Uzbek is spoken by around 23 million people and is the official language of Uzbekistan.

Until 1928, the Arabic alphabet was used to write Uzbek but the Latin alphabet was later accepted in order to standardize the language and educate the Uzbek people. However, the Cyrillic alphabet was forced on them in 1940. After the dissolution of the USSR, there was a shift to reintroduce the Latin alphabet.

To this day in Uzbekistan, the language is still in a transition period. A standardized dialect can be understood by all Uzbek speakers because it is used for mass media and publications. Both the Cyrillic and Latin alphabet can be used in writing.