ЙЦУКЕН (BY) — Belarusian Cyrillic Layout Explained
The Belarusian ЙЦУКЕН (BY) keyboard is based on Russian ЙЦУКЕН with two key changes: щ is replaced by ў (a Belarusian-specific letter), and и is replaced by і on the bottom row. Otherwise, the layout is nearly identical to Russian.
Belarusian alphabet differences
Belarusian uses Cyrillic, similar to Russian but with notable variations:
Letters Belarusian has, Russian doesn't:
- Ў ў (u with breve, "short u") — UNIQUE to Belarusian
- І і — instead of Russian "и" (different shape but similar sound)
Letters Russian has, Belarusian doesn't:
- щ — replaced by ў in Belarusian
- и — replaced by і
- ъ — uses apostrophe ' instead
Most other letters shared with Russian.
Where each Belarusian character lives
- ў: top-row position (where щ is on Russian — top right ring)
- і: bottom-row position (where и is on Russian — bottom inner)
- ' (apostrophe): top-right area (replaces ъ)
- All other letters (ф, в, а, п, р, о, л, д, ж, etc.) shared with Russian
Practice the Belarusian layout at /be/jcuken_by/.
The ў character
Ў (u with breve, sometimes called "u korotkae" / "short u") is unique to Belarusian among major languages. It represents a semivowel — like English "w" sound at the end of words.
Common usage:
- аўтобус (bus) — common ў word
- праўда (truth) — frequent
- краіна (country)
- вучань (student)
Drill ў specifically — it's frequent and unique.
Common Belarusian typing patterns
- і, у, на, з, не, што, як — common short words
- Беларусь, беларускі, беларус — proper nouns
- дзякуй, калі ласка — politeness
- Мінск, Гомель, Магілёў — city names
- аўтобус, нават, маёр — common ў words
The frequent use of dz (дз) and dzh (дж) combinations gives Belarusian a distinctive look.
Touch typing tips for Belarusian
- Mostly same as Russian for shared letters
- Drill ў specifically — top right position
- Use і (not и) — Belarusian standard
- Apostrophe for hard signs instead of ъ
- No щ — don't try to use it in Belarusian
After 30 days of ЙЦУКЕН (BY) practice: 40-55 WPM in real Belarusian.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I type Belarusian on Russian ЙЦУКЕН?
Partially — you can type most letters but ў is missing (have to use copy-paste or alternative input). Most Belarusian speakers maintain ЙЦУКЕН (BY) for proper Belarusian.
What does ў sound like?
Like the "w" in English "now" or "cow" — a brief vowel/semivowel sound. Distinct from regular у (u).
Why is Belarusian і different from Russian и?
Same sound in both languages (the "ee" sound), different visual letter. Belarusian standardized on і (the Latin-looking i); Russian uses и (the H-shaped Cyrillic i).
Is there a Tarashkevitsa-specific layout?
No — Belarusian has two orthographic standards (official Narkamauka and traditional Tarashkevitsa), but both use the same ЙЦУКЕН (BY) keyboard.
Should I learn Belarusian on (BY) or (RU)?
For Belarusian: (BY) — the layout matches the language. For bilingual Russian + Belarusian: maintain both, switch via shortcut.
Are there alternative Belarusian layouts?
A few experimental layouts exist. ЙЦУКЕН (BY) is universal.
Try it
Practice ЙЦУКЕН (BY) on Typing Hero App — 19 lessons including ў and Belarusian-specific characters.
For more: How to type in Belarusian, ЙЦУКЕН (RU), Cyrillic layouts compared.