Uzbekistan has legislated a substantial revision to its Latin-based alphabet, replacing four familiar spellings with single letters and removing “Ng” as a separate unit. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed the amendments on 21 October. The change reshapes how the language is written, while the transition is designed to avoid requiring people to replace documents or public materials all at once.
Four spellings become single letters
The revised alphabet is set out as 28 letters and one apostrophe sign. The spellings Oʻ and Gʻ become Ö and Ğ, while the two-letter forms Sh and Ch become Ş and Ç. The combination Ng will no longer be treated as a separate unit in the alphabet. The other letters are unchanged.
The reform addresses a longstanding feature of Uzbek Latin spelling: several sounds have been represented by two characters, even though much of the alphabet uses single letters. Under the new arrangement, each of the four specified spellings has a single-letter form. Ng’s removal from the alphabet’s separate units does not mean the sound disappears from Uzbek; it will continue to be handled through spelling rules.
The amendments revise the law governing the introduction of the Uzbek alphabet based on Latin script. The legislature’s lower chamber adopted the bill in July and the Senate approved it in September, before the presidential signature. The stated aims include making Uzbek easier to type and supporting its use in digital settings. The legal change concerns the written standard; it does not by itself mean that the country’s other writing system, Cyrillic, has immediately ceased to be used.
Existing documents remain valid
People will not need to replace documents issued under the previous spelling. The national currency and securities already in circulation or issued earlier also remain valid. This provision separates adoption of a new alphabet standard from the validity of existing official and financial items.
Textbooks, signs and information boards are to be updated gradually, as they reach the end of their service life. That approach is intended to limit disruption and avoid the expense of an immediate, nationwide replacement. Public bodies will also need to adapt correspondence, electronic documents, websites and other information materials to the revised spelling under the transition arrangements.
The law is reported to take effect six months after its official publication. That is a period tied to publication, rather than a fixed calendar commencement date stated in the government announcement. Separate reporting describes new first-grade textbooks using the revised alphabet from 2027, with textbook replacement planned over a longer period. Those classroom steps form part of a gradual rollout, not an overnight switch across every document and public sign.
A change to be phased in
For residents, businesses and public institutions, the most immediate practical effect is the new spelling standard and the need to plan for its use in new materials. The continued validity of existing documents, currency and securities means that the law does not require a mass exchange of those items. The phased replacement of books and signs similarly allows existing materials to remain in use until they are due for renewal or are replaced under an implementation programme.
Schools and public authorities will have to apply the changed forms consistently as new textbooks, online content and official materials are prepared. Digital systems will also need to recognise the additional letters in keyboards, search and document processing. The legislation sets the direction for that work, while the practical pace depends on transition procedures and the normal renewal of materials.
Uzbekistan’s Latin-based alphabet was first adopted in 1993 and revised in 1995. The latest amendments therefore change the established Latin spelling conventions after decades of use. Their central effect is clear: four spellings are replaced by Ö, Ğ, Ş and Ç, Ng is no longer an independent alphabet unit, and the transition is staged while older documents and financial instruments retain their validity.
