Bulgarian Alphabet Chart: Printable, With Sounds

A Bulgarian alphabet chart puts all 30 letters on one page, in order, with the information you need to read them: capital and small forms, the letter’s name, its sound, the official Latin spelling and an example word. The interactive chart above does all of that, and every cell plays the sound when you tap it. Use the print button to get a paper copy for your desk, wall or notebook.

What the Bulgarian alphabet chart shows

Each cell of the chart holds six pieces of information. Read them in this order the first few times, and the layout will soon feel automatic.

1. Capital and small letter. Shown in Bulgarian letterforms, which are the shapes used in Bulgarian books and signs.
2. Letter name. The way Bulgarians say the letter when spelling, such as бъ for Б.
3. IPA. The sound in International Phonetic Alphabet symbols, for example [ʒ] for Ж.
4. Latin transliteration. The official Streamlined System value, used in Bulgarian passports and on road signs.
5. Example word. A common word that starts with or contains the letter.
6. Hear button. Plays the sound through your device’s Bulgarian voice, if one is installed.

If a cell does not play audio, your device has no Bulgarian text-to-speech voice. Most phones can add one in their language or accessibility settings.

The alphabet at a glance

Here is the same alphabet as a compact grid: five letters per row, six rows, with the official Latin value under each. It is small enough to copy by hand into a notebook.

1	2	3	4	5
А а A	Б б B	В в V	Г г G	Д д D
Е е E	Ж ж Zh	З з Z	И и I	Й й Y
К к K	Л л L	М м M	Н н N	О о O
П п P	Р р R	С с S	Т т T	У у U
Ф ф F	Х х H	Ц ц Ts	Ч ч Ch	Ш ш Sh
Щ щ Sht	Ъ ъ A	Ь ь Y	Ю ю Yu	Я я Ya

Notice two things. Ъ and А share the Latin value “a,” and Й and Ь share “y.” The Latin spelling is built for reading names, not for reconstructing the Cyrillic. The Bulgarian alphabet to English guide explains why.

How to print the Bulgarian alphabet chart

Press the print button on the chart to print the Bulgarian alphabet chart on its own, without the rest of the page. A few settings give the cleanest result:

• Paper: A4 or US Letter both work. Choose landscape if you want larger letters.
• Color: Black and white is fine. The chart does not rely on color to separate letters.
• Scale: Keep “fit to page” switched on so all 30 cells stay on one sheet.
• Save as PDF: Pick “Save as PDF” as the printer to keep a copy on your phone.

Teachers often print two copies: one for the wall and one to cut into 30 cards. The cards make a quick sorting game.

Five ways to use the Bulgarian alphabet chart

1. Read across, then down

Go through the chart in alphabet order once, saying each letter’s sound aloud. Then read the columns from top to bottom. The new order breaks the habit of reciting from memory.

2. Cover one row

Hide the Latin values with a strip of paper and say each sound. Slide the paper away to check. Repeat until you get every row right without peeking.

3. Sort into three piles

With the cut-out cards, make three piles: letters that look and sound like English (А К М О Т Е), false friends (В Н Р С У Х) and new shapes. The Bulgarian letters hub explains the three groups.

4. Build words

Use the cards to spell short words: чай (chay, tea), хляб (hlyab, bread), вода (voda, water). Then try a place name such as Пловдив (Plovdiv).

5. Test yourself

When the chart feels easy, switch to the Bulgarian alphabet quiz. It shows a sound or name and asks you to pick the letter, which is harder than reading the chart.

Why this chart uses Bulgarian letterforms

Bulgarian printing often draws some lowercase letters differently from Russian printing. In Bulgarian fonts, д can look like a Latin “g,” т like an “m,” and и like a “u.” Fonts switch between the two styles when text is tagged as Bulgarian, through an OpenType feature called locl (localized forms). This chart uses the Bulgarian shapes so that what you learn matches what you will read in Bulgaria. See Bulgarian Cyrillic for a side-by-side comparison.

The letter set itself is the one fixed by the spelling reform of 12 February 1945, reported by the Bulgarian News Agency. Older charts that include ѣ or ѫ show the pre-1945 alphabet.

Common mistakes when using a Bulgarian alphabet chart

• Using a Russian chart. It has 33 letters, including Ё, Ы and Э, which Bulgarian does not use, and it gives Щ a different sound.
• Reading the Latin column as English spelling. “Zh” is one sound, [ʒ], not “z” plus “h.”
• Ignoring the letter names. Bulgarians spell aloud with бъ, въ, гъ, not “be, ve, ge.”
• Learning only capitals. Most text you will read is lowercase, so practice both rows of each cell.
• Skipping Ъ. It turns up in everyday words like път (pat, road) and България itself, so learn its sound early on the letter Ъ page.

Frequently asked questions

Can I print the Bulgarian alphabet chart?

Yes. Press the print button on the chart and choose your printer or ‘Save as PDF’. The chart is laid out to fit all 30 letters on one page.

How many letters are on a Bulgarian alphabet chart?

Thirty. A chart with 33 letters is a Russian chart, and one with ѣ or ѫ shows the alphabet before the 1945 reform.

Why do some lowercase letters look different on this chart?

The chart uses Bulgarian letterforms, in which д can resemble g and т can resemble m. These are the shapes used in many Bulgarian books and signs.

Why is there no sound when I tap a letter?

Audio uses your device’s Bulgarian text-to-speech voice. If none is installed, add a Bulgarian voice in your phone or computer settings.

Sources

• Bulgarian alphabet (Wikipedia)
• Cyrillic script (Wikipedia)
• BTA: 12 February in history (1945 spelling reform)
• Romanization System in Bulgaria (UNGEGN, E/CONF.101/12)

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