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Picture 168-001 Let’s begin with

The Bulgarian Alphabet

Азбука

Cyrillic

letter

Transliterated

 

Pronunciation /

(approximate sound-correspondence as in English)

 

A а a father
Б б b bag, boy abide
В в v very, video, evidence
Г г g good, Google
Д д d day, doll, add
Е е e egg, best, bet
Ж ж ž –  academic;

zh – popular;

pleasure, treasure

 

З з z Zen, zebra, to use
И и i milk, mix, mall
Й й (i-kratko, meaning

i-short)

j; i ( found only with a vowel in front or after “й“) yard, Yosemite, mayonnaise

 

К к k king
Л л l love, alive
М м m mum, Maria
Н н n none, noise, instance

 

О о o olive, or
П п p pen, spin
Р р r rest – trilled -r-, close to “r” in Spanish, German, and other European languages
С с s; (ss) seat, sister
Т т t tea, stiff

-t- is pronounced without the puff of breath that  normally accompanies it in English

У у u; (ou) put, boot
Ф ф f fun, feature, tough

 

 

Х х h (kh) how (velar -ch-)
Ц ц c; ts tsar
Ч ч č; ch children, church
Ш ш š; sh she
Щ щ št; sht ashtray
Ъ ъ ǎ

between “a” and “u” – [a] (English unstressed [a]

sofa

 

 

  ь

it appears always with a vowel “o” – ьo; signifies that the preceding consonant is soft

Ю ю ju; iu; (yu) – signifies sequence of soft consonant + -у- you
Я я ja; ia (ya)  – signifies sequence of soft consonant + -а- yard

 

For further references please see

Alexander, Ronelle (with the assistance of Olga Mladenova). 2000. Intensive Bulgarian: A textbook and reference grammar, Volume 1. Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press.