Chuvash language is the only representative of the Bulgar group of Turkic languages, the only remainder of the former numerous and strong West Turkic (Ogur, ancient Turkic) branch of Turkic languages. The most distinguishable feature between Bolgaro-Chuvash and other Turkic languages is the consonantism.
Turkic –z- and partly –d- in long-standing Turkic words and affixes corresponds to –r- in Bolgaro-Chuvash, and Turkic –sh- in a number of words corresponds to Bolgaro-Chuvash –l-.

Where /ĕ/ is a reduced  Chuvash vowel, which distinguishes from Turkish ö by less rounded lips and  sounds more briefly, when articulated. Chuvash /h/ is more hard then Turkish /h/. Chuvash /ś/ is a palatal sound similar to Turkish softened /ş/ in şükran or to Japanese /sh/ in deshita. Chuvash /ă/ (a reduced back vowel) is pronounced like an average between non accentuated /a/, /o/ and /ı/. You will obtain a sound similar to this if you will pronounce non separately two consonants like kn, hm (it is easy for Turkic or Slavic speaking people). Remember this sound, then pronounce it more extensively and you will obtain a sound similar to Chuvash reduced /ă/.

In vocalism Chuvash distinguishes from other Turkic languages by opposition of vowels not only by the sign of softness-hardness (synharmonism, when back vowels are opposed to front vowels and vowels in a word can all only be either front vowels either back vowels, but never together), vowels in Chuvash are divided also on ordinary (by length of articulation) and reduced ones. Thus hard (back) vowels are /a/, /ă/, /ı/, /u/, /o/. Soft (front) vowels are /e/, /ĕ/, /ü/, /i/. Beside this vowels in Chuvash there is also a front vowel which sounds like a brief /iı/. It occurs in the end of words and is represented in writing by i. Reduced vowels are /ă/, /ĕ/, /ü/. But one can consider them reduced ones only in words, relatively to other vowels. In words like tăvar «salt» (Turkic correspondence is tuz) – the reduced /ă/ is pronounced more briefly then /a/ that is why the emphasis is placed on /a/. If all vowels in a word are reduced ones, like in the word şăpăr «bagpipe», the emphasis is placed on the last syllable.

In the words, where there are no reduced vowels, the accent like in other Turkic languages is always placed on the last syllable: atte «daddy», anne «mom». Thus, Chuvash language doesn’t have an accentuated emphasis like in Russian and Chuvash speaking people don’t have a necessity to control the emphasis consciously, as the alternation of reduced and ordinary vowels sets it automatically.

Of course in songs the reduced vowels are extended, and in some dialects the emphasis is often placed in all words always on the last syllable, independently of the presence of reduced vowels in the last syllable and thus they are also extended.

Another distinguishable feature of Chuvash is the absence of voiced consonants in the beginning and end of words (except y, l, m, n, v, r), but semi-voiced consonants are present in the middle of words in positions between two vowels or between a voiced consonants (y, l, m, n, v, r) and a vowel. Thus in Chuvash there are no voiced /b/, /g/, /d/, /j/, /z/, /c/ present in Turkic but are only semi-voiced, which are formed from voiceless consonants, when the last are between two vowels or voiced /y/, /l/, /m/, /n/, /v/, /r/ and a vowel.

That is why if in a written form a voiceless consonant is placed between two vowels or between a voiced /y/, /l/, /m/, /n/, /v/, /r/ and a vowel, it is articulated almost like voiced one, but more softly (semi-voiced): aka (pronounced like [aGa]) «plough», tasa [taZa] «pure», uba [uBa] «bear», avtan [avDan] «rooster», satur [saDur] «strong», kişer [kiZHer] «сarrot», aça [aCa] (like Turkish /c/ in çocuk) «child».

The same rule of voicing is active in speech, when the words are pronounced together in a framework of a phrase. So the phrase «An ta kala» - «Don’t tell» is pronounced like /anDaGala/.

Thus Chuvash writing represents the pronunciation not directly like in other Turkic languages, but contextly (like in French).

Because of mentioned above particularities Chuvash speech is distinguishably soft, gentle and melodic.

The composition of Chuvash affixes is distinguishable firstly by the absence of common Turkic plural affixes –lar/-ler. Instead are used Chuvash plural affix –sem (-sam). At the same time most of Chuvash affixes are similar to common Turkic.

Are peculiar Chuvash demonstrative pronouns: in Chuvash the Turkic pronoun bu «this» is absent, instead Chuvash use ku «this». Demonstrative pronouns are used dependently of the distance from speaker – for designing close object is used the pronoun  akă – this, for designing more distant objects śakă.

The negation in Chuvash verbs apart from common Turkic negation affixes –mas/-mes, in imperative mood is expressed by a prepositive
particle an: an kay – don’t go, whereas the negation of subjects (substantives, personal pronouns, numerals and substantivated verbs) by a postpositive particle mar: văl mar – it’s not him.

The gender like in other Turkic languages is absent.

For designing of sex by animals are used words like aśa – male and ama – female, added after words.

Plural number can be expressed without plural affix, by forming collective substantives: timĕr – iron, timĕr-tămăr – metals/ironmongery or by semantic generalization, when a word depending from context can design not only an singular object, but a set of objects: hăyar – cucumber, Kunta hăyar üset – Here grow cucumbers; çăvaş – Chuvash,  Kunta çăvaş purănat – Chuvashes live here.

In vocabulary apart of words, that have common Turkic parallels, are specific words, absent in other Turkic languages, the apparition of which is probably due to the fact, that Bulgaro-Chuvash had passed to an agricultural setup independently (and probably earlier) then other Turks.

These are words like aka «plough» (from ak- to sow), śăkăr/śăkkăr «bread», pătă «porridge», kăpăl «ploughshare», yashka «soup», arman «mill» and others.

In vocabulary (mostly in Old Chuvash) and in personal names there is also a layer of Arab-Persian loanwords, linked to the Islamic period in the history of Bolgaro-Chuvash (X-XIV centuries). But in modern Chuvash (especially in speech) many of these words are not used at all and exist only in a passive state in dictionaries and partly in literary language. Modern Chuvash literary language was founded on Lower Chuvash dialect (anatri) in the end of XIX century by Chuvash enlightener I.Y. Yakovlev. In Chuvash were translated the Gospel (by I.Y. Yakovlev and his students) and the Bible (started by I.Y. Yakovlev and finished nowdays), divine services (they are in Chuvash), texts of Orthodox prayers. In Chuvash are published numerous journals and magazines, is streamed radio and TV, as well as preliminary education at school and on the faculties of Chuvash culture and philology in higher establishments of Cheboksary (the capital of Chuvash republic).

Chuvash language is an official language of Chuvash Republic (together with Russian). But in spite of stated above positive tendencies Chuvash language is considered an endangered one and in present time (especially colloquial) experiences a strong influence of Russian in lexics.

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