All 30 letters, starting with the ones you know
How this topic works
Bulgarian has 30 letters and every one always makes the same sound. Instead of going А to Я, the lessons start with the letters you already know and add three new ones at a time. Every new letter comes with one word that sounds like English, so you can read real words from the very first lesson.
| Lesson | New letters | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Letters you know | А М О Т К Е | мама, атом, котка, татко |
| Fake friends | Р С Н | метро, текст, Монако |
| More fake friends | В У Х | Москва, сауна, хаос |
| Greek lookalikes | П Л Д | парк, лампа, дом |
| More Greek lookalikes | Г Ф И | гол, фото, такси |
| New shapes | Б З Я | банан, зебра, Япония |
| More new shapes | Ъ Й Ю | България, йога, меню |
| The hissing letters | Ш Щ Ж | шоколад, защо, жираф |
| More hissing letters | Ц Ч Ь | пица, чипс, шофьор |
| Tricky twins | none | Telling look-alikes apart |
| Read real Bulgarian | none | Signs, menus and city names |
The fake friends
These six trip up every English speaker:
| Looks like | Is | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| P | Р р | rolled r |
| C | С с | s |
| H | Н н | n |
| B | В в | v |
| y | У у | oo |
| X | Х х | h, as in "loch" |
So РЕСТОРАНТ is "restorant", not "pectopaht".
All 30 letters
| Letter | Sound | Word |
|---|---|---|
| А а | "a" as in father | мама (mom) |
| Б б | "b" as in banana | банан (banana) |
| В в | "v" as in van | Москва (Moscow) |
| Г г | "g" as in goal | гол (goal) |
| Д д | "d" as in door | дом (house) |
| Е е | "e" as in bed | метро (metro) |
| Ж ж | "zh", the s in measure | жираф (giraffe) |
| З з | "z" as in zebra | зебра (zebra) |
| И и | "ee" as in see | такси (taxi) |
| Й й | "y" as in boy | йога (yoga) |
| К к | "k" as in kit | котка (cat) |
| Л л | "l" as in lamp | лампа (lamp) |
| М м | "m" as in map | мама (mom) |
| Н н | "n" as in net | Монако (Monaco) |
| О о | "o" as in or | атом (atom) |
| П п | "p" as in park | парк (park) |
| Р р | rolled r | метро (metro) |
| С с | "s" as in sun | текст (text) |
| Т т | "t" as in top | татко (dad) |
| У у | "oo" as in moon | сауна (sauna) |
| Ф ф | "f" as in photo | фото (photo) |
| Х х | "h", as in loch | хаос (chaos) |
| Ц ц | "ts" as in pizza | пица (pizza) |
| Ч ч | "ch" as in chips | чипс (chips) |
| Ш ш | "sh" as in shop | шоколад (chocolate) |
| Щ щ | "sht" as in ashtray | защо (why) |
| Ъ ъ | "uh" as in but | България (Bulgaria) |
| Ь ь | no sound; only in ьо, which says "yo" | шофьор (driver) |
| Ю ю | "yu" as in you | меню (menu) |
| Я я | "ya" as in yard | Япония (Japan) |
Tips
- No silent letters: read every letter, left to right.
- Ш is sh, Щ is sh with a tail, which adds a t: sht.
- Й is И with a hat, a quick y. Ь never sounds on its own.
