Writing on signs in Estonia
Õ, the Estonian letter
Estonian looks like Finnish, with ä, ö and double letters, but it adds õ (an o with a wave) and ü.
- õ in a Finnish-looking word means Estonia.
- ü is common here and never used in Finnish.
- Words like tänav, Pood and Apteek.
8 photos, grouped by the clue they show.
Key clue Shop sign 3
Key clue Street sign 5
Estonia: what its writing looks like
Estonian looks like Finnish, with ä, ö and double letters, but it adds õ, an o with a wave on top. In a Finnish-looking word, that letter means Estonia.
Estonian also uses ü, which Finnish does not. Streets are tänav, shops Pood and pharmacies Apteek.
Estonian is used across Estonia, from Tallinn to the islands. Russian is common in the north-east.
Look-alikes: how to tell them apart
Finland
LatviaFinnish has no õ or ü. Latvian puts lines over vowels instead.
Questions about the writing in Estonia
Which letter is only Estonian?
õ, an o with a wave on top. Finnish and Latvian never use it.
How can I tell Estonian from Finnish?
Look for õ or ü. Both are common in Estonian and never used in Finnish.