Cyrillic bridge

Thirty letters. The badge on each one depends on the writing system you already read.

You read the Latin alphabet, so six Cyrillic letters will lie to you: В is v, Н is n, Р is r, С is s, У is u and Х is h. Learn those six first and most Bulgarian street signs stop being noise. Six more letters — А Е К М О Т — you already read correctly without doing anything.

6 of 30 letters already read correctly from your script.

• А аAlready yours
  Sound: /a/ · a
  Example: адрес — address
• Б бNew shape
  Sound: /b/ · b
  Example: банка — bank
• В вLooks familiar, is not
  Sound: /v/ · v
  Example: вода — water

  Not a B. This is V — every single time.

• Г гNew shape
  Sound: /ɡ/ · g
  Example: град — city
• Д дNew shape
  Sound: /d/ · d
  Example: договор — contract
• Е еAlready yours
  Sound: /ɛ/ · e
  Example: език — language
• Ж жNew shape
  Sound: /ʒ/ · zh
  Example: жилище — dwelling

  The sound in the middle of 'measure'.

• З зNew shape
  Sound: /z/ · z
  Example: здраве — health

  Not the digit 3. This is Z.

• И иNew shape
  Sound: /i/ · i
  Example: име — name

  A mirrored N, but the sound is EE.

• Й йNew shape
  Sound: /j/ · y
  Example: май — May

  Short Y, as in 'boy'. It follows a vowel, never starts a syllable.

• К кAlready yours
  Sound: /k/ · k
  Example: карта — card
• Л лNew shape
  Sound: /l/ · l
  Example: лекар — doctor
• М мAlready yours
  Sound: /m/ · m
  Example: място — place
• Н нLooks familiar, is not
  Sound: /n/ · n
  Example: наем — rent

  Not an H. This is N.

• О оAlready yours
  Sound: /ɔ/ · o
  Example: община — municipality
• П пNew shape
  Sound: /p/ · p
  Example: паспорт — passport
• Р рLooks familiar, is not
  Sound: /r/ · r
  Example: работа — work

  Not a P. This is a rolled R.

• С сLooks familiar, is not
  Sound: /s/ · s
  Example: сметка — account

  Not a C. This is S, always — never a K sound.

• Т тAlready yours
  Sound: /t/ · t
  Example: такса — fee
• У уLooks familiar, is not
  Sound: /u/ · u
  Example: улица — street

  Not a Y. This is the OO sound in 'boot'.

• Ф фNew shape
  Sound: /f/ · f
  Example: фактура — invoice
• Х хLooks familiar, is not
  Sound: /x/ · h
  Example: храна — food

  Not an X. A rasping H, like the ch in Scottish 'loch'.

• Ц цNew shape
  Sound: /ts/ · ts
  Example: цена — price

  One letter, two sounds: TS as in 'cats'.

• Ч чNew shape
  Sound: /tʃ/ · ch
  Example: час — hour
• Ш шNew shape
  Sound: /ʃ/ · sh
  Example: шофьор — driver
• Щ щNew shape
  Sound: /ʃt/ · sht
  Example: поща — post office

  One letter, three sounds: SHT. поща is read 'poshta'.

• Ъ ъLooks familiar, is not
  Sound: /ɤ/ · ă
  Example: България — Bulgaria

  Not a soft b. It is a full vowel — the sound in the middle of България.

• Ь ьLooks familiar, is not
  Sound: —
  Example: шофьор — driver

  Silent on its own. In Bulgarian it appears almost only in the pair ьо.

• Ю юNew shape
  Sound: /ju/ · yu
  Example: юни — June
• Я яNew shape
  Sound: /ja/ · ya
  Example: януари — January

Next: phrases for your first week