Macedonian alphabet mnemonics pair every Cyrillic letter with a picture, and the name of what you see begins with the letter's sound. Г is drawn as a goose whose neck goes straight up, so the shape brings back the word goose and the g sound together. The chart below lays out all 31 Macedonian letters with their sounds, and it gives a picture and a keyword to the letters that need one.
How Do Macedonian Picture Mnemonics Work?
Six letters cost you nothing to learn, because А, К, М, О, Т and Е look and sound as they do in English. Eight more look like English letters but say something else. Ѕ is the biggest surprise: it looks exactly like a Latin S, but it says dz. Its picture is a zucchini that bends one way at the top and the other way at the bottom. Letters built from other letters keep the first picture and add one. Љ is the lamp of Л with a pillow, and Ѓ is the goose of Г with a feather floating above it, like the small mark on the letter. Ќ is К with that same mark, which makes its sound softer too.
The Macedonian Alphabet Chart With Pictures
The sound next to each letter uses the common Latin spellings without accent marks, such as gj for Ѓ and kj for Ќ.
Letters You Already Know 6
- Аa
- Кk
- Мm
- Оo
- Тt
- Еe
Familiar Shapes, New Sounds 4
ВвvVineThe Vine curls all the way up the straight cane, making two loops.
НнnNetTwo posts stand up, and the Net between them makes the middle.
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.
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.
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.
ЅѕdzZucchiniThe Zucchini bends one way at the top and the other way at the bottom.
Hisses And Buzzes 5
ШшshSHipThe SHip's three masts stand on one flat hull.
ЖжzhJetThe Jet's body runs down the middle, and its four wings make the strokes around it.
ЧчchCHairThe CHair is upside down. Its seat is the bar across the middle, and its back hangs down on the right.
ЦцcTSarThe TSar wears an elegant robe that trails down behind him.
ЏџdzhJuiceThe Juice glass has two straight sides and a short stem below its middle.
Three Smooth Sounds 3
ЈјjYo-yoThe Yo-yo string goes straight down, then curves left to the toy.
ЉљljLamp + pillowLamp + pillow makes Љ. The pillow on the right reminds you of a lighter L sound.
ЊњnjNet + pillowNet + pillow makes Њ. The pillow on the right reminds you of a softer Н sound.
Your Last Two Letters 2
ЃѓgjGoose + FeatherThe Goose + Feather: the feather floats above the goose, like the small mark on the letter.- Ќkj
A picture can't show where your tongue goes. For Ѓ and Ќ, you press the middle of your tongue to the roof of your mouth. And Р can make a syllable with no vowel beside it, as in прст, a finger.
How Should You Practice With the Chart?
The pictures help you name each letter, and the course audio shows you how it should sound.
- Test the LookalikesCover the sounds and read В, Н, Р, С, У, Х, Ѕ and Ј by their pictures, since each one looks like an English letter that says something else.
- Hear the Soft PairsPlay Г next to Ѓ, then К next to Ќ, in the free course. The feather only tells you that the sound is softer.
- Say a Word Without VowelsRead прст out loud after the course audio, and let Р carry the whole syllable.
Each letter gets a spoken word in the free Macedonian Cyrillic course, which runs in your browser across eight short chapters and includes reading practice. Bubblegum, a language app, carries the same course for free. When you're ready to read, Poppy, its AI tutor, writes Macedonian lessons at your level. The Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Serbian, and Bulgarian alphabets each have a chart like this one too.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Letters Are in the Macedonian Alphabet?
The Macedonian alphabet has 31 letters, and it has been the standard since 1945. Three of them, Ѕ, Ѓ and Ќ, are not in the Serbian or Bulgarian alphabets.
Is Ѕ the Same Letter as the Latin S?
No. Ѕ looks the same as the Latin S, but it is a separate Cyrillic letter that comes from an old Cyrillic letter, and it says dz, as in ѕид, a wall.
Which Macedonian App Should a Beginner Choose?
If you are serious about learning Macedonian, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. Its Macedonian Cyrillic course teaches every letter in this chart first. Our Macedonian 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.
