TL;DR
- Ș and Ț are two different Romanian consonant sounds, not spelling variants.
- Ș = /ʃ/ (like sh in shoe), Ț = /ts/ (like ts in cats).
- Confusion comes from missing diacritics, fonts, or keyboard issues.
- Pronunciation never changes — only spelling accuracy does.
- Training with minimal pairs and full words fixes this quickly.
Romanian alphabet pronunciation hub
If you want the full system behind these sounds, see the Romanian alphabet pronunciation hub
Explore the practice hub →Romanian Ș vs Ț — quick answer
In Romanian, ș and ț represent completely different sounds.
- Ș is pronounced /ʃ/, like “sh” in ship
- Ț is pronounced /ts/, like “ts” in cats
They are not interchangeable, and confusing them can change word meaning.
This distinction is one of the most important pronunciation checkpoints for learners.
What sound does Ș make in Romanian?
Ș = /ʃ/
This is a postalveolar fricative, identical to the English “sh” sound.
Examples:
- șapte (seven)
- școală (school)
- a ști (to know)
Tip:
If you can say shoe, you can say ș correctly.
What sound does Ț make in Romanian?
Ț = /ts/
This is an affricate, meaning it combines:
- t + s in one sharp sound
Examples:
- țară (country)
- față (face)
- a învăța (to learn)
Tip:
Say cats slowly and isolate the ts — that’s Romanian ț.
Ș vs Ț sound comparison (side by side)
| Letter | IPA | English approximation | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ș | /ʃ/ | sh in shoe | Pronouncing as s |
| Ț | /ts/ | ts in cats | Pronouncing as t |
The difference is immediately audible to native speakers.
Minimal pairs: hear the difference clearly
Minimal pairs help train your ear by changing only one sound.
- șase (six) vs țase ❌ (not a word)
- fașă (bandage) vs față (face)
- a ședea (to sit) vs a țese (to weave)
Practicing these pairs builds automatic recognition.
Why do learners confuse Ș and Ț?
1. Missing diacritics
Many texts incorrectly display:
- Ş / Ţ (cedilla) instead of Ș / Ț (comma below)
This causes visual confusion, especially in older fonts.
2. Keyboard and font issues
If your system lacks proper Romanian support, characters may:
- Look identical
- Be auto-replaced
- Fail to copy correctly
This is covered in our guide on Romanian special letters in the alphabet hub.
3. Treating them like English letters
English has:
- sh as two letters
- ts only at word boundaries
Romanian treats these as single, stable sounds.
Spelling cues that help you choose correctly
While pronunciation should come first, spelling patterns help:
Words with ș
- Many common verbs and numbers
- School-related words
Examples:
- șapte (seven)
- școală (school)
- știm (we know)
Words with ț
- Abstract nouns
- Learning and state verbs
Examples:
- față (face)
- învățător (teacher)
- știință (science)
Practice drill: say it out loud
Read aloud and focus on the marked letter:
- șapte → /ʃapte/
- țară → /tsară/
- față → /fatsə/
- școală → /ʃkoalə/
If needed, return to audio playback and repeat slowly.
How Ș and Ț fit into the Romanian alphabet?
Romanian uses five special letters that affect pronunciation:
- Ă
- Â / Î
- Ș
- Ț
Ș and Ț are the only consonants with diacritics, which makes them especially important.
They are explained in detail in the Romanian alphabet pronunciation hub, where every letter includes audio practice.
FAQ: Romanian Ș vs Ț Pronunciation
Is Romanian Ș the same as English “sh”?
Yes.
Romanian ș is pronounced exactly like the “sh” sound in English words such as shoe or ship.
There is no pronunciation difference, only a spelling difference between languages.
Is Romanian Ț the same as “ts” in English?
Yes, functionally.
Romanian ț is pronounced /ts/, similar to the ending sound in cats.
However, in Romanian this sound is treated as one single consonant, not a combination of t + s.
Do Ș and Ț ever sound the same in Romanian?
No. Never.
Ș (/ʃ/) and Ț (/ts/) are always different sounds.
If two words look similar but one uses ș and the other ț, they will always sound different to native speakers.
Can confusing Ș and Ț change word meaning?
Yes — immediately.
Because these are distinct consonants, mixing them up can:
- Change meaning
- Make a word incorrect
- Cause misunderstanding
Example:
- față = face
- fașă = bandage
A small mark makes a real semantic difference.
Why do I sometimes see Ş and Ţ instead of Ș and Ț?
This happens due to old encoding and font issues.
- Ş / Ţ use a cedilla (incorrect for Romanian)
- Ș / Ț use a comma below (correct modern Romanian)
Today, Ș and Ț with comma below are the official standard, used in:
- Education
- Publishing
- Digital content
If your text shows cedillas, it’s a technical display issue, not a different letter.
Are Ș and Ț difficult for Romanian learners?
They are easy to pronounce, but easy to confuse visually.
Most learners struggle because of:
- Missing diacritics
- Keyboard limitations
- Copy-pasted text from old sources
Once you hear and practice them side by side, the difference becomes obvious.
How can I practice Ș vs Ț effectively?
The fastest method is:
- Listen to minimal pairs
- Repeat full words aloud
- Focus on mouth movement, not spelling
Short daily repetition works better than memorizing rules.
Are Ș and Ț unique to Romanian?
They are rare among Romance languages, but not unique globally.
- Similar sounds exist in Slavic and Balkan languages
- Romanian is unique in how consistently it marks them with diacritics
This makes Romanian more phonetic than English, once the system is learned.
Do children learning Romanian confuse Ș and Ț?
Native Romanian children do not confuse the sounds, only spelling when writing.
For learners, pronunciation usually comes before spelling accuracy, which is normal and expected.
Where do Ș and Ț fit in the Romanian alphabet?
They are part of the five special Romanian letters:
- Ă
- Â / Î
- Ș
- Ț
Together, these letters define the distinct sound system of Romanian.
You can practice all of them with audio in the Romanian alphabet pronunciation hub.
What should I master next after Ș vs Ț?
After mastering this contrast, learners usually move on to:
- Romanian consonant clusters
- Stress and rhythm
- Tricky letters like R and J
Each builds on the clarity you gain from learning ș vs ț correctly.
Final takeaway
The ș vs ț Romanian pronunciation difference is simple but crucial:
- Ș = sh
- Ț = ts
- Never interchangeable
- Always pronounced the same
Once your ear learns the contrast, mistakes disappear quickly.
Mastering this pair brings you much closer to clear, confident Romanian pronunciation.
Next step:
Continue with Romanian consonants pronunciation or return to the Romanian alphabet pronunciation hub to practice all special letters together.