Writing on signs in Mongolia
Cyrillic with ө and ү
Mongolia writes in Cyrillic with two extra letters: ө (an o with a bar) and ү (a y without a tail).
- Spot ө or ү and it is Mongolia.
- Long words with double vowels, like Улаанбаатар.
- Some signs also show the old vertical Mongolian script.
15 photos, grouped by the clue they show.
Key clue Shop sign 11
Key clue Street sign 4
Mongolia: what its writing looks like
Mongolia writes in Cyrillic with two extra letters: ө, an o with a bar, and ү, a y without a tail. Spot one of them and you are in Mongolia.
Mongolian words often have double vowels, like Улаанбаатар, and some official signs also show the old vertical Mongolian script.
Cyrillic is used across Mongolia, from Ulaanbaatar to the steppe.
Look-alikes: how to tell them apart
Mongolia vs 
Russia
Russian uses the same alphabet without ө and ү.
Questions about the writing in Mongolia
Why does Mongolia use Cyrillic?
Mongolia switched to Cyrillic in the 1940s. The traditional vertical script is still taught and appears on some signs.
Which letters are only Mongolian?
ө and ү. They are added to the Russian alphabet for Mongolian sounds.