Romanian uses five letters with diacritics in its standard alphabet: ă, â, î, ș, and ț. Standard spelling keeps these marks in words such as măr (apple), mână (hand), în (in), șapte (seven), and țară (country).
What does each marked Romanian letter do?
Ă/ă is a distinct vowel. The letters â and î spell the same central vowel in different positions, while ș and ț are distinct consonants.
| Letter | Main role | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Ă, ă | A distinct vowel | măr (apple), casă (house) |
| Â, â | The same central vowel as î, normally inside a word | român (Romanian person), mână (hand) |
| Î, î | The same central vowel as â, used at certain word edges and in some compounds | în (in), a coborî (to descend) |
| Ș, ș | A consonant written with a marked s | șapte (seven), școală (school) |
| Ț, ț | A consonant written with a marked t | țară (country), față (face) |
How do â and î share one sound?
In current standard spelling, â and î represent the same central vowel, but they are not interchangeable. Use â in the interior of ordinary words. Use î at the beginning of a word, at the end of infinitives in -î, and in certain compounds or prefixed forms whose relevant element begins with î.
| Position or structure | Usual spelling | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Inside an ordinary word | â | când (when), român (Romanian person) |
| At the beginning of a word | î | în (in), înger (angel) |
| At the end of an infinitive in -î | î | a hotărî (to decide), a coborî (to descend) |
| In a compound or prefixed form that keeps an initial î | î in that element | bineînțeles (of course), reîncălzi (to reheat) |
| A word can contain both letters | Follow each position rule | a se întâmpla (to happen) |
The â/î contrast is a spelling distribution, not a pronunciation choice. When a new word or word family makes the position unclear, check a current normative dictionary. The dedicated î and â lesson covers the rule and its exceptions in more detail.
How do you write ă, ș, and ț?
Keep each letter's mark in current standard writing. For ș and ț, use a comma below in lowercase and the matching uppercase forms Ș and Ț when capitalization requires them.
- Keep ă wherever it belongs: fată (girl) and față (face) are different words, not two spellings of one word.
- Keep ș and ț distinct from plain s and t: șapte (seven) and țară (country) need their marked consonants.
- Keep the mark in uppercase writing. At the beginning of a sentence, write Școala este aproape. (The school is nearby.) and Țara este mare. (The country is large.) with Ș and Ț.
- Even when a phone, search box, or informal message lets you type without a mark, treat the omission as a spelling problem.
How do older spellings and official names differ?
Neutral contemporary Standard Romanian uses the five marked letters shown here and the current â/î distribution. Current standard spelling remains the default in present-day school and professional writing, even though older publications, software, or personal writing may preserve another convention. A person's official name can also preserve a family or legal spelling. Reproduce the name as its bearer writes it instead of silently changing it.
Mistakes to avoid
- Do not use â and î at random because they represent the same vowel; check the word's position and structure.
- Do not remove the marks from familiar words when writing standard Romanian. A missing mark can hide a contrast or produce a nonstandard spelling, even when the surrounding sentence is clear.
- Do not confuse ș with ț: the first is the marked s letter, while the second is the marked t letter.
- Do not assume that a keyboard's plain-letter output is a second standard spelling. Restore the Romanian letters when you edit the text.
Which marked letter appears in măr (apple)?
- ă
- â
- î
- ț
The word măr contains ă, the distinct vowel marked with a breve.
Which statement correctly describes î?
- It is used only in the middle of ordinary words.
- It is never used in verbs.
- It can appear at the beginning or end in the contexts taught here, while â normally marks the same vowel inside words.
- It replaces ă everywhere.
Current standard spelling uses î at the beginning of words and at the end of infinitives in -î, while â is the usual interior spelling.
Which sentence writes școală correctly at the beginning of a sentence?
- Scoala este aproape.
- Școala este aproape.
- Țcoala este aproape.
- școala este aproape.
At the beginning of a sentence, școală keeps its comma-below mark and starts with uppercase Ș: Școala este aproape.
Which pair uses the same central vowel with the current spelling chosen by position?
- măr and când
- șapte and țară
- în and măr
- mână and înger
Mână uses â inside the word, while înger uses î at the beginning; the two letters represent the same central vowel.
Which uppercase/lowercase pair is the same Romanian letter?
- Â / î
- Ș / ț
- Ă / â
- Î / î
Î is the uppercase form of î. The mark stays with the letter when the letter changes case.