Word Stress
Most Bulgarian words have one stressed syllable, and it can be any syllable: ма̀йка, сестра̀, магазѝн. Ordinary writing does not show it, so learn the stress with each new word.
How It Works
Free stress. The stressed syllable can be first, last or in the middle: ма̀йка (mother), учѝтел (teacher), сестра̀ (sister), магазѝн (shop).
It can change the meaning. Some words differ only in stress:
- па̀ра (steam) and пара̀ (coin)
- въ̀лна (wool) and вълна̀ (wave)
- хо̀ра (people) and хора̀ (horo dances)
It can move. A word’s other forms may be stressed on a different syllable: мъ̀ж → мъжъ̀т → мъжѐ (man, the man, men), сестра̀ → сѐстри, ръка̀ → ръ̀це, вода̀ → во̀ди.
Stress shapes the vowels. Vowels without stress sound weaker: an unstressed а sounds close to ъ, and an unstressed о moves toward у. See редукция на неударените гласни.
Writing it down. Ordinary texts do not mark stress. A grave accent is added only to avoid confusion: Намерих стара пара̀. The one mark you must always write is on ѝ (her), which keeps it apart from и (and). See ѝ и и.
Words without stress. Some short words have no stress of their own and lean on a neighbour, such as the forms of съм.
Tip: learn every new word with its stress, from a dictionary that marks it or from a recording.
Examples (6)
- Над чая се вдига па̀ра.
Steam is rising from the tea.
Word by Word: Over tea-the itself raises steam.
Stressed on the first syllable, па̀ра means steam.
- Намерих стара пара̀.
I found an old coin.
Word by Word: I-found old coin.
Stressed on the last syllable, пара̀ means coin.
- Пуловерът е от въ̀лна.
The sweater is made of wool.
Word by Word: Sweater-the is from wool.
- Голяма вълна̀ удари брега.
A big wave hit the shore.
Word by Word: Big wave hit shore-the.
The same letters as въ̀лна, stressed at the end.
- Много хо̀ра играят хора̀ на площада.
Many people are dancing horos on the square.
Word by Word: Many people play horos on square-the.
The same spelling appears twice with two meanings.
- Имам една сестра̀, а Иван има две сѐстри.
I have one sister, and Ivan has two sisters.
Word by Word: I-have one sister, and Ivan has two sisters.
The stress moves to the first syllable in the plural.
Common Mistakes
Stressing па̀ра on the wrong syllable.
Над чая се вдига пара̀.Над чая се вдига па̀ра.The intended meaning is steam, which is stressed on the first syllable. With the stress at the end, the word means coin.
Keeping the singular stress in a plural where it moves.
Имам две сестрѝ.Имам две сѐстри.Сестра̀ is stressed at the end, but its plural сѐстри is stressed on the first syllable.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Word stress presupposes the alphabet.
Related Patterns
- Unstressed Vowel Reduction
Where the stress falls decides which vowels sound weaker.
Level 1 - ѝ / иThe Pronoun Ѝ Versus the Word И
The one word whose accent mark must always be written.
Level 2 - съм/си/е/сме/сте/саPresent Tense of Съм
These forms have no stress of their own and lean on the word before them.
Level 1 - Plural in -иPlural Ending -и
Some plurals in -и move the stress: сестра̀, сѐстри.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice Word Stress in Bubblegum
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