If you’re starting Finnish from absolute zero, learning the alphabet is one of the easiest places to begin.

The good news is that Finnish uses the same Latin alphabet as English, so most letters already look familiar. The challenge is not the letters themselves, but learning how Finns pronounce them.

One thing many learners love about Finnish is that the language is very phonetic. In most cases, words are pronounced exactly as they are written. Once you learn the sounds of the letters, reading Finnish becomes much easier than many people expect.

What Are Vowels and Consonants?

In Finnish, letters are divided into two groups: vowels and consonants.

Vowels (Vokaalit)

A, E, I, O, U, Y, Ä, Ö

Vowels are sounds that can be pronounced without blocking the airflow.

Examples:

• A
• E
• I
• O
• U

When you pronounce them, the air flows freely through your mouth.

Consonants (Konsonantit)

B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, R, S, T, V…

Consonants are sounds produced by using your lips, tongue, or teeth to partially block the airflow.

Examples:

• M
• N
• P
• T
• K

The Three Special Finnish Letters

Most letters look familiar if you already know English, but Finnish has three special letters that deserve extra attention.

Ä

Ä sounds somewhat similar to the vowel in the English word “cat”, although not exactly the same.

Examples:

• minä
• tämä

Ö

Ö does not exist in English.

Examples:

• työ
• syödä

Y

Y is another unique Finnish vowel.

Try saying the sound “i” while keeping your lips rounded like when you say “u”.

Examples:

• yksi
• kysymys

Don’t worry if these sounds feel difficult at first. Most learners need time to get used to them.

Learn By Listening First

Many beginners try to memorize the alphabet from a chart.

A better approach is to listen first.

Watch a Finnish alphabet video a few times and simply listen to how native speakers pronounce the letters. You don’t need to memorize everything immediately. Your brain will gradually start recognizing the sounds through repetition.

Here are some videos for you to listen to:

Learn Finnish! Lesson 1: The alphabet – Aakkoset from Finnish with Anna on Youtube

Reading Finnish Is Easier Than You Think

Try reading these Finnish words aloud:

Suomi

SUO-M-I

Helsinki

HEL-SIN-KI

Tampere

TAM-PE-RE

Oulu

OU-LU

Even if you don’t know what these words mean, you can already start practising Finnish pronunciation.

This is one of the biggest advantages of Finnish: reading and pronunciation are highly consistent.

A Useful Real-Life Skill: Spelling Your Name

One situation where Finns often use the alphabet is when spelling names over the phone.

Imagine calling a clinic, a bank, or a government office.

The person asks:

“Voisitko tavata nimesi?”
(Could you spell your name?)

Instead of saying individual letters only, Finns often use example words.

For example:

• P niin kuin Pipo
• H niin kuin Helsinki
• M niin kuin Maija
• L niin kuin Lappi
• T niin kuin Turku

If your name were “JANE”, you might spell it like this:

J niin kuin JUOMA

A niin kuin AUTO

N niin kuin NAINEN

E niin kuin EILEN

You don’t need to learn these example words yet, but it’s useful to know that Finns often spell names this way.

A Fun Observation Exercise

Open a Finnish article, social media post, or YouTube video description.

Now try to find:

• words containing Ä
• words containing Ö
• words containing Y

You will quickly notice that these vowels appear everywhere in Finnish.

This simple activity helps train your eyes to recognize Finnish spelling patterns naturally.

Learn Through Songs

Music is one of the easiest ways to remember the alphabet.

Children in Finland often learn the alphabet through songs and repetition, and adults can benefit from the same method.

Try listening to a Finnish alphabet song while following the letters on the screen.

Finnish teachers often use this song below to help first graders learn the alphabet.

Even if you don’t understand anything yet, you are already building familiarity with Finnish sounds.

Don’t Try to Memorize Everything

At the A0 level, your goal is not to master the entire alphabet in one day.

Just focus on three simple things:

• listen regularly
• recognize letters when you see them
• practise reading simple words

After a few weeks, you’ll probably remember most of the alphabet without ever trying to memorize it. That’s exactly how language learning should feel.

Small steps. Every day.

TIME TO PRACTICE!!!

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Quick Challenge

Can you spell your own name using Finnish letter names?

Write your name down and try reading each letter aloud the Finnish way.

You might be surprised by how much Finnish you already know.