Russian · Cyrillic letters

Russian Alphabet

Russian is written in the Cyrillic alphabet: 33 letters, each with a capital and a small form. Some look and sound like English letters, some look English but sound different, and the rest are new. Russian spelling is fairly regular, but the o in an unstressed syllable sounds like a. Sounds use the same romanization as the lessons (kh, zh, ts, ch, sh, ' for the soft sign).

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Familiar letters

А аalooks and sounds like English a, as in 'father'мама (mama) mum

Е еye / eye as in 'yes'; after a consonant e, and it softens that consonantнет (net) no

К кklike English kкофе (kofe) coffee

М мmlike English mмама (mama) mum

О оoo as in 'more' when stressed; like a when not stressedмолоко (moloko) milk

Т тtlike English tтакси (taksi) taxi

False friends (look English, sound different)

В вvlooks like B, says vвода (voda) water

Н нnlooks like H, says nнос (nos) nose

Р рrlooks like P, says a rolled rрыба (ryba) fish

С сslooks like C, says sсок (sok) juice

У уulooks like y, says oo as in 'food'утро (utro) morning

Х хkhlooks like X, says kh as in Scottish 'loch'хлеб (khleb) bread

New letters

Б бbbбанк (bank) bank

Г гgg as in 'go'город (gorod) city

Д дddдом (dom) house

Ж жzhzh, like the s in 'pleasure'жена (zhena) wife

З зzzзавтра (zavtra) tomorrow

И иiee as in 'see'имя (imya) first name

Й йya short y, after a vowel: like the y in 'boy'чай (chay) tea

Л лllлето (leto) summer

П пppпиво (pivo) beer

Ф фffфото (foto) photo

Ц цtsts as in 'cats'центр (tsentr) centre

Ч чchch as in 'cheese'час (chas) hour

Ш шsha hard shшкола (shkola) school

Щ щshcha long, soft sh (sh-sh)борщ (borshch) borscht

Ы ыya hard i, said with the tongue pulled back; never starts a wordмы (my) we

Э эee as in 'met'; mostly at the start of a wordэто (eto) this

Ю юyuyou; after a consonant it softens itюг (yug) south

Я яyaya as in 'yard'; after a consonant it softens itя (ya) I

Ё ёyoyo as in 'yonder'; always stressed; the dots are often left outёлка (yolka) fir tree

Signs (no sound of their own)

Ь ь'soft sign · makes the consonant before it soft (a hint of y)соль (sol') salt

Ъ ъ"hard sign · a small break before я, е, ё, ю; rareподъезд (pod"yezd) entrance (of a building)

Basic Russian phrases