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Unit 19 · Keep the letter when its vowel weakens · Meet

Keep the letter when its vowel weakens

Hear stress and mild vowel reduction in words.

About this unit

Vowels sound full in the strong syllable. In weak syllables а and о can weaken, but the spelling stays the same.

LetterIn the strong syllableIn a weak syllable
аa: макcloser to ъ: ри́ба
оo: носcloser to у: гора́

The letters do not tell you where the stress falls: learn it with each word’s recording.

Read the examples

Tap a card and listen. Try saying it too.

Words to read

water

вода́

watervodá
sea

море́

seamoré
wool

въ́лна

woolvǎ́lna
wave

вълна́

wavevǎlná
Reading tips

Unstressed а can approach ъ, and unstressed о can approach у. Amounts vary by speaker and context. Bulgarian reduction is not the Russian system: follow Bulgarian whole-word audio and preserve the written vowel.

Reading practice

Find the strong syllable

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

Clip 1

Find the strong syllable

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

Clip 1

Find the strong syllable

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

Clip 1

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.

море́

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the spelling.

Read and decide

Does a weakened о automatically become written у?

вода́

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

water

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

sea

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

wool

Recall the spelling

Listen and build the word without its picture.

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

Hear stress and mild vowel reduction in words.

Next unit
water

вода́

water
sea

море́

sea
wool

въ́лна

wool
wave

вълна́

wave
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.