Mykola Dremliuha

Music Scores – Original Publication x 21

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Ukrainian Language Pronunciation Chart

The Audio Spoken Texts of the songs will help to clarify the rules below.

1. ‘j’ and the apostrophe ’ are pronounced similar to the ‘y’ in English: ‘yes’, ‘say’:

e.g. jabluko (apple), haj (grove), junyj (young),

e.g. n’i (no), d’ido (grandpa), l’ito (summer), z’irka (star) , ts’i (these),
horyt’ (it burns)

N.B. When the apostrophe follows the unvoiced consonants: ‘s’, ‘t’ and ‘ts’, the apostrophe will also be unvoiced:

e.g. dyvljus’ (I look), s’im (seven), t’i (those), ts’i (those) – as the ‘s’, ‘t’ and ‘ts’ are voiceless consonants, the following apostrophe is also voiceless, ie. a whispered, unvoiced ‘j’.

2. z.h compared with zh:
(i) z.h = ‘z’ + ‘h’ – 2 separate sounds
(ii) zh = voiced ‘sh’ as in vision – 1 sound

3. Ukrainian L

2 ways of pronouncing L in Ukrainian:

In the transliterated clusters: La, Le, Lo, Lu and Ly (pronounced as in English: sit – see chart below for Ukrainian И, и), L is pronounced further back in the mouth,
eg. as in English bottle;

The same applies if L is the last letter in a word or syllable, eg. zal (hall), pyl (dust), ry-bal-ka (fishing),
Even when the L is preceded by ‘i’, eg. rozd’il (chapter)

L is pronounced forward in the mouth as in English in 2 cases:

  • When followed by the letter ‘i’ as in leap, eg. L’ito (summer), L’ikar (doctor)

  • When followed by an apostrophe, eg. bil’ (pain), zhal’ (pity)

UKRAINIANTRANSLITERATION
Imagine pronouncing all
consonants as in Italian,
ie. less aspiration. All
vowels are pure, similar
to Italian. No
diphthongs
Examples taken from Italian
or English languages.
А, аa (as in Italian ‘caro’)
Б, бb
В, вv
Г, гh (as in English ‘house’)
Ґ, ґg (as in English ‘garden’)
Д, дd
Е, еe (as in Italian ‘mezzo’)
Є, єje (2 sounds as in English ‘yes’)
Ж, жZh (a voiced ‘sh’ as in
English ‘vision’)
З, зz
И, иy (as in English ‘sit’)
І, ii (as in English ‘sheet’)
Ï, їji (2 sounds as in English ‘yeast’)
Й, йj (as in English ‘yet’)
K, кk (unaspirated, as in Italian ‘caro’
Л, лL, l (see rule 3. above)
M, мm
Н, нn
O, оo (as in Italian ‘oro’)
П, пp (unaspirated, as in Italian ‘posso’)
Р, рr (rolled as in Italian ‘torre’
C, сs
T, тt (unaspirated, as in Italian ‘tempo’)
У, уu (as in Italian ‘puro’)
Ф, фf
Х, хkh (as in Scottish ‘Loch’)
Ц, цts (as in English ‘nets’)
Ч, чch
Ш, шsh
Щ, щshch (2 sounds as in English ‘moisture’) ie. ‘sh’ plus ‘ch’
Ю, юju (2 sounds, ‘j’ as in English ‘yes’ plus ‘u’ as in Italian ‘puro’)
Я, яja (2 sounds, as in English ‘yap’)
Ь, ь = gentle j (as in ‘say’)

Audio Spoken Texts

1. Hark, O Poplar Trees – Hej, topol’i moji

2. In Spring – Vesnoju

3. Winter Enveloped The Tender Flowers – Zamela n’izhn’i kvity zyma

4. My Soul Brims With Song – V mojij dushi pisen’ morja

5. An Apron Of Golden Stars Shines Blue In The Distance – Shallju zori zolotoju synja tsvite dalyna

6. Love For My Homeland – Vitchyzn’i lysh moja ljubov

7. Once Again I Saw You – Ja znov pobachyv Vas

8. I Do So Love You – Ja tak tebe ljublju

9. Do You Discern The Dawn – Chy znajesh ty svitannja v pol’i

10. The Spindle Of Fate – Plyve khvylyn vereteno

11. Night Goes By – Shche n’ich plyve

12. An Early Morning Stroll – Ja idu rosoju

13. I Pour Your Beauty Into Song – Tvoju krasu ja perellju v pisn’i

14. The Lilacs Bloom – Tsvitut’ buzky

15. The Fleeing Geese – Vidlitajut’ husy

16. I Gaze At The Bright Stars – Dyvljus’ ja na jasn’iji zori

17. I Stood And Listened To The Spring – Stojala ja i slukhala vesnu

18. Spring Again – Znov vesna

19. Don’t Sing Such Songs – Ne spivajte men’i

20. Gentle, Spring Nights – Lahidn’i nochi vesnjan’i