbsp; || &nbsp;
| К || &nbsp; || Л || Љ || М || &nbsp; || Н || Њ || &nbsp; || О || &nbsp; || П || &nbsp;
| Р || &nbsp; || С || &nbsp; || Т || Ќ || У || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Ф || Х || &nbsp;
| Ц || &nbsp; || Ч || Џ || Ш
|-
! Serbian
| А || &nbsp; || Б || В || Г || &nbsp; || Д || Ђ || &nbsp; || Е || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Ж || &nbsp; || З
| &nbsp; || И || &nbsp; || Ј || &nbsp; || &nbsp;
| К || &nbsp; || Л || Љ || М || &nbsp; || Н || Њ || &nbsp; || О || &nbsp; || П || &nbsp;
| Р || &nbsp; || С || &nbsp; || Т || Ћ || У || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Ф || Х || &nbsp;
| Ц || &nbsp; || Ч || Џ || Ш
|-
! Montenegrin
| А || &nbsp; || Б || В || Г || &nbsp; || Д || Ђ || &nbsp; || Е || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Ж || &nbsp; || З
| З́ || И || &nbsp; || Ј || &nbsp; || &nbsp;
| К || &nbsp; || Л || Љ || М || &nbsp; || Н || Њ || &nbsp; || О || &nbsp; || П || &nbsp;
| Р || &nbsp; || С || С́ || Т || Ћ || У || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Ф || Х || &nbsp;
| Ц || &nbsp; || Ч || Џ || Ш
|-
! colspan="73" style="text-align: center" | East Slavic languages
|-
! Russian
| А || &nbsp; || Б || В || Г || &nbsp; || Д || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Е || &nbsp; || Ё || Ж || &nbsp; || З
| &nbsp; || И ||  || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Й
| К || &nbsp; || Л || &nbsp; || М || &nbsp; || Н || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || О || &nbsp; || П || &nbsp;
| Р || &nbsp; || С || &nbsp; || Т || &nbsp; || У || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Ф || Х || &nbsp;
| Ц || &nbsp; || Ч || &nbsp; || Ш || Щ || Ъ || Ы ||  || Ь || Э || &nbsp; || Ю || Я || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; ||  || 
|-
! Belarusian
| А || &nbsp; || Б || В || Г || Ґ || Д || Дж || Дз || Е || &nbsp; || Ё || Ж || &nbsp; || З
| &nbsp; || &nbsp; || І || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Й
| К || &nbsp; || Л || &nbsp; || М || &nbsp; || Н || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || О || &nbsp; || П || &nbsp;
| Р || &nbsp; || С || &nbsp; || Т || &nbsp; || У || Ў || &nbsp; || Ф || Х || &nbsp;
| Ц || &nbsp; || Ч || &nbsp; || Ш || &nbsp; || ’ || Ы || &nbsp; || Ь || Э || &nbsp; || Ю || Я
|-
! Ukrainian
| А || &nbsp; || Б || В || Г || Ґ || Д || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Е || Є || Йо || Ж || &nbsp; || З
| &nbsp; || И || І || &nbsp; || Ї || Й
| К || &nbsp; || Л || &nbsp; || М || &nbsp; || Н || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || О || &nbsp; || П || &nbsp;
| Р || &nbsp; || С || &nbsp; || Т || &nbsp; || У || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Ф || Х || &nbsp;
| Ц || &nbsp; || Ч || &nbsp; || Ш || Щ || ’ || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Ь || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Ю || Я
|-
! Rusyn
| А || &nbsp; || Б || В || Г || Ґ || Д || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Е || Є || Ё || Ж || &nbsp; || З
| &nbsp; || И || І || &nbsp; || Ї || Й
| К || &nbsp; || Л || &nbsp; || М || &nbsp; || Н || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || О || &nbsp; || П || &nbsp;
| Р || &nbsp; || С || &nbsp; || Т || &nbsp; || У || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Ф || Х || &nbsp;
| Ц || &nbsp; || Ч || &nbsp; || Ш || Щ || Ъ || Ы || &nbsp;|| Ь || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Ю || Я
|-
! colspan="73" style="text-align: center" | Iranian languages
|-
! Kurdish
| А || &nbsp; || Б || В || Г || Г' || Д || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Е || Ә || Ә' || Ж || &nbsp; || З
| &nbsp; || И || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Й
| К || К' || Л || &nbsp; || М || &nbsp; || Н || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || О || Ӧ || П || П'
| Р || Р' || С || &nbsp; || Т || Т' || У || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Ф || Х || Һ
| Һ' || &nbsp; || Ч || Ч' || Ш || Щ || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Ь || Э || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Ԛ || Ԝ
| colspan="10" |
|-
! Ossetian
| А || Ӕ || Б || В || Г || {{small|Гъ}} || Д || {{small|Дж}} || {{small|Дз}} || Е || &nbsp; || Ё || Ж || &nbsp; || З
| &nbsp; || И || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Й
| К || {{small|Къ}} || Л || &nbsp; || М || &nbsp; || Н || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || О || &nbsp; || П || {{small|Пъ}}
| Р || &nbsp; || С || &nbsp; || Т || {{small|Тъ}} || У || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Ф || Х || {{small|Хъ}}
| Ц || {{small|Цъ}} || Ч || {{small|Чъ}} || Ш || Щ || Ъ || Ы || &nbsp; || Ь || Э || &nbsp; || Ю || Я
|-
! Tajik
| А || &nbsp; || Б || В || Г || Ғ || Д || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Е || &nbsp; || Ё || Ж || &nbsp; || З
| &nbsp; || И || &nbsp; || Ӣ || &nbsp; || Й
| К || Қ || Л || &nbsp; || М || &nbsp; || Н || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || О || &nbsp; || П || &nbsp;
| Р || &nbsp; || С || &nbsp; || Т || &nbsp; || У || Ӯ || &nbsp; || Ф || Х || Ҳ
| &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Ч || Ҷ || Ш || &nbsp; || Ъ || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Э || &nbsp; || Ю || Я
|-
! colspan="73" style="text-align: center" | Romance languages
|-
! Moldovan<br />{{small|(Romanian)}}
| А || &nbsp; || Б || В || Г || &nbsp; || Д || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Е || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Ж || Ӂ || З
| &nbsp; || И || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Й
| К || &nbsp; || Л || &nbsp; || М || &nbsp; || Н || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || О || &nbsp; || П || &nbsp;
| Р || &nbsp; || С || &nbsp; || Т || &nbsp; || У || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Ф || Х || &nbsp;
| Ц || &nbsp; || Ч || &nbsp; || Ш || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Ы || &nbsp; || Ь || Э || &nbsp; || Ю || Я
|-
! colspan="73" style="text-align: center" | Uralic languages
|-
! Komi-Permyak
| А || &nbsp; || Б || В || Г || &nbsp; || Д || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Е || &nbsp; || Ё || Ж || &nbsp; || З
| &nbsp; || И || І || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Й
| К || &nbsp; || Л || &nbsp; || М || &nbsp; || Н || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || О || Ӧ || П || &nbsp;
| Р || &nbsp; || С || &nbsp; || Т || &nbsp; || У || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Ф || Х || &nbsp;
| Ц || &nbsp; || Ч || &nbsp; || Ш || Щ || Ъ || Ы || &nbsp; || Ь || Э || &nbsp; || Ю || Я
|-
! Meadow Mari
| А || &nbsp; || Б || В || Г || &nbsp; || Д || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Е || &nbsp; || Ё || Ж || &nbsp; || З
| &nbsp; || И || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Й
| К || &nbsp; || Л || &nbsp; || М || &nbsp; || Н || Ҥ || &nbsp; || О || Ӧ || П || &nbsp;
| Р || &nbsp; || С || &nbsp; || Т || &nbsp; || У || Ӱ || &nbsp; || Ф || Х || &nbsp;
| Ц || &nbsp; || Ч || &nbsp; || Ш || Щ || Ъ || Ы || &nbsp; || Ь || Э || &nbsp; || Ю || Я
|-
! Hill Mari
| А || Ӓ || Б || В || Г || &nbsp; || Д || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Е || &nbsp; || Ё || Ж || &nbsp; || З
| &nbsp; || И || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Й
| К || &nbsp; || Л || &nbsp; || М || &nbsp; || Н || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || О || Ӧ || П || &nbsp;
| Р || &nbsp; || С || &nbsp; || Т || &nbsp; || У || Ӱ || &nbsp; || Ф || Х || &nbsp;
| Ц || &nbsp; || Ч || &nbsp; || Ш || Щ || Ъ || Ы || Ӹ || Ь || Э || &nbsp; || Ю || Я
|-
! Kildin Sami
| А || Ӓ || Б || В || Г || &nbsp; || Д || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Е || &nbsp; || Ё || Ж || &nbsp; || З
| &nbsp; || И || &nbsp; || Й || Ҋ || Ј
| К || &nbsp; || Л || Ӆ || М || Ӎ || Н || Ӊ || Ӈ || О || &nbsp; || П || &nbsp;
| Р || Ҏ || С || &nbsp; || Т || &nbsp; || У || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Ф || Х || Һ
| Ц || &nbsp; || Ч || &nbsp; || Ш || Щ || Ъ || Ы || Ь || Ҍ || Э || Ӭ || Ю || Я
|-
! Udmurt
| А || &nbsp; || Б || В || Г || &nbsp; || Д || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Е || &nbsp; || Ё || Ж || Ӝ || З || Ӟ || И || Ӥ || Й || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || К || (К̈) || Л || &nbsp; || М || &nbsp; || Н || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || О || Ӧ || П || &nbsp; || Р || &nbsp; || С || &nbsp; || Т || &nbsp; || &nbsp; | У || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Ф || Х || &nbsp; || Ц || &nbsp; || Ч || Ӵ || Ш || Щ || Ъ || Ы || &nbsp; || Ь || Э || &nbsp; || Ю || Я 
|-
! colspan="73" style="text-align: center" | Turkic languages
|-
! Azerbaijani
| А || &nbsp; || Б || В || Г || Ғ || Д || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Е || Ә || Ё || Ж || &nbsp; || З || &nbsp; || И || Ј || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Й || К || Ҝ || Л || &nbsp; || М || &nbsp; || Н || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || О || Ө || П || &nbsp; || Р || &nbsp; || С || &nbsp; || Т || &nbsp; || У || &nbsp; || Ү || Ф || Х || Һ || Ц || &nbsp; || Ч || Ҹ || Ш || Щ || Ъ || Ы || &nbsp; || Ь || Э || &nbsp; || Ю || Я 
|-
! Bashkir
| А || &nbsp; || Б || В || Г || Ғ || Д || &nbsp; || Ҙ || Е || &nbsp; || Ё || Ж || &nbsp; || З
| &nbsp; || И || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Й
| К || Ҡ || Л || &nbsp; || М || &nbsp; || Н || Ң || &nbsp; || О || Ө || П || &nbsp;
| Р || &nbsp; || С || Ҫ || Т || &nbsp; || У || &nbsp; || Ү || Ф || Х || Һ
| Ц || &nbsp; || Ч || &nbsp; || Ш || Щ || Ъ || Ы || &nbsp; || Ь || Э || Ә || Ю || Я
|-
! Chuvash
| А || Ӑ || Б || В || Г || &nbsp; || Д || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Е || Ё || Ӗ || Ж || &nbsp; || З
| &nbsp; || И || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Й
| К || &nbsp; || Л || &nbsp; || М || &nbsp; || Н || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || О || &nbsp; || П || &nbsp;
| Р || &nbsp; || С || Ҫ || Т || &nbsp; || У || Ӳ || &nbsp; || Ф || Х || &nbsp;
| Ц || &nbsp; || Ч || &nbsp; || Ш || Щ || Ъ || Ы || &nbsp; || Ь || Э || &nbsp; || Ю || Я
|-
! Kazakh
| А || Ә || Б || В || Г || Ғ || Д || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Е || &nbsp; || Ё || Ж || &nbsp; || З
| &nbsp; || И || І || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Й
| К || Қ || Л || &nbsp; || М || &nbsp; || Н || Ң || &nbsp; || О || Ө || П || &nbsp;
| Р || &nbsp; || С || &nbsp; || Т || &nbsp; || У || Ұ || Ү || Ф || Х || Һ
| Ц || &nbsp; || Ч || &nbsp; || Ш || Щ || Ъ || Ы || &nbsp; || Ь || Э || &nbsp; || Ю || Я
|-
! Kyrgyz
| А || &nbsp; || Б || &nbsp; || Г || &nbsp; || Д || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Е || &nbsp; || Ё || Ж || &nbsp; || З
| &nbsp; || И || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Й
| К || &nbsp; || Л || &nbsp; || М || &nbsp; || Н || Ң || &nbsp; || О || Ө || П || &nbsp;
| Р || &nbsp; || С || &nbsp; || Т || &nbsp; || У || &nbsp; || Ү || &nbsp; || Х || &nbsp;
| &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Ч || &nbsp; || Ш || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Ы || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Э || &nbsp; || Ю || Я
|-
! Tatar
| А || Ә || Б || В || Г || &nbsp; || Д || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Е || &nbsp; || Ё || Ж || Җ || З
| &nbsp; || И || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Й
| К || &nbsp; || Л || &nbsp; || М || &nbsp; || Н || Ң || &nbsp; || О || Ө || П || &nbsp;
| Р || &nbsp; || С || &nbsp; || Т || &nbsp; || У || &nbsp; || Ү || Ф || Х || Һ
| Ц || &nbsp; || Ч || &nbsp; || Ш || Щ || Ъ || Ы || &nbsp; || Ь || Э || &nbsp; || Ю || Я
|-
! Uzbek
| А || &nbsp; || Б || В || Г || Ғ || Д || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Е || &nbsp; || Ё || Ж || &nbsp; || З
| &nbsp; || И || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Й
| К || Қ || Л || &nbsp; || М || &nbsp; || Н || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || О || &nbsp; || П || &nbsp;
| Р || &nbsp; || С || &nbsp; || Т || &nbsp; || У || Ў || &nbsp; || Ф || Х || Ҳ
| &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Ч || &nbsp; || Ш || &nbsp; || Ъ || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Э || &nbsp; || Ю || Я
|-
! colspan=73 style="text-align: center" | Mongolian languages
|-
! Buryat
| А || &nbsp; || Б || В || Г || &nbsp; || Д || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Е || &nbsp; || Ё || Ж || &nbsp; || З
| &nbsp; || И || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Й
| &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Л || &nbsp; || М || &nbsp; || Н || &nbsp; || &nbsp;|| О || Ө || П || &nbsp;
| Р || &nbsp; || С || &nbsp; || Т || &nbsp; || У || &nbsp; || Ү || &nbsp; || Х || Һ
| Ц || &nbsp; || Ч || &nbsp; || Ш || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Ы || &nbsp; || Ь || Э || &nbsp; || Ю || Я
|-
! Khalkha
| А || &nbsp; || Б || В || Г || &nbsp; || Д || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Е || &nbsp; || Ё || Ж || &nbsp; || З
| &nbsp; || И || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Й
| К || &nbsp; || Л || &nbsp; || М || &nbsp; || Н || &nbsp; || &nbsp;|| О || Ө || П || &nbsp;
| Р || &nbsp; || С || &nbsp; || Т || &nbsp; || У || &nbsp; || Ү || Ф || Х || &nbsp;
| Ц || &nbsp; || Ч || &nbsp; || Ш || Щ || Ъ || Ы || &nbsp; || Ь || Э || &nbsp; || Ю || Я
|-
! Kalmyk
| А || Ә || Б || В || Г || Һ || Д || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Е || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Ж || Җ || З
| &nbsp; || И || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Й
| К || &nbsp; || Л || &nbsp; || М || &nbsp; || Н || Ң || &nbsp;|| О || Ө || П || &nbsp;
| Р || &nbsp; || С || &nbsp; || Т || &nbsp; || У || &nbsp; || Ү || &nbsp; || Х || &nbsp;
| Ц || &nbsp; || Ч || &nbsp; || Ш || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Ь || Э || &nbsp; || Ю || Я
|-
! colspan=73 style="text-align: center" | Caucasian languages
|-
! Abkhaz
| А || &nbsp; || Б || В || Г || Ҕ || Д || {{small|Дә}} || Џ || Е || Ҽ || Ҿ || Ж || {{small|Жә}} || З
| Ӡ {{small|Ӡә}} || И || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Й || К || Қ || Ҟ
| Л || &nbsp; || М || &nbsp; || Н || &nbsp; || &nbsp;|| О || Ҩ || П || Ҧ
| Р || &nbsp; || С || &nbsp; || Т {{small|Тә}} || Ҭ {{small|Ҭә}} || У || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Ф || Х || Ҳ {{small|Ҳә}}
| Ц {{small|Цә}} || Ҵ {{small|Ҵә}} || Ч || Ҷ || Ш {{small|Шә}} || Щ || &nbsp; || Ы
|-
! colspan="73" style="text-align: center" | Sino-Tibetan languages
|-
! Dungan
| А || &nbsp; || Б || В || Г || &nbsp; || Д || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Е || &nbsp; || Ё || Ж || Җ || З
| &nbsp; || И || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || Й
| К || &nbsp; || Л || &nbsp; || М || &nbsp; || Н || Ң || Ә || О || &nbsp; || П || &nbsp;
| Р || &nbsp; || С || &nbsp; || Т || &nbsp; || У || Ў || Ү || Ф || Х || &nbsp;
| Ц || &nbsp; || Ч || &nbsp; || Ш || Щ || Ъ || Ы || &nbsp; || Ь || Э || &nbsp; || Ю || Я
|}
</div>

*''Ё'' in Russian is usually spelled as ''Е''; ''Ё'' is typically printed in texts for learners and in dictionaries, and in word pairs which are differentiated only by that letter (''все'' – ''всё'').<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://orthographia.ru/orf.php?paragraph=pp5.php&num=5 |title=Употребление буквы ''ё'' в текстах разного назначения |access-date=2023-09-04 |website=Правила русской орфографии и пунктуации онлайн |year=2009 |editor-last=Лопатин |editor-first=В. В. |language=ru |trans-title=Rules of Russian orthography and punctuation online. Usage of the letter ''ё'' in texts of varied purposes}}</ref>

==Computer encoding==
===Unicode===
{{Main|Cyrillic script in Unicode}}

As of Unicode version {{Unicode version|version=16.0}}, Cyrillic letters, including national and historical alphabets, are encoded across several [[Unicode block|blocks]]:
*[[Cyrillic (Unicode block)|Cyrillic]]: [https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U0400.pdf U+0400–U+04FF]
*[[Cyrillic Supplement]]: [https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U0500.pdf U+0500–U+052F]
*[[Cyrillic Extended-A]]: [https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U2DE0.pdf U+2DE0–U+2DFF]
*[[Cyrillic Extended-B]]: [https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/UA640.pdf U+A640–U+A69F]
*[[Cyrillic Extended-C]]: [https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U1C80.pdf U+1C80–U+1C8F]
*[[Cyrillic Extended-D]]: [https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U1E030.pdf U+1E030–U+1E08F]
*[[Phonetic Extensions]]: [https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U1D00.pdf U+1D2B, U+1D78]
*[[Combining Half Marks]]: [https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/UFE20.pdf U+FE2E–U+FE2F]

The characters in the range U+0400 to U+045F are essentially the characters from [[ISO 8859-5]] moved upward by 864 positions. The characters in the range U+0460 to U+0489 are historic letters, not used now. The characters in the range U+048A to U+052F are additional letters for various languages that are written with Cyrillic script.

Unicode as a general rule does not include accented Cyrillic letters. A few exceptions include:
*combinations that are considered as separate letters of respective alphabets, like [[Й]], [[Ў]], [[Ё]], [[Ї]], [[Ѓ]], [[Ќ]] (as well as many letters of non-Slavic alphabets);
*two most frequent combinations orthographically required to distinguish [[homonym]]s in Bulgarian and Macedonian: [[Ѐ]], [[Ѝ]];
*a few Old and New Church Slavonic combinations: [[Ѷ]], [[Ѿ]], [[Ѽ]].

To indicate stressed or long vowels, [[combining diacritical mark]]s can be used after the respective letter (for example, {{unichar|0301|combining acute accent|cwith=◌}}: е́ у́ э́ etc.).

Some languages, including [[Church Slavonic language|Church Slavonic]], are still not fully supported.{{Citation needed|date=June 2015}}

Unicode 5.1, released on 4 April 2008, introduces major changes to the Cyrillic blocks. Revisions to the existing Cyrillic blocks, and the addition of Cyrillic Extended A (2DE0 ... 2DFF) and Cyrillic Extended B (A640 ... A69F), significantly improve support for the [[early Cyrillic alphabet]], [[Abkhaz language|Abkhaz]], [[Aleut language|Aleut]], [[Chuvash language|Chuvash]], [[Kurdish language|Kurdish]], and [[Moksha language|Moksha]].<ref>{{cite web| url= http://std.dkuug.dk/jtc1/sc2/wg2/docs/n3194.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://std.dkuug.dk/jtc1/sc2/wg2/docs/n3194.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |title = IOS Universal Multiple-Octet Coded Character Set| access-date=2012-06-13}}</ref>

===Other===
Other [[character encoding]] systems for Cyrillic:
*[[CP866]]{{snd}}8-bit Cyrillic character encoding established by [[Microsoft]] for use in [[MS-DOS]] also known as GOST-alternative. Cyrillic characters go in their native order, with a "window" for pseudographic characters.
*[[ISO/IEC 8859-5]]{{snd}}8-bit Cyrillic character encoding established by [[International Organization for Standardization]]
*[[KOI8-R]]{{snd}}8-bit native Russian character encoding. Invented in the USSR for use on Soviet clones of American IBM and DEC computers. The Cyrillic characters go in the order of their Latin counterparts, which allowed the text to remain readable after transmission via a 7-bit line that removed the [[most significant bit]] from each byte{{snd}}the result became a very rough, but readable, Latin transliteration of Cyrillic. Standard encoding of early 1990s for [[Unix]] systems and the first Russian Internet encoding.
*[[KOI8-U]]{{snd}}KOI8-R with addition of Ukrainian letters.
*[[MIK Code page|MIK]]{{snd}}8-bit native Bulgarian character encoding for use in [[DOS]].
*[[Windows-1251]]{{snd}}8-bit Cyrillic character encoding established by Microsoft for use in [[Microsoft Windows]]. The simplest 8-bit Cyrillic encoding{{snd}}32 capital chars in native order at 0xc0–0xdf, 32 usual chars at 0xe0–0xff, with rarely used "YO" characters somewhere else. No pseudographics. Former standard encoding in some [[Linux]] distributions for Belarusian and Bulgarian, but currently displaced by [[UTF-8]].
*GOST-main.
*[[GB 2312]]{{snd}}Principally simplified Chinese encodings, but there are also the basic 33 Russian Cyrillic letters (in upper- and lower-case).
*[[JIS encoding|JIS]] and [[Shift JIS]]{{snd}}Principally Japanese encodings, but there are also the basic 33 Russian Cyrillic letters (in upper- and lower-case).

===Keyboard layouts===
{{See also|Keyboard layout#Keyboard layouts for non-Latin alphabetic scripts|label 1=Keyboard layouts for non-Latin alphabetic scripts}}

Each language has its own standard [[keyboard layout]], adopted from traditional national [[typewriter]]s. With the flexibility of computer input methods, there are also transliterating or phonetic/homophonic keyboard layouts made for typists who are more familiar with other layouts, like the common English [[QWERTY keyboard]]. When practical Cyrillic keyboard layouts are unavailable, computer users sometimes use transliteration (translit) or look-alike (volapuk encoding) to type in languages that are normally written with the Cyrillic alphabet. Potentially, these proxy versions could be transformed programmatically into Cyrillic at a later date.

==See also==
{{Portal|Writing|Languages}}
* [[Cyrillic Alphabet Day]]
* [[Cyrillic digraphs]]
* [[Cyrillic script in Unicode]]
* [[Faux Cyrillic]], real or fake Cyrillic letters used to give Latin-alphabet text a Soviet or Russian feel
* [[List of Cyrillic digraphs and trigraphs]]
* [[Russian Braille]]
* [[Russian cursive]]
* [[Russian manual alphabet]]
* [[Bulgarian Braille]]
* [[Vladislav the Grammarian]]
* [[Yugoslav Braille]]
* [[Yugoslav manual alphabet]]

===Internet top-level domains in Cyrillic===
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[List of Internet top-level domains#Cyrillic script|gTLDs]]
* [[.мон]]
* [[.бг]]
* [[.қаз]]
* [[.рф]]
* [[.срб]]
* [[.укр]]
* [[.мкд]]
* [[.бел]]
{{div col end}}

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
{{Refbegin|indent=yes}}
*{{cite book |author-link=Robert Bringhurst|last=Bringhurst |first=Robert |date=2002 |title=[[The Elements of Typographic Style]] |version=2.5|pages=262–264 |location=Vancouver |publisher= Hartley & Marks |isbn=0-88179-133-4}}
*{{Southeastern Europe in the Middle Ages, 500–1250}}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite book|last1=Isailović|first1=Neven G.|last2=Krstić|first2=Aleksandar R.|chapter=Serbian Language and Cyrillic Script as a Means of Diplomatic Literacy in South Eastern Europe in 15th and 16th Centuries|title=Literacy Experiences concerning Medieval and Early Modern Transylvania|year=2015|location=Cluj-Napoca|publisher=George Bariţiu Institute of History|pages=185–195|url=https://www.academia.edu/25272837}}
*{{cite book |last=Nezirović |first=M. |date=1992 |title=Jevrejsko-španjolska književnost |trans-title=Jewish-Spanish literature |location= Sarajevo |publisher= Svjetlost}} [cited in Šmid, 2002]
*{{cite journal |last=Prostov |first=Eugene Victor |date=1931 |title=Origins of Russian Printing |journal=Library Quarterly |volume=1 |number=1 (January) |pages=255–77|doi=10.1086/612949 |s2cid=144864717 }}{{when|date=February 2024}}
*{{cite web |last=Šmid |first=Katja |date=2002 |url=http://hispanismo.cervantes.es/documentos/smidX.pdf |title=Los problemas del estudio de la lengua sefardí |trans-title=The problems of studying the Sephardic language |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080407074136/http://hispanismo.cervantes.es/documentos/smidX.pdf |archive-date=7 April 2008}} in {{cite book|title=Verba Hispanica |volume= X |location=Liubliana |publisher= Facultad de Filosofía y Letras de la Universidad de Liubliana |issn=0353-9660}}.
*'The Lives of St. Tsurho and St. Strahota', Bohemia, 1495, Vatican Library
*{{cite journal |first=Philipp |last=Ammon |url=http://sjani.ge/sjani-17/%E1%83%A4%E1%83%98%E1%83%9A%E1%83%98%E1%83%9E%E1%83%9E%20%E1%83%90%E1%83%9B%E1%83%9D%E1%83%9C%E1%83%98.pdf |title=Tractatus slavonicus (in: Sjani (Thoughts) ) |journal=Georgian Scientific Journal of Literary Theory and Comparative Literature |number=17 |date=2016 |pages=248–256 |archive-date=19 July 2020 |access-date=16 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719225708/http://sjani.ge/sjani-17/%E1%83%A4%E1%83%98%E1%83%9A%E1%83%98%E1%83%9E%E1%83%9E%20%E1%83%90%E1%83%9B%E1%83%9D%E1%83%9C%E1%83%98.pdf |url-status=dead }}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{wiktionary|Appendix:Cyrillic script}}
*[http://czyborra.com/charsets/cyrillic.html The Cyrillic Charset Soup] overview and history of Cyrillic charsets.
*[http://transliteration.eki.ee/ Transliteration of Non-Roman Scripts], a collection of writing systems and transliteration tables
*[http://www.omniglot.com/writing/cyrillic.htm History and development of the Cyrillic alphabet]
*[http://localfonts.eu/cyrillic-alphabets-of-slavic-languages/ Cyrillic Alphabets of Slavic Languages] review of Cyrillic charsets in Slavic Languages.
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20140222042759/http://andregarzia.on-rev.com/richmond/LANGTOOLS.html data entry in Old Cyrillic / Стара Кирилица] (archived 22 February 2014)
*[http://blog-en.namepedia.org/2015/04/cyrillic-and-its-long-journey-east/ Cyrillic and its Long Journey East – NamepediA Blog], article about the Cyrillic script
*{{cite podcast | url= https://soundcloud.com/chssedinburgh/vladimir-alpatov-latin-alphabet-for-the-russian-language | author= Vladimir M. Alpatov | author-link= Vladimir Mikhaylovich Alpatov | publisher= The University of Edinburgh | title= Latin Alphabet for the Russian Language | website= Soundcloud | date= 24 January 2013 |access-date= 28 January 2016 }}
* [http://www.unicode.org/charts/collation/ Unicode collation charts]—including Cyrillic letters, sorted by shape

{{Cyrillic navbox}}
{{List of writing systems}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cyrillic alphabet}}
[[Category:Cyrillic script| ]]
[[Category:Bulgarian inventions]]
[[Category:Eastern Europe]]
[[Category:Central Asia]]