I can tell tutuq belgisi from the sign in oʻ and gʻ, write katta and ikki with double consonants, and write a familiar word the Uzbek way: konsert, kompyuter.
Tutuq belgisi — the second sign
Tutuq belgisi — the second sign
Uzbek writing has two similar signs. You already know ʻ: it is part of the letters oʻ and gʻ. The second sign, ʼ, is separate: it is not part of a letter. It is called tutuq belgisi.
After a vowel, tutuq belgisi makes the vowel long: in maʼno, taʼtil, baʼzan the first vowel is longer than usual.
After a consonant, it separates the syllables with a short break, like the catch in “uh-oh”: sanʼat, masʼul.
Telling the signs apart is easy: the sign that is part of a letter comes only after o and g; tutuq belgisi comes after any other letter.
You can type tutuq belgisi as any apostrophe or leave it out: the answer still counts, and the answer key shows the right spelling. That's why we test the spelling with the sign by choice.
Two signs
| What it is | Sign | What it does | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| part of a letter | ʻ | turns o into oʻ, g into gʻ | oʻn — ten · togʻ — mountain |
| tutuq belgisi after a vowel | ʼ | the vowel is longer | maʼno — meaning · taʼtil — vacation · baʼzan — sometimes |
| tutuq belgisi after a consonant | ʼ | a new syllable starts after a short break | sanʼat — art · masʼul — responsible |
Lesson notes
Tutuq belgisi — the second sign
Uzbek writing has two similar signs. You already know ʻ: it is part of the letters oʻ and gʻ. The second sign, ʼ, is separate: it is not part of a letter. It is called tutuq belgisi.
After a vowel, tutuq belgisi makes the vowel long: in maʼno, taʼtil, baʼzan the first vowel is longer than usual.
After a consonant, it separates the syllables with a short break, like the catch in “uh-oh”: sanʼat, masʼul.
Telling the signs apart is easy: the sign that is part of a letter comes only after o and g; tutuq belgisi comes after any other letter.
You can type tutuq belgisi as any apostrophe or leave it out: the answer still counts, and the answer key shows the right spelling. That's why we test the spelling with the sign by choice.
Double consonants and familiar words in Uzbek
A double consonant is held longer than a single one — unlike the tt of English “kitten” — and is written with two letters: katta (big), ikki (two), yetti (seven), sakkiz (eight), issiq (hot). One letter for two is a mistake, and the checker sees it.
Familiar words are spelled by Uzbek rules: [s] is always s (konsert, sirk), a silent letter of the Russian spelling is not written (aprel, sentabr), the “you” of “computer” is yu (kompyuter), [jo] is yo, [je] after a vowel is ye, the y of “yes” is y, [ʃ] is sh. See the table.
In these words o is the closed o of “more”: telefon, avtobus.
Common mistakes:
• NOT kata, iki — the consonant is double: katta, ikki.
• NOT concert — in Uzbek, konsert.
• NOT autobus — in Uzbek, avtobus.