How to pronounce Bulgarian
Say it like bul-GHER-ee-un. Bulgarian has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (GHER).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce Bulgarian. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- bul
- GHER
- ee
- un
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Bulgarian pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- bulKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- GHERSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- eeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- unKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of Bulgarian
American and British speakers say Bulgarian in essentially the same way: /bəlˈɡɛriən/ in the US and /bʌlˈɡɛəriən/ in the UK.
British respelling: bul-GAIR-ee-un.
What does Bulgarian mean?
- a native or inhabitant of Bulgaria
- a Slavic language spoken in Bulgaria
- of or relating to or characteristic of Bulgaria or its people“the Bulgarian capital is Sofia”
Words that rhyme with Bulgarian
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of Bulgarian.
- humanitarian
- vegetarian
- authoritarian
- librarian
- libertarian
- ovarian
- barbarian
- sectarian
- totalitarian
- agrarian
Questions about saying Bulgarian
How do you pronounce Bulgarian?
Say bul-GHER-ee-un. The American pronunciation is /bəlˈɡɛriən/. In British English it is /bʌlˈɡɛəriən/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in Bulgarian?
Bulgarian has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (GHER). Broken into parts: bul · GHER · ee · un.
Do Americans and Brits say Bulgarian the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /bəlˈɡɛriən/ and the British form is /bʌlˈɡɛəriən/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.