LernLaterne

Welcome back

Unit 15 · ъ · Meet

ъ

Hear and read the full central vowel in short words.

About this unit

Ъ is a full vowel, often in the strong syllable. In Bulgarian it is never a silent sign.

  • Ъъ
    relaxed vowel, like u in “but”
    път · road / way
аa, as in “father”
ъrelaxed vowel, like u in “but”

Open а, then the relaxed ъ.

Въ́лна (wool) and вълна́ (wave) have the same letters; only the stress tells them apart.

More words to read

tooth

зъб

toothzǎp
hand / arm

ръка́

hand / armrǎká
wool

въ́лна

woolvǎ́lna
wave

вълна́

wavevǎlná
Reading tips

Ъ is the vowel of път, not a silent boundary mark. In зъб the final б sounds п. Въ́лна and вълна́ show why word stress matters even when every letter is the same.

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

Find the strong syllable

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

Clip 1

Read and decide

Find ъ in the printed example. Which sign matches it?

път

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.

зъб

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the spelling.

Spelling to sound

Read the word. Choose its sound.

вълна́

Read and decide

How many vowel sounds are in път?

път

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

tooth

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

hand / arm

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 and read the full central vowel in short words.

Next unit

път

road / way
tooth

зъб

tooth
hand / arm

ръка́

hand / arm
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.