Consonants

Every voiced consonant has a corresponding voiceless one.

voiced consonant
б
в
г
д
ж
з

corresponding voiceless consonant
п
ф
к
т
ш
с

When at the end of a word (e.g. хляб - bread), a voiced consonant is pronounced like its corresponding voiceless one - хляп. So, б becomes п.

When placed immediately before any voiceless consonant (e.g. общ - general), a voiced consonant is pronounced like its corresponding voiceless one - опщ. Щ is a voiceless consonant, so, the voiced consonant б becomes п.

Here are some more examples with the rest of the voiced consonants.

в - ф - молив (pencil) - молиф (molif), всеки (everybody) - фсeки (fseki)

г - к - миг (instant, moment) - мик (mik)

д - т - приход (income) - прихот (prihot), лодка (boat) - лoтка (lotka )

ж - ш - валеж (rainfall) - валеш (valesh), бележка (note) - белешка (beleshka )

з - с - израз (expresion) - израс (izras), възпитание (education) - въспитание (vaspitanie)

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VOICELESS CONSONANTS - БЕЗЗВУЧНИ СЪГЛАСНИ

Most voiceless consonants have a corresponding voiced ones. Those which don't have a corresponding voiced consonant don't change their pronunciation.

voiceless consonant
п
ф
к
т
ш
с
х
ц
ч
щ

corresponding voiced consonant
б
в
г
д
ж
з
- - - -

When before a voiced consonant (e.g. сграда - building), a voiceless consonant is pronounced like its corresponding voiced one - зграда. Г is a voiced consonant, so с becomes з.

More examples:

т - д - сватба (wedding) - свадба (svadba)

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SONOROUS CONSONANTS - СОНОРНИ СЪГЛАСНИ

An easy way to remember the sonorous consonants in Bulgarian is the word ламарина (laminated iron), which contains them all, apart from й and ь.

The only sonorous consonant that changes its pronunciation depending on its position is "л".

When before e, и, ю and я it is pronounced softly like in "leaf".

When before a, ъ, о, у and a consonant and at the end of the word - like in "luck".