Russian Lessons Online

Russian Letter

Russian
name

Pronunciation (with English examples)

Transcribed

Russian examples

A a

a

a- as in ‘fathe’, but shorter;

a

Мама

Б б

be

b - hard as in ‘boss‘ or ‘boy’ ; soft as in ‘albiorn’

b

hard: брат
soft: белка

В в

ve

v - hard as in ‘vase’ or ‘very’ ; soft as in ‘view’

v

hard: новый soft: новейший

Г г

ge

g - hard as in ‘God’ ‘go’ or soft as in ‘argue’

g

hard: много
soft: многие

Д д

de

d - hard as in ‘day’ or ‘dog’ ; soft as in ‘dew’

d

hard: награда
soft: наградить

Е е

ye

Softens preceding consonants. 

ye - as in ‘yet’ or ‘yell’ - in the initial position, before hard consonants, after vowels and after ь and ъ.
‘e‘- as in ‘set’

ye, e

with y: ехать
without y: побег

Ё ё

yo

Softens preceding consonants.       

Always stressed!

yo - as in ‘your’ or ‘beyond’
Also ‘o‘.

yo, o

with y: ёж
without y: жёлтый

Ж ж

zhe

‘zh’ or as ‘sh’ in ‘pleasure’,  ‘measure’

ʒ

Жить

Желание

З з

ze

z - hard as in ‘zebra’, ‘zero’ or soft as in ‘resume’, ‘desire’

z

завтра

И и

i

Softens preceding consonants.

i: - stressed as in ‘Easter’, ‘seen’, ‘street’;

i - unstressed as in ‘pip’;
after ‘ж’, ‘ш’, ‘ц’ - like ‘ы’ (see below).

i:, i, ɨ

один
like ‘ы’:  машина

Й й

i
krátkoye
(short)

y - sound as in ‘yoga’ or ‘yellow’ - in the initial position after vowels

i, y, j

мой

К к

ka

k - hard as in ‘can’ or ‘come’ ; soft as in ‘key’ or ‘kiss’

k

hard: кот
soft: кит

Л л

el

l - hard as in ‘look’ or ‘call’; soft as in ‘million’

l

hard: белый
soft: белить

М м

em

m - hard as in ‘man’ or ‘monkey’ ; soft as in ‘Muse’ or ‘mutual’

m

hard: масло
soft: мясо

Н н

en

n - hard as in ‘null’ or ‘nose’ ; soft as in ‘new’ or ‘nice’  

n

hard: ныть
soft: нить

О о

o

o - if stressed long as in ‘obey’ or ‘oil’;
‘a‘- if unstressed as in ‘father’, but shorter

o, a, ə or ɔ

long: нóвый
short: новéйший

П п

pe

p - hard as in ‘play’, ‘pet’ or soft as in ‘peer’

p

hard: пат
soft: пять

Р р

er

r - hard trilled with the tip of the tongue ‘Russia’ or soft ‘Orient’

r

hard: рукá
soft: рюмка

С с

es

s - hard as in ‘some’, ‘see’ , ‘small’ or soft as in ‘assume’, ‘sue’

s

hard: суд
soft: сюда

Т т

te

t - hard, as in ‘time’,  ‘tent’ (unaspirated!) or soft as in ‘tulip’, ‘tune’

t

hard: тонуть
soft: тянуть

У у

u

ou – sound as in ‘you’ Also like ‘oo‘ but shorter in ‘goose’ ‘boom’

u

думать

Ф ф

ef

f - hard as in ‘food’ ,‘far’ or soft as in ‘few’

f

hard: кафé
soft: кóфe

Х х

kha

No English equivalent. 

ch - hard similar to Scottish ‘Loch‘ or soft like in German ‘Bach’, ‘ich’

ch

hard: хохотать
soft: хихикать

Ц ц

tse

Always hard.               

ts - sound as in ‘tsar’, ’sits’

ts

цвет

Ч ч

tche

Always soft. 

ch - sound as in ‘cheers’, ‘change’, ‘child’

ʧ

учить

Ш ш

sha

Always hard.

sh - sound as in ‘show’, ‘shy’, ‘sure’

ʃ

школа

Щ щ

tsha

Always soft.

sh+ch as in ‘fresh cheeks’                    sh+sh as in ‘rush show’

ʃtʃ or ʃʃ

ещё

Ъ ъ

tvyordyi znak (hard sign)

The hard sign is not pronounced. Rarely used and indicates a slight pause between syllables.
It is placed between a hard consonant and the vowel.

sometimes ‘j’

подъезд

Ы ы

ɨ

No English equivalent. 

A retracted variety of ‘i’ pronounced with the tongue blocking the throat.                        

i -as in ‘sir’ or ‘hill’      

Also like ‘ea’ sound in ‘seal’

y

ты

Ь ь

myachkiy znak (soft sign)

The soft sign is not pronounced. Makes the previous letter soft, or as if there is a after the consonant.

sometimes ‘j’

дверь

Э э

ε

‘ε‘ or ‘e‘ similar to ’set’ Sound like ‘a’ in ‘make’

ε, e

это

Ю ю

yu

Softens preceding consonant.                   

yu - as in ‘yule’ , ‘you’ 

u - sound in ‘use’ or ’university’ not as in ‘up’

ju, u

юмор

Я я

ya

Softens preceding consonant.

ja - sound as in ‘yard’ or ‘yahoo’

ja

Яблоко