ScriptLookup

Armenian

հայերեն
hy 5M speakers

Armenian (հայերեն) is a Indo-European language with approximately 5M speakers speakers. It is written using the Armenian script. Its BCP 47 language code is hy.

Armenian (Հայերեն) is an Indo-European language isolate (within the Indo-European family, it forms its own unique branch) and the official language of Armenia. It is spoken by approximately 5 million people worldwide, with a significant diaspora following the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923.

Armenian is written in the Armenian alphabet, which was created in 405 CE by the scholar Mesrop Mashtots specifically to translate the Bible into Armenian. The script has 38 letters and is written left-to-right. Armenian has a rich literary tradition and the Armenian Apostolic Church plays a central role in cultural identity.

Writing Systems Used for Armenian

Armenian
Հայոց գրեր
Primary
Բարեւ աշխարհ
LTR Armn

Frequently Asked Questions

What alphabet or script does Armenian use?
Armenian is written using the Armenian script (ISO 15924 code: Armn). Armenian is written left-to-right.
What direction is Armenian written?
Armenian is written Left-to-right. Text runs from left to right, the same direction as most European languages.
How many people speak Armenian?
Armenian has approximately 5M speakers speakers worldwide. It is a member of the Indo-European language family.
What language family does Armenian belong to?
Armenian belongs to the Indo-European language family. It is written with the Armenian script.
What is the language code for Armenian?
The BCP 47 language code for Armenian is "hy". This code is used in software, web standards (the HTML lang attribute), and internationalization contexts.

Language Facts

BCP 47 Code
hy
ISO 639-3
hye
Status
living
Speakers
5M speakers
Language Family
Indo-European
Scripts
1
Primary Script
Armenian

Other Armenian Languages

None found.

Data sourced from Unicode CLDR and ISO 639-3. Last updated April 20, 2026.