The charts below show the way in which the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) represents Standard Bulgarian and Standard Macedonian pronunciations in Wikipedia articles.
When two examples are given, the first is in Bulgarian and the second in Macedonian. When a word has the same spelling in both languages, or when the sound does not occur in one language, only one example is given.
English approximations are in some cases very rough, and only intended to give a general idea of the pronunciation. See Bulgarian phonology and Macedonian phonology for a more thorough look at the sounds.
Consonants
IPA
Examples
Nearest English equivalent
BG
MK
b
б аба
b ox
c
к ьопоолу,[1] ќ ар
c ute
d
д ом
d ust
dz
дз ифт, ѕ везда
birds
dʒ
дж ем, џ ем
j ab
f
ф илм
f act
ɡ
г арван
g ood
ɟ
г яур,[1] ѓ авол
argu e
j
сой ка, пај ак
y es
k
к ъща, к уќа
sk ill
l
л имон
l eap
ɫ
л ош
all
ʎ
л юбов, љ убов
milli on
m
м оре
m ocha
n
н ос
n orth
ɲ
бан я, бањ а
cany on
ŋ
бан ка
sing
p
п ет
sp eak
r
р абота
trilled r , like in Spanish
r̩
пр ст
US: ver b (trilled)
s
с тол
s alt, mas k
ʃ
ш ума
s ugar
t
т айна, т ајна
st yle
ts
ц ар
bats
tʃ
ч ай, ч ај
ch eese
v
в ода
v iew
x
х артия, х артија
loch (Scotland )
z
з има
z oo
ʒ
ж ълт, ж олт
pleas ure
Marginal consonants
IPA
Examples
Nearest English equivalent
BG
MK
ɫ̩
Попокатепетл
little
n̩
њутн
button
ɣ
видях го
between g o and ah old
ç
Х юз
h uge
w
у иски
w ater
Vowels
IPA
Examples
Nearest English equivalent
BG
MK
a
бра т
fa ther
ɤ
къ т
plu s (General American, Scotland )
ɛ
це на
e dge
i
си в
poli ce
ɔ
сло н
bo dy (General British ), bo rder (General American )
u
ху бав, у бав
poo l
Reduced vowels
IPA
Examples
Nearest English equivalent
BG
MK
ɐ
щерка , камъ к
bu tter
o
нещо , у ста
thou ght(General British ), coa t (Scotland , General American )
Marginal vowels
IPA
Examples
Nearest English equivalent
BG
MK
ə
к’ смет
sofa
Other symbols
IPA
Explanation
BG
MK
ˈ
Denotes stress on the following syllable
ˌ
Denotes secondary stress on the following syllable
◌ʲ
Denotes palatalization of the preceding consonant
References
^ a b A reference grammar of modern Bulgarian , Ernest A. Scatton, Slavica Publishers, 1984, p.17
Sources
Жобов, Владимир (2004), Звуковете в българския език
Lunt, Horace G. (1952), Grammar of the Macedonian Literary Language , Skopje
Scatton, Ernest A. (1984), A reference grammar of modern Bulgarian