diff --git a/docs/voices.md b/docs/voices.md
index 495306e1..5e2901be 100644
--- a/docs/voices.md
+++ b/docs/voices.md
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@
   - [stressAmp](#stressamp)
   - [intonation](#intonation)
   - [dictmin](#dictmin)
-  - [alphabet2](#alphabet2)
 
 ----------
 
@@ -425,19 +424,3 @@ Used for some languages to detect if additional language data is
 installed. If the size of the compiled dictionary data for the language
 (the file `espeak-ng-data/*_dict`) is less than this size then a
 warning is given.
-
-### alphabet2
-
-	alphabet2 <alphabet> <language>
-
-Used to specify a language to be used to speak words which are written
-in a non-native alphabet. e.g.:
-
-	alphabet2 cyr ru
-
-Alphabets names include: latin, cyr (cyrillic), ar (arabic). The default
-language for latin alphabet is English.
-
-Additional attributes are available to set various internal options
-which control how language is processed. These would normally be set in
-the program code rather than in a voice file.
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/dictionary.c b/src/libespeak-ng/dictionary.c
index 5dee51cf..e05759e4 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/dictionary.c
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/dictionary.c
@@ -2290,14 +2290,6 @@ int TranslateRules(Translator *tr, char *p_start, char *phonemes, int ph_size, c
 					if ((match1.points == 0) && ((option_sayas & 0x10) == 0)) {
 						n = utf8_in(&letter, p-1)-1;
 
-						if (tr->letter_bits_offset > 0) {
-							// not a Latin alphabet, switch to the default Latin alphabet language
-							if ((letter <= 0x241) && iswalpha(letter)) {
-								sprintf(phonemes, "%c%s", phonSWITCH, tr->langopts.ascii_language);
-								return 0;
-							}
-						}
-
 						// is it a bracket ?
 						if (letter == 0xe000+'(') {
 							if (pre_pause < tr->langopts.param2[LOPT_BRACKET_PAUSE])
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/tr_languages.c b/src/libespeak-ng/tr_languages.c
index 6d1931ff..ee6428ef 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/tr_languages.c
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/tr_languages.c
@@ -100,17 +100,6 @@ ALPHABET alphabets[] = {
 	{ NULL, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 }
 };
 
-ALPHABET *AlphabetFromName(const char *name)
-{
-	ALPHABET *alphabet;
-
-	for (alphabet = alphabets; alphabet->name != NULL; alphabet++) {
-		if (strcmp(name, &alphabet->name[1]) == 0)
-			return alphabet;
-	}
-	return NULL;
-}
-
 ALPHABET *AlphabetFromChar(int c)
 {
 	// Find the alphabet from a character.
@@ -277,7 +266,6 @@ static Translator *NewTranslator(void)
 	tr->langopts.param2[LOPT_BRACKET_PAUSE] = 2; // pauses when announcing bracket names
 	tr->langopts.max_initial_consonants = 3;
 	tr->langopts.replace_chars = NULL;
-	tr->langopts.ascii_language[0] = 0; // Non-Latin alphabet languages, use this language to speak Latin words, default is English
 	tr->langopts.alt_alphabet_lang = L('e', 'n');
 	tr->langopts.roman_suffix = utf8_null;
 
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/translate.h b/src/libespeak-ng/translate.h
index b8b77894..d57bf4fd 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/translate.h
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/translate.h
@@ -570,7 +570,6 @@ typedef struct {
 	int testing;            // testing options: bit 1= specify stressed syllable in the form:  "outdoor/2"
 	int listx;    // compile *_listx after *list
 	const unsigned int *replace_chars;      // characters to be substitutes
-	char ascii_language[8];  // switch to this language for Latin characters
 	int our_alphabet;           // offset for main alphabet (if not set in letter_bits_offset)
 	int alt_alphabet;       // offset for another language to recognize
 	int alt_alphabet_lang;  // language for the alt_alphabet
@@ -733,7 +732,6 @@ int towlower2(unsigned int c); // Supports Turkish I
 const char *GetTranslatedPhonemeString(int phoneme_mode);
 const char *WordToString2(unsigned int word);
 ALPHABET *AlphabetFromChar(int c);
-ALPHABET *AlphabetFromName(const char *name);
 
 Translator *SelectTranslator(const char *name);
 int SetTranslator2(const char *name);
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/voices.c b/src/libespeak-ng/voices.c
index 604f459d..cc4a6c16 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/voices.c
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/voices.c
@@ -158,7 +158,6 @@ static MNEM_TAB keyword_tab[] = {
 	{ "fast_test2",   V_FAST },
 	{ "speed",        V_SPEED },
 	{ "dict_min",     V_DICTMIN },
-	{ "alphabet2",    V_ALPHABET2 },
 
 	// these just set a value in langopts.param[]
 	{ "l_dieresis",       0x100+LOPT_DIERESES },
@@ -847,21 +846,6 @@ voice_t *LoadVoice(const char *vname, int control)
 		case V_DICTMIN:
 			sscanf(p, "%d", &dict_min);
 			break;
-		case V_ALPHABET2:
-		{
-			ALPHABET *alphabet;
-			name1[0] = name2[0] = 0;
-			sscanf(p, "%s %s", name1, name2);
-
-			if (strcmp(name1, "latin") == 0)
-				strncpy0(langopts->ascii_language, name2, sizeof(langopts->ascii_language));
-			else if ((alphabet = AlphabetFromName(name1)) != 0) {
-				langopts->alt_alphabet = alphabet->offset;
-				langopts->alt_alphabet_lang = StringToWord2(name2);
-			} else
-				fprintf(stderr, "alphabet name '%s' not found\n", name1);
-		}
-			break;
 		case V_MAINTAINER:
 		case V_STATUS:
 			break;