How to Read Russian Language Letters

These letters can trip you up if your primary language is English. You might be familiar with the concept of "false friends" (technically called "false cognates"), used to refer to words in different languages that look the same but have very different meanings. Cyrillic has 4 consonants that could be considered "false friends" of their corresponding Latin letter:^[2]

• В: sounds like the "v" in the English word "value"
• Н: sounds like the "n" in the English word "net"
• Р: makes a sound that doesn't exist in English, but sounds similar to the trilled "R" in the Spanish word "pero"
• Х: makes a sound that doesn't exist in English, but sounds similar to the "ch" in the Scottish word "loch" or the "ch" in the German word "ach"

These 8 letters represent sounds that also exist in English. It can be hard to associate a new letter with a familiar symbol, especially if your native language uses the Latin alphabet. Practice will help you remember how these letters sound. Here they are:^[3]

• Б: sounds like the "b" in the English word "bet"
• Г: sounds like the "g" in the English word "get"
• Д: sounds like the "d" in the English word "dog"
• Й: sounds like the "y" in the English word "toy" (and always goes after a vowel)
• З: sounds like the "z" in the English word "zoo"
• Л: sounds like the "l" in the English word "love"
• П: sounds like the "p" in the English word "pet"
• Ф: sounds like the "f" in the English word "fat"

The English alphabet doesn't have individual characters for these sounds. Most of these consonants create a sound that is normally created by a consonant blend in English, but in Russian, they get a letter all their own. These 5 consonants are:^[4]

• Ж: sounds like the "s" in the English word "pleasure" or the "g" in the English word "beige"
• Ц: sounds like the "ts" in the English word "bolts"
• Ч: sounds like the "ch" in the English word "chip"
• Ш: sounds like the "sh" in the English word "shin"
• Щ: sounds like the "shsh" in the English phrase "Danish ship"

These vowels tell you to use the "hard" pronunciation of the consonant that goes before them. They're technically called "hard vowels," but characterizing them that way doesn't have anything to do with the pronunciation of the vowel itself. Rather, if you see these letters, the consonant that goes before them will always have a hard pronunciation. The 5 hard vowels in Russian are:^[5]

• А: sounds like the "a" in the English word "father"
• О: sounds like the "o" in the English word "story"
• У: sounds like the "u" in the English word "brute"
• Ы: sounds like the "i" in the English word "bit"
• Э: sounds like the "e" in the English word "bet"

These vowels make the preceding consonant "soft". They are considered to be "pairs" of the corresponding hard vowels, but with a "y" in front. They are pronounced differently depending on their place in the word. In the beginning, after another vowel, or after ъ or ь, they sound exactly like in the example below. When they go after consonants, they are a bit trickier: they make the consonant itself "soft", and the sound "y" almost disappears. It is one of the most difficult parts of Russian phonetics, so it is really recommended to listen to the native pronunciation to get it correctly. Here are the soft vowels:^[6]

• Е: sounds like the "ye" in the English word "yes"
• Ё: sounds like the "yo" in the English word "York"
• Ю: sounds like the "yu" in the English word "yule"
• Я: sounds like the "ya" in the English word "yacht"

This also makes the preceding consonant "soft". It is a pair of the hard vowel ы, but unlike the rest of soft vowels, it doesn't have any special pronunciation tricks and always sounds the same way, no matter where in the word it stands.

• И: sounds like the "ee" in "see".

The hard sign, ъ, can only go between a consonant and a soft vowel (except и). It means that you should make a brief pause in the syllables of the word and pronounce the following vowel with a clear full "y". The symbol itself doesn't stand for any sound, it just changes the pronunciation of the preceding and following letters.^[7] The hard sign can only be followed by a soft vowel е, ё, я, ю.^[8]

• The hard sign doesn't just go between any consonant and a vowel, but always between the prefix and the root (if you go as far as learning the structure of words!). Good news is that there are not so many words containing this letter. However, it is important to know the pronunciation, because it affects the meaning of the word. For example, "сесть" (pronounced roughly "sest") is a verb meaning "to sit down," but add a hard sign, "съесть" (pronounced roughly "syest"), and you have another verb, meaning "to eat."
• The best way to get the pronunciation right for words that include hard signs is to listen to a native speaker say the word and mimic their pronunciation until you get it right.
• You can also practice words that are spelled the same except that one has a hard sign and the other doesn't. These words can help you really hear the difference in how the hard sign changes your pronunciation.

This sign adds an "ih" overtone to soften the previous consonant. Like the hard sign, the symbol itself doesn't really make a sound. Rather, it changes the sound of the consonant that comes before it. Instead of simply pronouncing the letter, you'll make a slight "ih" sound as you say it.^[9] You produce this sound by placing your tongue against the roof of your mouth.^[10] It always goes after a consonant.

• Adding the "ih" is a simplified approach; actually there is no additional sound, but the tongue moves in a slightly different way when you pronounce the preceding consonant. The best way to get the pronunciation right is to listen to a native speaker and mimic their speech. Sometimes speaking other languages may be helpful. For example, л is the "hard" English L, while ль is rather like the "soft" French or German L.
• While the sign technically only changes the pronunciation of the word, it can also change the meaning of the word. For example, the word "брат" (pronounced "brat") means "brother," but if you add a soft sign, "брать" (pronounced "brat-ih"), you have the verb "to take."
• It can take some practice to get the soft pronunciation right, but it's important because it can actually change the meaning of a word.

Russian has no rules regarding where accents fall, which can be difficult for beginners. In writing, sometimes you can see an accent mark over the vowel in the accented syllable — but only in dictionaries, textbooks, or books for little kids. As you're learning Russian words, memorize the accented syllable along with the word itself.^[11]

• Placing an accent on the wrong syllable can change the meaning of the word. For example, the word "дóма" (with an accent on the first syllable) means "at home" while the word "домá" (accent on the second syllable) means "houses."
• If the accents aren't marked in a Russian passage you're reading, you can usually figure out which word is meant and how it should be pronounced by the context.