Spelling Loanwords

Level 4Sounds Like zapazyčanyâ slovy

Loanwords are spelled by Belarusian rules: праграма (program), фатаграфія (photography), тэлефон (telephone), тэатр (theater), камп'ютар (computer).

How It Works

The 2008 spelling rules apply to borrowed words as well as native ones, so they often look different from Russian or English.

1. Akanye. Whatever a word's origin, unstressed о is written а (akanye): праграма, арганізацыя, фатаграфія, педагагічны, Марока. Stressed о stays: тэлефо́н, фо́та. The first parts фота- and мота- in compounds keep о: фотаздымак, but фатаграфія.

2. Э after hard consonants. After д, т, р and the always-hard consonants, write э: тэатр, тэлефон, тэорыя, рэкорд, рэспубліка, дэталь, цэнтр, жэтон. At the start of a word, э is written as pronounced: экзамен, эканоміка.

3. Doubled letters are usually dropped. група, клас, калектыў, каса, сума, тэрыторыя, піца. A few words keep them: ванна, манна, Ганна, Жанна. When in doubt, check a dictionary.

4. Unstressed -эр and -эль become -ар and -аль. камп'ютар, лідар, менеджар, шніцаль. Note the apostrophe in камп'ютар, which shows п and ю are said separately.

Also: ы and і follow Belarusian rules (ы and і), as in машына, цырк, фізіка, and after a vowel у becomes ў: аўтобус, аўтар, Еўропа (the letter ў).

These are the rules of the official spelling. The classical spelling, taraškievica, spells many loanwords differently, for example with a soft л, as in клюб for official клуб (official spelling and taraškievica).

Examples (6)

  1. праграма

    program

  2. фатаграфія

    photography

    Unstressed о is written а; only the stressed syllable keeps its vowel: фатагра́фія.

  3. камп'ютар

    computer

    Unstressed -эр becomes -ар, and the apostrophe separates п and ю.

  4. Сёння ўвечары мы ідзём у тэатр.

    Tonight we are going to the theater.

    Word by Word: Today in-evening we go to theater.

  5. Наша група едзе аўтобусам у цэнтр.

    Our group is taking the bus to the center.

    Word by Word: Our group goes by-bus to center.

  6. Дай мне свой тэлефон, калі ласка.

    Please give me your phone.

    Word by Word: Give me own telephone, please.

Common Mistakes

  • Keeping the Russian spelling with о and a doubled letter.

    программа
    праграма

    Unstressed о is written а, and the doubled м is simplified.

  • Writing е after a hard т.

    телефон
    тэлефон

    In Belarusian, т before this vowel is hard, and a hard consonant is followed by э.

  • Keeping the English or Russian ending -ер.

    компьютер
    камп'ютар

    Unstressed о becomes а, the soft sign is replaced by an apostrophe, and unstressed -эр becomes -ар.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Spelling LoanwordsLevel 4

Learn This First

Loanword spelling applies akanye and other Belarusian spelling conventions to borrowed words.