The Ukrainian orthography of 2019 () is the current version of Ukrainian orthography, prepared by the Ukrainian National Orthography Commission. On , the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved a new version of the orthography,Уряд схвалив Український правопис у новій редакції на сайті РБК-Україна and on , this document came into force.
The composition of the Ukrainian National Commission, which prepared the draft orthography, was approved by the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on .
A transitional phase of 5 years was set to implement the new version. During this stage, each institution was deciding independently on the use of the new version. The Ukrainian Center for Educational Quality Assessment has been set 5 years to implement the new standards in external independent evaluation tests. On May 22, 2024, the transitional period for the full implementation of the new Ukrainian orthography has ended.
The new edition brought back to use some features of the Ukrainian orthography of 1928 (the so-called Orthography of Kharkiv), which were part of the Ukrainian orthographic tradition thrown out by the Ukrainian orthography of 1933, which began the Russification of the Ukrainian orthography tradition. At the same time, the commission was guided by the understanding that the language practices of Ukrainians in the second half of the 20th to the beginning of the 21st centuries have already become part of the Ukrainian orthography tradition.
Development and implementation The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine with reference to the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine explains that the orthography in the previous edition generally met the needs of society and cannot be considered obsolete. It needed only the elimination of certain contradictions, streamlining, clarification and addition in accordance with the modern language trends that have formed in society. This provision was recognized as fair by a significant part of the participants in the public discussion of the new version of the Ukrainian orthography.
In its work, the Ukrainian National Commission on Orthography was guided by the following principles: the need to preserve the Ukrainian orthography tradition; inclusion of new orthography rules necessary for a sufficiently comprehensive codification of language norms; reflection of the main changes in modern language and writing practice; formation of rules for writing new borrowed words, new proper names; elimination of outdated or inaccurate wording; unification of orthography rules.
A version of the draft, printed electronically on 216 pages, was published by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine on the website for public discussion, which lasted from to . On , the term of public discussion was extended until . Work on the document was expected to continue at least until the end of 2018; members of the commission declined to comment. However, Maksym Strikha, co-chair of the commission, shared information that the project was approved unanimously.
The orthographic commission stated that
The public discussion of the draft Ukrainian orthography lasted until . More than 500 suggestions, comments and remarks were received. On , the final meeting of the Orthography Commission took place, at which some amendments were made based on the results of the public discussion. On , at a joint meeting of the Presidium of the NAS of Ukraine and the Board of the MES, the report of the Chairman of the Working Group on drafting the Ukrainian orthography of the corresponding member of the NAS of Ukraine Svitlana Yermolenko "On the new edition of the Ukrainian orthography"; the draft orthography was approved and recommended to be submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers for approval after completion
On , the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved a new version of the orthography, and on , this document entered into force.
On , the final version was published on the official websites of the Ministry of Education and Science and the National Academy of Sciences. Therefore, as of , it was recommended to apply the norms and rules of the new edition in all spheres of public life.
A transitional phase of 5 years was set to implement the new version, when each institution decided independently on its use. During this period, the Ukrainian Center for Educational Quality Assessment had to implement the new standards in external independent evaluation tests.
On , the publishing house Naukova Dumka of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, as an authorized institution, published an authorized edition of the new edition.
On May 22, 2024, the transitional period for the full implementation of the new Ukrainian orthography has ended.
Major changes to the 1993 orthography The essence of the norm Orthography of 1993 Orthography of 2019Words with Latin root The letter є is written in the word траєкторія; in the words проект, проекція and derivatives is written е.The sound is usually transmitted according to the pronunciation of a foreign word by the letter й and in the sound combinations the letters є, ї, ю, я: <...> проє́кт, проє́кція <...>Sound І, у (as well as u of the German diphthong eu) in the position between two vowels (in a foreign language) in common names are usually not transmitted by a separate sign <...> but: Гойя, Савойя, Фейєрбах; also майя (nationality), фойє.The sound is usually transmitted according to the pronunciation of a foreign word by the letter й and in the sound combinations the letters є, ї, ю, я: бу́єр, конве́єр, пле́єр, фла́єр, круї́з, моза́їка, лоя́льний, парано́я, плея́да, роя́ль, саквоя́ж, секво́я, фая́нс, феєрве́рк, ін’є́кція, проє́кт, проє́кція, суб’є́кт, траєкторія, фоє́, є́ті, Гаї́ті, Го́я, Єйтс, Саво́я, Феєрба́х, Ма́єр, Кає́нна, Іса́я, Йога́нн, Рамбує́, Со́єр, Хая́м, Хеєрда́л, Юно́на.The ending of nouns on after the consonant, as well as words кров, любов, осінь, сіль, Русь, Білорусь in the genitive singular—Nouns on after the consonant, as well as words кров, любо́в, о́сінь, сіль, Русь, Білору́сь in the genitive case singular can be acquired as a variant of the ending гід́ности, незале́жности, ра́дости, сме́рти, че́сти, хоро́брости; кро́ви, любо́ви, о́сени, со́ли, Ру́си́, Білору́си.Conjugation of female names ending in a labial or soft consonant—Female names ending in a labial or soft consonant are declined: Ізабе́ль — Ізабе́лі, Ете́ль — Ете́лі, Жізе́ль — Жізе́лі, Міше́ль — Міше́лі, Ніко́ль — Ніко́лі, Сесі́ль — Сесі́лі, Зейна́б — Зейна́бі, Руф — Ру́фі.Letter И at the beginning of the wordAt the beginning of the word is written І, not И: ім'я́, інди́к, і́ній, і́нколи, і́ноді, і́нший, існува́ти, і́стина.We write the letter І at the beginning of the word according to the pronunciation: Іва́н, і́грашка, і́дол, і́кати, іко́на, іменува́ти, ім'я́, інди́к, і́ноді, іржа́, існува́ти, і́стина, іти́. Some words have variants with a vowel И: і́рій and и́рій, і́род and и́род (‘very cruel man’).
We write И at the beginning of some interjections (ич!), particles (ич який хитрий), verb и́кати and derived a noun и́кання.
At the beginning of the word we use the letter И in some common and proper names derived from Turkic and other languages, according to their pronunciation in these languages: ийбен, ир, Ич-оба́, Кім Чен Ин.Use of the letter ґ in foreign names and surnames where there is a sound //G and h usually transmitted by a letter г: <...> Ганнібал, Гейне, Гете, Гізо, Гомер, Горацій, Горн, Гюго, Магомет.In surnames and names of people, the sound can be transmitted in two ways: by adapting to the sound system of the Ukrainian language by the letter г (Вергі́лій, Гарсі́я, Ге́гель, Гео́рг, Ге́те, Грегуа́р, Гулліве́р) and by imitating a foreign by the letter ґ (Верґі́лій, Ґарсі́я, Ге́ґель, Ґео́рґ, Ґе́те, Ґреґуа́р, Ґулліве́р, etc.).Digraph th in words of Greek originThe digraph th, depending on how the word is common in the Ukrainian language, is transmitted by the letter ф: арифметика, ефір, кафедра, логарифм, міф, орфографія, пафос, Федір and by the letter т: бібліотека, ортодокс, ортопедія, театр, теорія; Тадей, Теодор.The digraph th in words of Greek origin is usually transmitted by letter т: антоло́гія, антрополо́гія, апте́ка, а́стма, бібліоте́ка, католи́цький, теа́тр, тео́рія, ортодо́кс, ортопе́дія, Амальте́я, Промете́й, Те́кля, Таї́сія, Теодо́р. In words common in the Ukrainian language with ф, orthography variation is possible, for example: ана́фема and ана́тема, арифметика and аритметика, дифіра́мб and дитира́мб, ефі́р and ете́р, ка́федра and кате́дра, логари́фм and логари́тм, міф, міфоло́гія and міт, мітоло́гія, орфографія and ортографія, орфоепія and ортоепія, пафос and патос, Агата́нгел and Агафа́нгел, Афі́ни and Ате́ни, Афон and Атос, Борисфе́н and Бористе́н, Варфоломій and Вартоломій, Демосфе́н and Демосте́н, Ефіопія and Етіопія, Коринф and Коринт, Ма́рфа and Ма́рта, Мефодій and Методій, Піфагор and Пітагор, Фесса́лія and Тесса́лія, etc.Digraphs au, ouDiphthongs are transmitted mainly through ау, оу: аудиторія, аудієнція, гауптвахта, лауреат, локаут, пауза, фауна (but: мавзолей); джоуль, клоун; Джорджтаун, Каунас; Краузе, Паульсен, Фауст, Штраус; Воуверман, Шоу. However, in a number of words au is transmitted through ав: автентичний, автобіографія, автомобіль, автор, авторитет, автохтон; Австралія, Австрія; Август, Аврора.Digraphs au, ou to denote diphthongs pass through ау, оу: аутса́йдер, гауптва́хта, ма́узер; Ка́унас; Кла́ус, Кра́узе, Па́уль, Фа́уст. In words derived from ancient Greek and Latin, the letter au is usually passed through ав: автенти́чний, автобіогра́фія, автомобі́ль, а́втор, авторите́т, автохто́н, ла́вра, Авро́ра, Маврита́нія, Павло́. In borrowings from the ancient Greek and Latin languages, which have a strong tradition of transmitting the letter combination aу, orthographic options are possible: ауди́т and авди́т, аудіє́нція and авдіє́нція, аудито́рія and авдито́рія, лауреа́т and лавреа́т, па́упер and па́впер, па́уза and па́вза, кла́уза and кла́вза, фа́уна and фа́вна.Writing "half" with nounsTogether we write: ...
d) complex nouns with the first part пів-, напів-, полу-: піва́ркуша, півгоди́ни, півдю́жини, півкарбо́ванця, півко́ло, півмі́сяць, півогірка́, пів'я́блука, напівавтома́т, напівсо́н; полу́кіпок, полу́мисок.
Note. Before nouns - proper names пів- is written through a hyphen: пів-Євро́пи, пів-Ки́єва.Note. The indeclinable numeral пів with the meaning «half» with the following noun, a common or proper name in the form of the genitive singular, is written separately: пів áркуша, пів годúни, пів відрá, пів мíста, пів огіркá, пів óстрова, пів я́блука, пів я́щика, пів я́ми, пів Єврóпи, пів Кúєва, пів Украї́ни. If the пів with the next noun in the form of a nominative case is a single concept and does not express the meaning of half, then we write them together: півáркуш, пíвдень, півзáхист, півкóло, півкýля, півмі́сяць, півóберт, півовáл, півóстрів.Expanding the list of prefixes with which we write words togetherавіа-, авто-, агро-, біо-, вело-, водо-, газо-, геліо-, гео-, гідро-, екзо-, екстра-, електро-, зоо-, ізо-, квазі-, кіно-, космо-, лже-, макро-, мета-, метео-, мікро-, мілі-, моно-, мото-, нео-, палео-, псевдо-, радіо-, рентгено-, соціо-, стерео-, супер-, теле-, термо-, турбо-, фоно-, фото- etc.абро-, авіа-, авто-, агро-, аеро-, аква-, алко-, арт-, астро-, аудіо-, біо-, боди-, боді- (before the vowel), веб-, геліо-, гео-, гідро-, дендро-, екзо-, еко-, економ-, етно-, євро-, зоо-, ізо-, іно-, квазі-, кібер-, мета-, метео-, моно-, мото-, нарко-, нео-, онко-, палео-, пан-, пара-, поп-, прес-, псевдо-, смарт-, соціо-, теле-, фіто-, фолк- (фольк-), фоно-, etc.
Note. If foreign parts are attached to their own name or abbreviation, then put a hyphen between them: пан-Єврóпа, псéвдо-Фáуст; веб-API, псевдо-ФОП.Writing some complex nounsThrough a hyphen are written: