How to write Russian letters in Estonian: a practical guide

Transliterating Cyrillic characters into Estonian is a daily necessity for many people. Transferring names into documents and other texts requires specific rules. This guide explains how to convert Russian alphabet characters into Estonian, which uses the Latin script.

Converting Russian letters, or Cyrillic characters, into the Estonian Latin alphabet is a task faced by many Estonian residents – particularly those whose daily lives involve both Estonian and Russian.

When is this needed?

The need for transliteration most often arises when filling in personal documents, official correspondence, email addresses, and various forms. It is also encountered by journalists, translators, and administrative professionals who need to adapt Russian proper names to Estonian texts.

Basic rules and common solutions

Estonian uses both international transliteration systems and locally established conventions to render Cyrillic characters. For example, the Russian letter «» is rendered in Estonian text as «štš», «» as «ž», and «» as «h» or «hh», depending on context. For proper names, it is recommended to follow the guidelines of the Institute of the Estonian Language.

It is important to remember that different official systems may vary slightly – a passport, a scholarly text, and a newspaper article do not necessarily have to use the same transcription. For this reason, it is worth clarifying which field's requirements apply before writing.