See Bulgarian phonology at Wikipedia for a thorough look at the sounds of Bulgarian.
Consonants
| IPA |
Examples |
English approximation
|
| b
|
baba
|
box
|
| c
|
kьopoolu
|
cute
|
| d̪
|
dom
|
dust
|
| d͡z
|
dzift
|
birds
|
| d͡ʒ
|
džem
|
jab
|
| f
|
film
|
fact
|
| ɡ
|
garvan
|
good
|
| ɟ
|
gяur
|
argue
|
| j
|
soйka
|
yes
|
| k
|
kъщa
|
skill
|
| l
|
limon
|
leap
|
| ɫ
|
loš
|
all or west
|
| ʎ
|
lюbov
|
million
|
| m
|
more
|
mocha
|
| n̪
|
nos
|
north
|
| ɲ
|
banя
|
canyon
|
| ŋ
|
banka
|
sing
|
| p
|
pet
|
speak
|
| r
|
rabota
|
trilled r, like in Spanish
|
| s
|
stol
|
salt, mask
|
| ʃ
|
šuma
|
sugar
|
| t̪
|
taйna
|
style
|
| t͡s
|
car
|
bats
|
| t͡ʃ
|
čaй
|
cheese
|
| v
|
voda
|
view
|
| x
|
hartiя
|
loch (Scottish English)
|
| [[w:Template:IPAsym - Error: Entry "z̪" not found|z̪]] obsolete or nonstandard characters (TP)
|
zima
|
zoo
|
| ʒ
|
žъlt
|
pleasure
|
|
Marginal consonants
| IPA |
Examples |
English approximation
|
| ɣ
|
vidяh go
|
between go and ahold
|
| ç
|
Hюz
|
huge
|
| w
|
uiski
|
water
|
Vowels
| IPA |
Examples |
English approximation
|
| a
|
brat
|
father
|
| ɤ
|
kъt
|
plus
|
| ɛ
|
cena
|
edge
|
| i
|
siv
|
police
|
| ɔ
|
slon
|
off
|
| u
|
hubav
|
pool
|
Reduced vowels
| IPA |
Examples |
English approximation
|
| ɐ
|
щerka, kamъk
|
sofa
|
| o
|
neщo, usta
|
thought (RP), coat (Scottish English)
|
|
Other symbols
| IPA |
Description
|
| ˈ
|
Stress on the following syllable
|
| ˌ
|
Secondary stress on the following syllable
|
| ◌ʲ
|
Palatalization of the preceding consonant
|
|
