Romanian uses five letters with diacritics in its standard alphabet: ă, â, î, ș, and ț. The marks are part of the spelling, not decoration: măr (apple), mână (hand), în (in), șapte (seven), and țară (country) are written with them.
Which Romanian letters use diacritics?
Learn each marked letter as a separate letter, then learn the position rule for â and î. The five marks can distinguish words and can also signal a different sound.
| 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) |
This 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.
What should you do with the other three letters?
In current standard writing, ș and ț use a comma below. Keep that comma-below form in lowercase and use 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.
- Treat a missing mark as a spelling problem even when a phone, search box, or informal message allows you to type without one.
Which variation matters for learners?
Neutral contemporary Standard Romanian uses the five marked letters shown here and the current â/î distribution. Older publications, software, or personal writing may preserve another spelling convention, but it is not the default to copy in present-day school or professional writing. A person's official name can also preserve family or legal spelling, so reproduce a name as its bearer writes it rather than 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.
Choose the correctly written sentence meaning “The country is large.”
- Țara este mari.
- Țara este mare.
- Țară este mare.
- Țara este măr.
Țara is the definite form meaning “the country,” and mare means “large” in this singular sentence.
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.