Յյ, hi, the twenty-first letter of the Armenian alphabet

Name

hi

Sound

y (h at the start of a word) Western; y Eastern

A word

Յոթ, seven

In traditional spelling, which Western Armenians still use, Յ at the start of a word is pronounced h, so Յակոբ is Hagop, while the Soviet reform respelled such words with Հ, giving Հակոբ (Hakob). In reformed spelling a word-initial Յ is always said y, as in Յոթ (seven), which Western Armenians write եօթը.