Sounds and spelling 29 We can on the whole divide the consonants up as follows as regards hardness and softness: hard-only: [b, p, p/v, m, f], [3, tf, J, di], [g, k, x], [h] Final labial consonants and final p are always hard in Ukrainian: голуб pigeon, dove кров blood верф wharf степ steppe сім seven звір (wild) animal These and the rest of this group may soften slightly before [i] and before я, ю in foreign words and a few Ukrainian words: білий white місто town, city бюро office пюре puree збіжжя grain клоччя tow, oakum Запоріжжя Zaporizhia soft-only: [j] HARD AND SOFT: [d, d-i, t, t>, z, zJ, s, s>, ts, ©, 1, P, n, nJ, r, rJ, dz, dz>]. They are soft: (i) Before the soft sign: жовтень October сьомий seventh (ii) Before i: сіль salt дім house, home ніч night (iii) Before the vowel letters я, ю, є: лякати to frighten любити to love, like сине blue (N./A.sg.N.) дзюркотати to murmur, gurgle (iv) Immediately before soft consonants: майбутнє the future сьогодні today радянський Soviet Here are a few more examples: ти [t'i] you ті [tJ'i] those дякую [dJ'akuju] thank you сад [s'ad] garden сядь [si'adj] sit down палац [pal'ats] хлопець [хГорєЙ] boy дзвін [dzJ^'in] bell (nom. sg.) дзвона [dzP'ona] bell (gen. sg.) раса [r'asa] race, breed ряса [rJ'asa] cassock
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