Bulgarian Letter Л: Dark L, Clear L and the Lazy L
The Bulgarian letter Л is the twelfth letter of the alphabet and a consonant pronounced as a dark [ɫ], like the ‘l’ in ‘full’, in most positions. Before Е and И it is a clear [l], as in ‘leaf’. Its name is лъ (luh), and it is transliterated as l.
The Bulgarian letter Л is the ‘l’ sound, and it is shaped like the Greek lambda (Λ) or a tent. It is a new shape for English readers, but the sound is familiar. In fact, English already has both of Bulgarian’s main L sounds, the clear one in ‘leaf’ and the dark one in ‘full’.
How to pronounce the Bulgarian letter Л
Which L you use depends on what comes next. The phonology overview describes three variants:
- Dark [ɫ] before А, Ъ, О, У, before consonants and at the end of a word. The back of the tongue rises, as in English ‘ball’.
- Clear [l] before Е and И, as in ‘leaf’. Traditional grammars call this a ‘soft L’, but it is not truly palatalized.
- Soft [ʎ] before Я, Ю and ЬО, a palatal sound like the ‘lli’ in ‘million’.
| Word | Transliteration | Meaning | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|
| лъв | lav | lion (dark L) | |
| сол | sol | salt (dark L at the end) | |
| лек | lek | light, easy (clear L) | |
| лято | lyato | summer (soft L) | |
| мляко | mlyako | milk (soft L) |
Russian speakers should note the difference. Russian softens Л fully before Е and И. Bulgarian uses only a clear L there, closer to English.
The ‘lazy L’
Many young Bulgarians pronounce the dark L as a ‘w’. Вълк (valk, wolf) becomes something like ‘vawk’, and толкова (tolkova, so much) sounds like ‘towkova’. Linguists first noted this in the 1970s. A 2014 study cited in the phonology literature found that 9 of 30 young participants could not produce the dark L in any word. It is common in casual speech but still considered non-standard, so learners should aim for the dark L.
Loanwords with English ‘w’ often use У in Bulgarian, as in уиски (uiski, whisky). Do not write Л for ‘w’ just because some speakers say Л like a ‘w’.
The triangle-shaped lowercase л
In Russian fonts lowercase л is usually an arch with a hooked left leg, like a П with a curl. Bulgarian typefaces often draw it as a sharp triangle, closer to Λ. The designers at type.today note that this triangular л leaves a light gap in text and needs careful spacing. In Bulgarian cursive, Л starts with a small hook at the bottom.
Л in everyday grammar
Л appears in the past participle of almost every verb, which you need for the perfect tense and for reported speech: чел (chel, read), писал (pisal, written), бил (bil, been). The question particle ли (li) turns statements into yes/no questions: Говориш ли английски? (Govorish li angliyski?, Do you speak English?). This helps explain why Л ranks 10th of 30, at about 3.2% of letters, in a corpus count by Sttmedia.
Name and transliteration
The letter is called лъ, ‘luh’; Russian says ‘el’ (эль). Under the 2009 Transliteration Act it is always l, whatever variant you hear. So Ловеч is Lovech and Пловдив is Plovdiv. The transliteration guide has the full table.
Common mistakes with the Bulgarian letter Л
- Reading Л as ‘n’ or ‘p’ because of its tent shape. It is always an L sound.
- Using a clear English ‘l’ everywhere. Before А, О, У and at word end, make it dark.
- Softening Л before Е and И in the Russian way.
- Copying the ‘w’ of the lazy L as a learner. It is widespread but non-standard.
Before Л comes К; after it comes М.
Frequently asked questions
How do you pronounce the Bulgarian letter Л?
Mostly as a dark L, like the ‘l’ in ‘full’. Before Е and И it is a clear L, and before Я and Ю it is a soft L, like the ‘lli’ in ‘million’.
Why do some Bulgarians say Л like a ‘w’?
This ‘lazy L’ is common among younger speakers and has been noted since the 1970s. It is considered non-standard.
Is Л the same as the Greek lambda?
It comes from Greek lambda and has a similar tent shape, especially in Bulgarian typefaces.
How is Л transliterated?
As l, so Пловдив becomes Plovdiv.
Sources
- Bulgarian alphabet (Wikipedia)
- Bulgarian phonology (Wikipedia)
- Bulgarian Cyrillic letterforms (type.today)
- Transliteration Act, SG No. 19/2009 (Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works)
- Bulgarian letter frequency (Sttmedia corpus count)