Akanye: Unstressed о and э Written as а
In native Belarusian words the letter о is written only in a stressed syllable. When a root loses the stress, its о or э turns into а: во́ды → вада́, го́рад → гарады́, рэ́кі → рака́.
How It Works
The rule
The vowels о and э keep their sound only under stress. In any unstressed syllable they sound like а, and the official spelling writes а.
- о → а: во́ды (waters) — вада́ (water); стол (table) — сталы́ (tables); го́рад (city) — гарады́ (cities); дом (house) — дамы́ (houses).
- э → а (after hard consonants): рэ́кі (rivers) — рака́ (river); шэ́ры (grey) — шарэ́ць (to turn grey); стрэ́хі — страха́ (roof).
A word can have only one stressed vowel, so a long word often has several а and at most one о: малако́ (milk), хало́дны (cold), даро́га (road).
Why it matters for you
- When you learn a word, notice that its spelling may change in other forms. Learn pairs such as стол — на стале́.
- An о in a native word is a free stress mark: in во́ды, the stress is on во.
- Do not copy Russian spelling. Russian вода, молоко, голова are Belarusian вада, малако, галава.
Exceptions to know about
Many loanwords keep э after д, т, р, ж, ш, ч and hard ц even without stress (тэа́тр, рэспу́бліка, тэлефо́н). Some compound words keep о in their first part, such as штодзённы (daily) and фотаздымак (photo). For the matching change of е and ё, see Yakanye, and for moving stress see Word Stress.
Examples (5)
- Вада ў рацэ халодная.
The water in the river is cold.
Word by Word: Water in river cold.
вада́ (compare во́ды), рацэ́ (compare рэ́кі), хало́дная: every unstressed о or э is written а.
- У горадзе шмат новых дамоў.
There are many new houses in the city.
Word by Word: In city many new houses.
го́радзе keeps о under stress; дамо́ў has а in the unstressed first syllable (compare дом).
- На стале ляжыць кніга.
A book is lying on the table.
Word by Word: On table lies book.
стол becomes стале́: the stress moves to the ending, so the root о becomes а.
- Малако вельмі смачнае.
The milk is very tasty.
Word by Word: Milk very tasty.
малако́ has one stressed о at the end; the two unstressed ones are written а (Russian молоко).
- Каля вёскі цячэ рака.
A river flows near the village.
Word by Word: Near village flows river.
рака́ is stressed on the ending; in the plural рэ́кі the root is stressed and keeps э.
Common Mistakes
Copying the Russian spelling with an unstressed о.
Вода халодная.Вада халодная.In вада́ the first syllable is unstressed, so Belarusian writes а. Only a stressed syllable can have о.
Writing а in a stressed syllable.
Гэта мой гарад.Гэта мой горад.In го́рад the stress is on the first syllable, so it keeps о. The а appears only in forms like гарады́, where the stress moves away.
Keeping э in an unstressed syllable of a native word.
Неба пачынае шэрэць.Неба пачынае шарэць.Шарэ́ць is stressed on the ending, so the root э of шэ́ры becomes а.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Akanye needs the vowel letters.
Related Patterns
- Yakanye: е and ё Written as я before the Stress
Yakanye is the matching rule for е and ё before the stress.
Level 1 - Noun Plural
Many plurals move the stress and change the spelling: стол — сталы́, горад — гарады́.
Level 1 - Common Russianisms to Avoid
Writing вода or молоко copies Russian spelling; the Russianisms entry covers the same habit with everyday words.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice Akanye: Unstressed о and э Written as а in Bubblegum
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