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Unit 17 · щ and ь · Meet

щ and ь

Read Bulgarian sht and the restricted ьо pattern.

About this unit

Щ is one letter for two sounds, sh + t. Ь has no sound of its own and appears only before о.

  • Щщ
    sht, as in “ashtray”
    щърке́л · stork
    i

    Щ is sh + t in Bulgarian, not the Russian щ sound.

  • Ьь
    no sound; softens before о
    шофьо́р · driver
SpellingSoundsExample
щsh + tпо́ща · POSH-ta
ьоsoft consonant + oшофьо́р · sho-FYOR

After this unit you know all 30 Bulgarian letters.

More words to read

post office

по́ща

post officepóshta
house

къ́ща

housekǎ́shta
Reading tips

Щ writes two consonant sounds with one letter: ш + т. In шофьо́р, ь signals a softened ф before о. Do not add ь to unrelated Bulgarian words by analogy with Russian.

Reading practice

Listen before looking

Are these two clips the same or different?

Clip 1
Clip 2

Find the strong syllable

Listen and choose the stressed syllable, counting from the beginning.

Clip 1

Letters in words

Match each sign to the same sign in its example.

Find the sound

Match the sounds to the signs. Tap a sign to check.

Read with support

Match the words to their pictures.

Read without a sound cue

Match the words to their pictures.

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the spelling.

Spelling to sound

Read the word. Choose its sound.

шофьо́р

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the spelling.

Spelling to sound

Read the word. Choose its sound.

къ́ща

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

post office

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

house

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

Recall the spelling

Listen and build the word without its picture.

Recall the spelling

Listen and build the word without its picture.

Finish practice to save this unit.

You can read and write this

Read Bulgarian sht and the restricted ьо pattern.

Next unit

щърке́л

stork
post office

по́ща

post office
house

къ́ща

house

шофьо́р

driver
Use a Bulgarian keyboard

Bulgarian has a standard BDS layout and widely used phonetic layouts. Either is optional: the guided course has on-screen tiles. Keep ъ and ь separate. Teaching acute accents may be omitted in input; the grave in ѝ belongs to the word and is not a removable stress hint.

All letters

А а
i

a

К кIn ка
i

ka

М мIn ма
i

ma

О о
i

o

Т тIn та
i

ta

В вIn ва
i

va. В is v, not Latin B.

Н нIn на
i

na. Н is n, not Latin H.

Р рIn ра
i

ra. Р is r, not Latin P.

С сIn са
i

sa. С is s, not a Latin c reading.

У у
i

u. У is u, not Latin y.

Х хIn ха
i

kha. Х is a friction sound, as in German Bach.

Е е
i

e. Bulgarian е is e, without a general word-initial ye rule.

Б бIn ба
i

ba

Г гIn га
i

ga

Д дIn да
i

da

Л лIn ла
i

la

П пIn па
i

pa

З зIn за
i

za

Ж жIn жа
i

zha

Ш шIn ша
i

sha

И и
i

i

Й й
i

y. Й is a consonant, not an extra vowel syllable.

Ф фIn фа
i

fa

Ю юyu; softens the consonant
i

yu. Initially ю is yu; after a consonant it indicates softness plus u.

Я яya; softens the consonant
i

ya. Initially я is ya; after a consonant it indicates softness plus a.

Ъ ъrelaxed vowel, like u in “but”
i

ǎ / ɤ. A real vowel, often stressed. Never treat it as a Russian hard sign.

Ч чIn ча
i

cha

Ц цIn ца
i

tsa

Щ щIn ща
i

shta. Щ is sh + t in Bulgarian, not the Russian щ sound.

Ь ьno sound; softens before оIn ер малък
i

soft sign (name). Ь has no sound of its own and occurs before о in this pattern.