Uzbek president signs law on revised Latin-based alphabet on Uzbek Language Day

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a law on improving the Latin-based Uzbek alphabet on 21 October, Uzbek Language Day. The signing was announced by Saida Mirziyoyeva, head of the Presidential Administration, in a Telegram post. She said the change corrects a long-standing historical mistake and ends debates that had lasted for years.

The new alphabet has 28 letters and an apostrophe, replacing the previous 26 letters and three digraphs. Sh, Ch, Oʻ and Gʻ are replaced by the letters Ş, Ç, Ö and Ğ, and Ng is no longer treated as a separate unit. The Legislative Chamber adopted the law in early July, and the Senate approved the changes in early September.

Mirziyoyeva said existing documents, the national currency and securities will keep their validity, while textbooks, signs and signposts will be replaced in stages as they reach the end of their service life. Changes to the alphabet had been expected for years, following a 2020 presidential decree and draft versions published in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2023.