Russian Alphabet
The Russian Alphabet (A-Z)
А а | Ананас | Pineapple | a | As in «father» | |
Б б | Бабушка | Grandmother | b | As in «bird» | |
В в | Великий | Great | v | As in «van» | |
Г г | Город | Town | g | As in «good» | |
Д д | Дом | House | d | As in «dig» | |
Е е | Между | Between | ye | As in «yes» in stressed syllables | |
Перевод | Translation | i | As in «bin» in unstressed syllables | ||
Ё ё | Ёж | Hedgehog | yo | As in «yolk» | |
Ж ж | Жизнь | Life | zh | As in «pleasure» | |
З з | Золото | Gold | z | As in «zebra» | |
И и | Икра | Caviar | i | As in «eat» | |
Й й | Герой | Hero | y | As in «boy» after a o | |
Алтай | Altai | As in «bye» after a a, not transliterated after ы or и | |||
К к | Кот | Cat | k | As in «cat» | |
Л л | Любовь | Love | l | As in «love» | |
М м | Мир | World/ peace | m | As in «mum» | |
Н н | Новгород | Novgorod | n | As in «night» | |
О о | Школа | School | о | As in «no» | |
Пока | Bye | а | As in «man» | ||
П п | Порт | Harbour | p | As in «pool» | |
Р р | Россия | Russia | r | As in «rib» | |
С с | Сад | Garden | s | As in «service» | |
Т т | Тётя | Aunt | t | As in «ten» | |
У у | Урок | Lesson | u | As in «rule» | |
Ф ф | Фабрика | Factory | f | As in «fast» | |
Х х | Хлеб | Bread | kh | ||
Ц ц | Цирк | Circus | ts | As in «fits» | |
Ч ч | Часто | Often | ch | As in «chest» | |
Ш ш | Шутка | Joke | sh | As in «share» | |
Щ щ | Щавель | Sorrel | shch | As in «fresh chips” | |
Ъ ъ | – | Hard sign, see below. | |||
Ы ы | Быть | To be | ih | As in «many» | |
Ь ь | Ночь | Night | – | Soft sign, see below. | |
Э э | Эра | Era | e | As in «end» | |
Ю ю | Юбка | Skirt | yu | As in «you» | |
Я я | Яблоко | Apple | ya | As in «yard» |
Ъ: твёрдый знак [tvyordih znak], is a hard sign that has no sound of its own and is placed between a consonant and a vowel in some words to show that the preceding consonant should not be palatalised and that the following vowel should be preceded by the ‘y’ sound as in yet.
Ь: мягкий знак [myarkee znak], is a soft sign that has no sound of its own and is used to modify the pronunciation of the preceding consonant by palatalised it (making it soft).