Bulgarian alphabet mnemonics are pictures that tie each Cyrillic letter to a word you already know, and that word starts with the letter's sound. Р looks like an English P, but its picture is a ribbon looped around a post, and ribbon reminds you that Р says r. The chart below shows all 30 letters of the Bulgarian alphabet, each with its picture, its sound, and its keyword.
How Do Bulgarian Picture Mnemonics Work?
Six letters, А, К, М, О, Т and Е, match English in shape and sound, so they need no picture. Six more look like English letters but sound different: С is a snake for s, and У is a glass of oolong tea for u. Ъ is a vowel of its own, and its picture is an umbrella, because the u at the start of umbrella is close to its sound. Two letters borrow a picture. Й is И with a curved mark on top, and Щ is Ш with a small tail, said as Ш followed by Т. Ь is a pillow with no sound of its own. It only comes before О and softens the letter in front, as in шофьор, a driver. The chart writes it y, the way the official transliteration does.
The Bulgarian Alphabet Chart With Pictures
The sound next to each letter follows Bulgaria's official transliteration, so Щ is sht and Ц is ts. The one change is Ъ: the official system writes it as a, and the chart writes ă so you can tell it apart from А.
Letters You Already Know 6
- Аa
- Кk
- Мm
- Оo
- Тt
- Еe
Familiar Shapes, New Sounds 4
РрrRibbonThe post runs the full height, and the Ribbon loops once near the top.
СсsSnakeThe Snake curls round and leaves the same gap on the right.
НнnNetTwo posts stand up, and the Net between them makes the middle.
ВвvVineThe Vine curls all the way up the straight cane, making two loops.
Two More Familiar Shapes 2
УуuOOlongThe OOlong glass makes the V at the top, and its stem bends down into the tail.
ХхhHockey sticksThe two Hockey sticks cross in the middle, exactly where the letter does.
New Shapes, Familiar Sounds 4
ПпpPillarsThe beam lies flat across the top, and two Pillars hold it up.
ЛлlLampThe Lamp's shade is the flat top. One leg drops straight down, and the other curves out to the left.
ДдdDoghouseThe Doghouse sits on its plank, and two little feet peek out below.
БбbBellThe bracket makes the top and the left side, and the little Bell hangs low.
More Shapes To Read 5
ИиiEElsTwo EEls stand up, and a third swims between them from low to high.- ЙyИ → Й
ГгgGooseThe Goose's neck goes straight up, and its head looks out to the right.
ЗзzZipperThe Zipper is closed in the middle and opens into two curves, both sweeping left.
ФфfFireflyThe Firefly's body is the line down the middle, with a wing on each side.
Hisses And Buzzes 5
ЖжzhJetThe Jet's body runs down the middle, and its four wings make the strokes around it.
ШшshSHipThe SHip's three masts stand on one flat hull.- ЩshtШ → Щ
ЧчchCHairThe CHair is upside down. Its seat is the bar across the middle, and its back hangs down on the right.
ЦцtsTSarThe TSar wears an elegant robe that trails down behind him.
Your Last Four Letters 4
ЪъăUmbrellaThe Umbrella's strap sticks out at the top left, and its round handle curls at the bottom right.
ЯяyaYArnThe ball of YArn sits at the top, the needle is on the right, and the strand trails down to the left.
ЮюyuUnicycleThe Unicycle's seat post stands on the left, and its wheel sits beside it.
Ьypillow
A picture gives each letter one sound, and Bulgarian vowels can shift. An unstressed А often sounds like Ъ, so listen to сам, alone, and съм, I am, side by side.
How Should You Practice With the Chart?
Recall each letter from its picture first, then let real Bulgarian audio correct you.
- Hide the SoundsCover the sound column, point at a letter, and say its keyword before you check, like snake for С.
- Compare Two VowelsPlay сам and съм in the free course, because no picture can show how А and Ъ differ.
- Spot the LookalikesFind Р, С, Н, В, У and Х in a Bulgarian word, and read each one with its picture's sound instead of its English one.
In seven short chapters, the free Bulgarian Cyrillic course walks you through every letter in your browser, with a spoken word for each one and words to read. Bubblegum, a language app, includes the course for free as well, and Poppy, its AI tutor, writes Bulgarian lessons at your level once the alphabet feels easy. Bulgarian shares many letters with the Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Serbian, and Macedonian alphabets, and each of them has its own chart.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Letters Are in the Bulgarian Alphabet?
The Bulgarian alphabet has 30 letters. A spelling reform in 1945 removed two older letters, ѣ and ѫ, which left the 30 in this chart.
What Is the Difference Between Ъ and Ь?
Ъ, the umbrella, is a full vowel, and you'll see it in short words like път, a road. Ь, the pillow, only softens a consonant before О. At the start of a word or after a vowel, Bulgarian writes ЙО instead, as in йога.
Which Bulgarian App Should a Beginner Choose?
If you are serious about learning Bulgarian, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. Its Bulgarian Cyrillic course teaches every letter in this chart first. Our Bulgarian app comparison covers more choices and what each one is good for.
Is Bubblegum Free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
