The Bulgarian Cyrillic Alphabet
The Bulgarian alphabet is a variant of the Cyrillic script, consisting of 30 letters. It was developed in the First Bulgarian Empire during the 9th century and is one of the oldest writing systems still in active use today. Bulgaria is, in fact, the birthplace of the Cyrillic script — it later spread to Russia, Serbia, Ukraine, and many other countries.
If you already know the Latin alphabet, learning Bulgarian Cyrillic is very approachable. Many letters look identical or similar to their Latin counterparts, and the ones that differ follow consistent phonetic rules. The key challenge is that some letters that look like Latin letters actually represent completely different sounds — for example, "В" is not "B" but "V", and "Р" is not "P" but "R".
All 30 Letters at a Glance
Below is the complete Bulgarian alphabet with the approximate Latin pronunciation for each letter. Use this as a reference while practising with the interactive quizzes.
Watch Out: False Friends
The trickiest part of learning Bulgarian Cyrillic is the "false friends" — letters that look like Latin characters but sound completely different. Here are the most important ones to watch out for:
Think of it as the Russian "V" — the shape is just a coincidence.
This one catches almost everyone. It's a plain "N" sound.
A rolled "R". The Latin P sound is written as "П" in Bulgarian.
Always an "S" sound, never a hard "K" or soft "S" like in English "C".
Pronounced like "oo" in "moon". Nothing like the English "Y".
A breathy "H" sound, like the "ch" in Scottish "loch".
Unique Bulgarian Letters
Some letters in the Bulgarian alphabet have no direct Latin equivalent. These require a bit more practice but are essential for reading and writing Bulgarian correctly.
Tips for Learning the Alphabet
- Start with the familiar: About a third of Bulgarian letters look and sound identical to their Latin equivalents (А, Е, К, М, О, Т). Lock those in first to build confidence.
- Tackle the false friends next: Once you know the easy ones, focus on the tricky lookalikes (В, Н, Р, С). These are where most mistakes happen.
- Use training mode first: Our training mode gives you infinite practice with immediate feedback. Switch to test mode only when you feel ready.
- Try reverse mode: Practising in reverse (seeing the sound and picking the letter) strengthens your recognition in both directions.
- Short daily sessions: 5-10 minutes of daily practice is more effective than one long session per week. Consistency beats intensity.