A British author highlighted the uniqueness of the Ukrainian letter "ї"
British journalist and writer Sofia Smith-Galler, author of the book *How to Kill a Language*, drew attention to the peculiarities of the Ukrainian letter “ї.” She noted that this sound is unique and difficult for native English speakers to pronounce. The writer explores the topic of linguicide—the deliberate suppression and destruction of languages. In this context, she also mentioned the historical pressure on the Ukrainian language from Russia.
"For native speakers of Ukrainian, their language has long been under threat of linguicide by the Russian state. This continues during the war, but this time in a country that has long been sovereign. Ukraine has a State Commissioner for Language Issues and its own means of protection. I interviewed native speakers and experts on this issue for my book *How to Kill a Language*—and I am honored that Ukrainian was also the first language to which we sold translation rights,” Galer said.
The author also drew attention to the pronunciation of the name “Kyiv.” She noted that she deliberately used the anglicized pronunciation of the name while recording the video, as that is how it is usually pronounced in the UK. At the same time, she emphasized that Ukrainian has a “really cool ‘i’ sound” that doesn’t exist in English.
“I challenge anyone who’s up for it to try pronouncing it,” she wrote, ending the post with a heart emoji next to the “ї.”
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