Uzbek alphabet being updated: what changes were introduced?

An updated version of the Uzbek alphabet, based on the Latin script, will take effect in Uzbekistan from 22 April 2027. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed the relevant law on Wednesday, according to Egemen.kz.

Under the new law, all documents issued before it takes effect, the national currency and official securities will remain valid. State symbols, signboards and organisational emblems may continue to be used until they are replaced due to wear, or until they are updated under an implementation programme to be approved within two months.

The updated alphabet will consist of 28 letters and an apostrophe. Some digraphs and certain symbols will be replaced by single letters, simplifying the letter system. The Latin-based writing system was first adopted in 1993 and amended in 1995. A full move away from the Cyrillic script was initially planned for 2000, but both scripts are still used side by side. The current reform is based on a 2020 presidential decree aimed at modernising language policy and completing the transition to the Latin script.