Ukrainian/Alphabet
The Ukrainian Alphabet - Українська Абетка
| IPA | English equivalent | Example | IPA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Аа | /a/ | like "a" in "car" | авто́бус "bus" | /aw'tɔbus/ |
| Бб | /b/ | like "b" in "bait" | бана́н "banana" | /ba'nan/ |
| Вв | /ʋ/
(/w/) |
between English "v" and "w"
(might be pronounced as English "w" in "cow" before other consonants or in word final positions by some speakers) |
ванда́л "vandal" | /ʋan'daɫ/ |
| Гг | /ɦ/ | like "h" in "behind" in English Received Pronunciation | гу́мор "humor" | /'ɦumɔr/ |
| Ґґ | /g/ | like "g" in "game" | ґу́дзик "button (clothing)" | /'gud͡zɪk/ |
| Дд | /d/ | like "d" in "door" | две́рі
"doors" |
/'dʋɛrʲi/ |
| Ее | /ɛ/ | like "e" in "entry" or "end" | е́ра "era" | /'ɛra/ |
| Єє | /jɛ/
/ʲɛ/ |
like "ye" in "yen" or "yeah"
after consonants, softens (palatalizes) them |
Євро́па "Europe" | /jɛw'rɔpa/ |
| Жж | /ʒ/ | like "s" in "vision" or the second "g" in "garage" in American English | інжене́р "engineer" | /inʒɛ'nɛr/ |
| Зз | /z/ | like "z" in "zombie" | зебра "zebra" | /'zɛbra/ |
| Ии | /ɪ/ | like "i" in "ship" | кит "whale" | /kɪt/ |
| Іі | /i/
/ʲi/ |
like "ee" in "sheep"
after consonants, softens (palatalizes) them |
кіт "cat" | /kʲit/ |
| Її | /ji/ | like "yi" in "yield" | Ізра́їль "Israel" | /iz'rajilʲ/ |
| Йй | /j/ | like "y" in "yogurt" or "boy" | йо́гурт "yogurt" | /'jɔɦurt/ |
| Кк | /k/ | like "k" in "skate" | кіт "cat" | /kʲit/ |
| Лл | /ɫ/
(/l/) |
like "l" in "lick"
(is generally a dark /ɫ/ sound like in most varieties of English, but might be pronounced as a light /l/ like in French or German depending on the region) |
ла́мпа "lamp" | /'ɫampa/ |
| Нн | /n/ | like "n" in "nose" | ніс "nose" | /nʲis/ |
| Оо | /ɔ/ | like "o" in "rob" (lips have to be rounded like in English Received Pronunciation) | океа́н "ocean" | /ɔkɛ'an/ |
| Пп | /p/ | like "p" in "sports" | па́ра "pair" | /'para/ |
| Рр | /r/ | rolled /r/ like in Spanish "perro"
close to "tt" in "butter" in American English |
руї́на "ruine" | /ru'jina/ |
| Сс | /s/ | like "s" in "snake" | сова́ "owl" | /sɔ'ʋa/ |
| Тт | /t/ | like "t" in "stop" | те́ніс "tennis" | /'tɛnʲis/ |
| Уу | /u/ | like "oo" in "moon" | Украї́на "Ukraine" | /ukra'jina/ |
| Фф | /f/ | like "f" in "fame" | фанта́зія "fantasy" | /fan'tazʲija/ |
| Хх | /x/ | like "ch" in Scottish "loch" or German "dach"
put your tongue in the position to say "k", but say "h" instead |
хор "choir" | /xɔr/ |
| Цц | /t͡s/ | like "ts" in "cats" | центр "center" | /t͡sɛntr/ |
| Чч | /t͡ʃ/ | like "ch" in "catch" | чай "tea" | /t͡ʃaj/ |
| Шш | /ʃ/ | like "sh" in "shoot" | шокола́д "chocolate" | /ʃɔkɔ'ɫad/ |
| Щщ | /ʃt͡ʃ/ | like "sh" and "ch" pronounced in a row | щу́ка "pike (fish)" | /'ʃt͡ʃuka/ |
| Ьь | /ʲ/ | softens (palatalizes) previous consonants
put your tongue in the position to say "y" like in "yogurt", but pronounce the previous consonant instead |
кінь "horse" | /kʲinʲ/ |
| Юю | /ju/
/ʲu/ |
like "you" in "YouTube" or "you"
after consonants, softens (palatalizes) them |
ю́ний "young" | /'junɪj/ |
| Яя | /ja/
/ʲa/ |
like "ya" in "yacht"
after consonants, softens (palatalizes) them |
я́хта "yacht" | /'jaxta/ |
| Digraphs | IPA | English equivalent | Example | IPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| дз | /d͡z/ | like "ds" in "pads" | дзвони́ти "to call" | /d͡zʋɔ'nɪtɪ/ |
| дж | /d͡ʒ/ | like "j" in "juice" | хо́джу́ "I walk" | /(')xɔ(')d͡ʒu/ |
The combinations "дз" and "дж" are pronounced as /d͡z/ and /d͡ʒ/, that's to say as sequences of /d/ with /z/ or /ʒ/ simultaneously.
The soft form is called palatalization where the tongue is moved from its original position. Consider the difference in pronunciation of key and cool. In key the /k/ (preceded by closed front vowel, the tongue moves up and forward) is palatalized and in cool the /k/ (labialized, and oral cavity is increased by this) is not. Same thing with tea and tool. When we talk about soft or mild consonants we are talking about palatalization. Palatized consonants are called soft in Ukrainian.
A pair of identical consonants pronounced not as a simple consonant and not as two separate sounds, but as geminated consonant.
| Vowel | IPA | Soft equivalent
(softening the preceding consonant) |
IPA | Iotated equivalent
(combined with a /j/ sound) |
IPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| а | /a/ | я | /ʲa/ | я, 'я | /ja/ |
| е | /ɛ/ | є | /ʲɛ/ | є, 'є | /jɛ/ |
| и | /ɪ/ | і | /ʲi/ | ї, 'ї | /ji/ |
| о | /ɔ/ | ьо | /ʲɔ/ | йо | /jɔ/ |
| у | /u/ | ю | /ʲu/ | ю, 'ю | /ju/ |
Ь is not pronounced, it is called м’який знак (soft sign) or знак м’якшeння (sign of softening) and is used to make preceding consonant palatized. For example, in замість (instead of) the т is softened. In fact, the м is also softened by the і and the с is also softened by being in front of the soft т
Keep in mind that there is no complex vowel that corresponds to О. Instead, Й and Ь are used together with О letter: його, льодом.
Also the apostrophe sign is used after a consonant and before a complex vowel to prevent the consonant from becoming mild. The complex vowel is therefore pronounced like й and corresponding simple vowel. For example, в'язати (to tie up) is pronounced like вйазати.
- Some cases of discrepancies between spelling and pronunciation:
- unvoiced consonant + voiced consonant = voiced pair (боротьба is pronounced like бородьба); but voiced consonant + unvoiced consonant or unvoiced consonant + approximate consonant do not change, except:
- З + unvoiced consonant = С (розпис is pronounced like роспис);
- Г + К or Т = Х (нігті is pronounced like ніхті);
- a pair of sibilants converges (зшити is pronounced like шшити; стежці → стезці; дочці → доцці).
- unvoiced consonant + voiced consonant = voiced pair (боротьба is pronounced like бородьба); but voiced consonant + unvoiced consonant or unvoiced consonant + approximate consonant do not change, except:
Try to Pronounce
[edit | edit source]Here are some Ukrainian words. Try to pronounce them keeping in mind the bolded vowels are stressed:
- Рак (rak; crayfish) - Pronounce "rruk", not "rzake".
- Юрба (yurba; crowd)
- Їжа (yizha; food)
- Ранок (ranok; morning)
- Коли-небудь (koly-nebud ; somewhen)
- Ядро (yadro; kernel)
- Словa (slova; words)
- Ґедзь (ged'z'; gadfly) - "Ґ" is pronounced like "g" in "get". In this word "дз" is palatalized. Touch your tongue to the palate and say "z".
- Прохання (prokhannya; request, wish) - Long and soft "ннь" [-ɲːɑ].
- Бути (buty; to be) - Do not pronounce it "beauty" and "и" doesn't sound like [i], slide back a bit.
Ukrainian is written as pronounced just like the other Slavs, but, like Russian and Bulgarian, the stress is very unpredictable and stressing the wrong syllable can lead to misunderstandings. Virtually every textbook and dictionary will write these words with an acute accent (ˊ) on the stressed syllable: юрба́, кість, ра́нок, коли́-небудь, ядро́, слі́дувати, ґедзь, бу́ти. Watch out for words that are written the same, but stressed in a different syllable, such as замок (castle) — замок (lock).