Rules and methods of Romanization of different Ukrainian proper nouns

Ukrainian proper names are mostly conveyed on the basis of their phonemic / orthographic structure, i. e. are transliterated in English. One of the efforts to get rid of our former colonial past was the adoption by the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada of the Romanization System, which enable the conveying of our proper and geographical names in accordance with some rules. This is how the system is presented:

Ukrainian Romanization Ukrainian Romanization

1. Aa Aa 18. Нн Nn

2. Бб Bb 19. Оо Oo

3. Вв Vv Ww 20. Пп Pp

4. Гг Hh 21. Рр Rr

5. Гг Gg 22. Сс Ss

6. Дд Dd 23. Тт Tt

7. Ее Ee 24. Уу Uu

8. Єє Ye, ie 25. Фф Ff

9.Жж Zh 26. Хх Kh

10. Зз Zz 27. Цц Ts

11. Ии Yy 28. Чч Ch, tch, č

12. Іі Ii 29. Шш Sh, š

13. Її Yi, ii 30. Щщ Shch

14. Йй Yy 31. Юю Yu, iu

15. КК Kk, ck 32. Яя Ya, ia

16. Лл Ll 33. ь ’

17. Mm Mm

A practical realization of system can be illustrated on many Ukrainian names:

/и/ → y: Кирило – Kyrylo, Винник – Vynnyk;

/ ї/ → уі, іі, і: When preceded by a vowel, the sound [ j ] is to be conveyed through the letter i. Зінаїда - Zinaida, Zinaida. When i initiates the proper name, the sound expressed by it has to be conveyed through the yi letter combination: Ївга – Yivha, Їжакевич – Yizhakevych.

/й/→ when preceded by the /i/ sound it is conveyed in English as ii, iy: Андрій – Andriy, Гулій – Huliy, Hulii.

When preceded by [ и ] – yi: Горовий – Horovyi, Сірий – Siryi, Hnidyi.

/ю/→ yu, iu

/є/→ ye, ie

/я/→ ya, ia; Яким – Yakym, Забіяка – Zabiyaka. The sound /я/ in the final position of a word or a name can sometimes be conveyed by the ia. Марія – Maria, Yulia, Malaysia

/ь/ → Ukrainian palatalized consonants obtain a hard pronunciation in English. Василь - Vasyl’; Луцьк – Lyts’k, Red’ko, Koval’.

/г/ → h, not identical voiceless [ h ]. Гаврило – Havrylo, Григір – Hryhir, Hromak, [г ] → д Гудзій – Gudziy.

/ж/→ is conveyed with the help of the zh letter combination. Жук - Zhuk, Жанна - Zhanna.

/х/→ through the kh:Хома - Khoma, Химич - Khymych.

/ч/→ ch, tch, č. Клочко - Klochko, Klotshko,Чорний - Chornyi.

tch is often used in final position – Корч - Kortch.

/ш/→ sh, š

Recently, in accordance with the internationally agreed rules (UNESCO) our [ч] sound is often conveyed via the č sigh and [ш] - š sigh: Частій- Častiy, Chastii, Черниш- Černyš, Chernysh, Богач- Bohatch, Bohač.

[шч] щ –has similarly no equivalents in English. Traditionally through the combination shch or sch, now sometimes šč Щаденко– Shchadenco, Ющук- Yuschuk, Yushchuk.

[в]- v, Володимир- Volodymyr, Вовчок-Vovchok, but, Віль of course must be only –Will. Consequently may also be Wowchenko, Warenyk, Wowchok.