Our website uses cookies to provide you the best experience. By continuing to use our website, you agree to our use of cookies. For more information, read our Cookie Policy.
Customize Consent Preferences
We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.
The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ...
Always Active
Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.
Cookie
AWSALBCORS
Duration
7 days
Description
Amazon Web Services set this cookie for load balancing.
Cookie
opt_out
Duration
1 year
Description
This cookie is used for preventing the installation of third party advertiser or other cookies on the browser.
Cookie
wt_consent
Duration
1 year
Description
Used for remembering usersโ consent preferences to be respected on subsequent site visits. It does not collect or store personal information about visitors to the site.
Cookie
wpEmojiSettingsSupports
Duration
session
Description
WordPress sets this cookie when a user interacts with emojis on a WordPress site. It helps determine if the user's browser can display emojis properly.
Cookie
__cf_bm
Duration
1 hour
Description
This cookie, set by Cloudflare, is used to support Cloudflare Bot Management.
Cookie
_cfuvid
Duration
session
Description
Calendly sets this cookie to track users across sessions to optimize user experience by maintaining session consistency and providing personalized services
Cookie
__cfruid
Duration
session
Description
Cloudflare sets this cookie to identify trusted web traffic.
Cookie
m
Duration
1 year 1 month 4 days
Description
Stripe sets this cookie for fraud prevention purposes. It identifies the device used to access the website, allowing the website to be formatted accordingly.
Cookie
__stripe_mid
Duration
1 year
Description
Stripe sets this cookie to process payments.
Cookie
__stripe_sid
Duration
1 hour
Description
Stripe sets this cookie to process payments.
Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.
Cookie
player
Duration
1 year
Description
Vimeo uses this cookie to save the user's preferences when playing embedded videos from Vimeo.
Cookie
ytidb::LAST_RESULT_ENTRY_KEY
Duration
never
Description
The cookie ytidb::LAST_RESULT_ENTRY_KEY is used by YouTube to store the last search result entry that was clicked by the user. This information is used to improve the user experience by providing more relevant search results in the future.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Cookie
_ga_*
Duration
1 year 1 month 4 days
Description
Google Analytics sets this cookie to store and count page views.
Cookie
_ga
Duration
1 year 1 month 4 days
Description
Google Analytics sets this cookie to calculate visitor, session and campaign data and track site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognise unique visitors.
Cookie
_gcl_au
Duration
3 months
Description
Google Tag Manager sets the cookie to experiment advertisement efficiency of websites using their services.
Cookie
MR
Duration
7 days
Description
This cookie, set by Bing, is used to collect user information for analytics purposes.
Cookie
_fbp
Duration
3 months
Description
Facebook sets this cookie to display advertisements when either on Facebook or on a digital platform powered by Facebook advertising after visiting the website.
Cookie
cppro-ft
Duration
1 year
Description
This cookie is provided by Convert Pro and used to track how a user has behaved on your website or a call-to-action.
Cookie
cppro-ft-style
Duration
session
Description
This cookie is provided by Convert Pro and used to track how a user has behaved on your website or a call-to-action.
Cookie
cppro-ft-style-temp
Duration
1 day
Description
This cookie is provided by Convert Pro and used to track how a user has behaved on your website or a call-to-action.
Cookie
_hjSessionUser_*
Duration
1 year
Description
Hotjar sets this cookie to ensure data from subsequent visits to the same site is attributed to the same user ID, which persists in the Hotjar User ID, which is unique to that site.
Cookie
_hjSession_*
Duration
1 hour
Description
Hotjar sets this cookie to ensure data from subsequent visits to the same site is attributed to the same user ID, which persists in the Hotjar User ID, which is unique to that site.
Cookie
ajs_group_id
Duration
never
Description
This cookie is set by Segment to track visitor usage and events within the website.
Cookie
ajs_user_id
Duration
never
Description
This cookie is set by Segment to help track visitor usage, events, target marketing, and also measure application performance and stability.
Cookie
ajs_anonymous_id
Duration
never
Description
This cookie is set by Segment to count the number of people who visit a certain site by tracking if they have visited before.
Cookie
cf:aff_sub2
Duration
1 year
Description
ClickFunnels sets this cookie as part of an affiliate program to track referrals.
Cookie
cf:aff_sub3
Duration
1 year
Description
ClickFunnels sets this cookie as part of an affiliate program to track referrals.
Cookie
cf:aff_sub
Duration
1 year
Description
ClickFunnels sets this cookie as part of an affiliate program to track referrals.
Cookie
cf:affiliate_id
Duration
1 year
Description
ClickFunnels sets this cookie as part of an affiliate program to track referrals.
Cookie
cf:cf_affiliate_id
Duration
1 year
Description
ClickFunnels sets this cookie as part of an affiliate program to track referrals.
Cookie
cf:content
Duration
1 year
Description
Internal tracking cookie, set by ClickFunnels, to track a user's movement through the site.
Cookie
cf:medium
Duration
1 year
Description
Internal tracking cookie, set by ClickFunnels, to track a user's movement through the site.
Cookie
cf:name
Duration
1 year
Description
Internal tracking cookie, set by ClickFunnels, to track a user's movement through the site.
Cookie
cf:source
Duration
1 year
Description
Internal tracking cookie, set by ClickFunnels, to track a user's movement through the site.
Cookie
cf:term
Duration
1 year
Description
Internal tracking cookie, set by ClickFunnels, to track a user's movement through the site.
Cookie
cf:visitor_id
Duration
1 year
Description
ClickFunnels sets this cookie to assign a unique visitor ID to each visitor, to ensure the accurate tracking of unique visitors.
Cookie
vuid
Duration
1 year 1 month 4 days
Description
Vimeo installs this cookie to collect tracking information by setting a unique ID to embed videos on the website.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Cookie
AWSALB
Duration
7 days
Description
AWSALB is an application load balancer cookie set by Amazon Web Services to map the session to the target.
Cookie
sync_active
Duration
never
Description
This cookie is set by Vimeo and contains data on the visitor's video-content preferences, so that the website remembers parameters such as preferred volume or video quality.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.
Cookie
uuid2
Duration
3 months
Description
The uuid2 cookie is set by AppNexus and records information that helps differentiate between devices and browsers. This information is used to pick out ads delivered by the platform and assess the ad performance and its attribute payment.
Cookie
MUID
Duration
1 year 24 days
Description
Bing sets this cookie to recognise unique web browsers visiting Microsoft sites. This cookie is used for advertising, site analytics, and other operations.
Cookie
ayl_visitor
Duration
1 month
Description
This cookie is set by omnitagjs. This cookie stores the data of the visitor, this collected information is used to show relevant advertisements to the user based on user interest.
Cookie
CMID
Duration
1 year
Description
Casale Media sets this cookie to collect information on user behaviour for targeted advertising.
Cookie
CMPS
Duration
3 months
Description
CasaleMedia sets CMPS cookie for anonymous user tracking based on users' website visits to display targeted ads.
Cookie
CMPRO
Duration
3 months
Description
CasaleMedia sets CMPRO cookie for anonymous usage tracking and targeted advertising.
Cookie
mv_tokens
Duration
14 days
Description
Mediavine Exchange sets this cookie to create a unique ID for the visitor, allowing third-party advertisers to target the visitor with relevant advertisements.
Cookie
anj
Duration
3 months
Description
AppNexus sets the anj cookie that contains data stating whether a cookie ID is synced with partners.
Cookie
test_cookie
Duration
15 minutes
Description
doubleclick.net sets this cookie to determine if the user's browser supports cookies.
Cookie
YSC
Duration
session
Description
Youtube sets this cookie to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages.
Cookie
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE
Duration
6 months
Description
YouTube sets this cookie to measure bandwidth, determining whether the user gets the new or old player interface.
Cookie
VISITOR_PRIVACY_METADATA
Duration
6 months
Description
YouTube sets this cookie to store the user's cookie consent state for the current domain.
Cookie
yt.innertube::nextId
Duration
never
Description
YouTube sets this cookie to register a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen.
Cookie
yt.innertube::requests
Duration
never
Description
YouTube sets this cookie to register a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen.
Cookie
IDE
Duration
1 year 24 days 1 minute
Description
Google DoubleClick IDE cookies store information about how the user uses the website to present them with relevant ads according to the user profile.
Other cookies are those that are being identified and have not been classified into any category as yet.
Cookie
_seg_uid_15816
Duration
1 year
Description
Description is currently not available.
Cookie
_seg_uid
Duration
1 year
Description
No description available.
Cookie
_seg_visitor_15816
Duration
1 year
Description
Description is currently not available.
Cookie
_na
Duration
session
Description
Description is currently not available.
Cookie
XANDR_PANID
Duration
3 months
Description
Description is currently not available.
Cookie
receive-cookie-deprecation
Duration
1 year 1 month 4 days
Description
Description is currently not available.
Cookie
visitor-id
Duration
1 year
Description
No description available.
Cookie
data-c-ts
Duration
1 month
Description
Description is currently not available.
Cookie
data-c
Duration
1 month
Description
No description available.
Cookie
criteo
Duration
1 month
Description
No description available.
Cookie
mv_tokens_eu-v1
Duration
14 days
Description
Description is currently not available.
Cookie
am_tokens
Duration
14 days
Description
Description is currently not available.
Cookie
am_tokens_eu-v1
Duration
14 days
Description
Description is currently not available.
Cookie
niva
Duration
14 days
Description
Description is currently not available.
Cookie
tvid
Duration
1 year
Description
No description available.
Cookie
tv_UICR
Duration
1 month
Description
Description is currently not available.
Cookie
tld
Duration
session
Description
Description is currently not available.
Cookie
SOC
Duration
1 year 1 month 4 days
Description
Description is currently not available.
Cookie
debug
Duration
never
Description
No description available.
Cookie
addevent_track_cookie
Duration
1 year
Description
This cookie is used for adding events to the visitor's calender by the website.
Cookie
cf:NTU5MTA5ODQ
Duration
1 year
Description
Description is currently not available.
Cookie
wcc_bypass
Duration
1 year
Description
Description is currently not available.
Cookie
is_eu
Duration
session
Description
No description available.
Cookie
rw22m8zzb9zlaysv
Duration
1 year
Description
Description is currently not available.
Cookie
6631582_viewed_1
Duration
1 year
Description
Description is currently not available.
Cookie
seg_domain_test
Duration
session
Description
Description is currently not available.
Cookie
cf:ODQ1NzM2OA
Duration
1 year
Description
Description is currently not available.
Cookie
mmyflrrr10oxpwx8
Duration
1 year
Description
Description is currently not available.
Cookie
2441741_viewed_1
Duration
1 year
Description
Description is currently not available.
Cookie
__cflb
Duration
1 hour
Description
This cookie is used by Cloudflare for load balancing.
Cookie
hmt_id
Duration
1 month
Description
Description is currently not available.
Start learning a new language today with a 7-day free trial
The Complete Russian Pronunciation Guide: Lose Your Accent & Sound Like A Native
by Olly Richards
ะะต ัััะดะฝะพ ะผะพะปัะฐัั, ะบะพะณะดะฐ ะฝะตัะตะณะพ ัะบะฐะทะฐัั. Nye stydna malchatโ, kagda nechevo skazatโ Translation: Thereโs no shame in being silent when there is nothing to say.
However, there is a lot to say. And that's probably why you're learning Russian! In addition to what you say, it's of course important how you say it. Rather than being silent, you'll have to talk a lot to practice!
When learning a new language, pronunciation is often one of the hardest aspects to master.
Oftentimes, there are sounds in some languages that arenโt found in others. It can sometimes be tricky to teach your mouth to move in new ways!
Luckily, Russian pronunciation and spelling are very consistent and logical. Once you learn the sounds and rules, there are no traps you can fall into.
You don't need to focus too much on how Russian is transcribed into the Latin alphabet. Although transcriptions can give you a good idea of how a word sounds, reading them as they are wonโt necessarily sound โrightโ.
The key thing is to take it step by step. And try to listen and talk to native Russian speakers as much as possible.
In this guide Iโll cover everything you need to know about Russian pronunciation, including:
The Cyrillic alphabet, and how to say each letter
The soft sign (ั) and the hard sign (ั), and how they are used
Stress, and how accented syllables affect the pronunciation of a word
Voiced and voiceless consonants
So let's get started with the alphabet and letters.
By the way, if you want to learn Russian fast and have fun, my top recommendation is Russian Uncoveredwhich teaches you through StoryLearningยฎ.
With Russian Uncovered youโll use my unique StoryLearningยฎ method to learn Russian through storyโฆ not rules. Itโs as fun as it is effective. If youโre ready to get started, click here for a 7-day FREE trial.
Russian Pronunciation: The Russian Alphabet
The first step to learning Russian pronunciation is understanding the Cyrillic alphabet and how each letter sounds. It may look alien to you now, but it wonโt for long!
The Cyrillic alphabet only has 33 characters. And many of these are very similar to Latin letters in how they look, sound, or both.
For example, the letters A, E, K, M, O, and T look and sound (mostly) the same as in English.
Other letters, namely B (ะ), V (B), G (ะ), D (ะ), Z (ะ), L (ะ), N (ะ), P (ะ), R (ะ ), S (ะก), and F (ะค), look different but largely sound the same as their English counterparts.
That only leaves some Cyrillic letters which have no equivalent in English, including the hard and soft signs, which modify consonants.
See the complete alphabet here:
The Russian alphabet
Letโs look at each letter on its own. I'll show you what each letter is called in Russian, how each one is commonly transcribed into English, and how they sound with examples from words in English.
ะ ะฐ
โahโ
ะ ะฐ
Like โaโ in bat
ะ ะฑ
โbehโ
B b
Like โbโ in boat
ะ ะฒ
โvehโ
V v
Like โvโ in very
ะ ะณ
โgehโ
G g Sometimes (V v)
Like โgโ in gas or โvโ in very
ะ ะด
โdehโ
D d
Like โdโ in do
ะ ะต
โyehโ
YE ye
Like โyeโ in yet
ะ ั
โyoโ
YO yo
Like โyoโ in yolk or yonder
ะ ะถ
โzhehโ
Zh zh
Like โsโ in treasure, โzโ in seizure, or โgโ in sabotage
ะ ะท
โzehโ
Z z
Like โzโ in zoo
ะ ะธ
โeeโ
EE ee (sometimes I i)
Like โeaโ in Easter or โeeโ in fee
ะ ะน
โee kratkoyehโ (ะ ะบัะฐัะบะพะต)
I i or Y y
Like โyโ in soy
ะ ะบ
โkahโ
K k
Like โkโ in karma or โcโ in car
ะ ะป
โehlโ
L l
Like โlโ in love
ะ ะผ
โehmโ
M m
Like โmโ in man
ะ ะฝ
โehnโ
N n
Like โnโ in no
ะ ะพ
โohโ
O o
Like โoโ in snore
ะ ะฟ
โpehโ
P p
Like โpโ in play
ะ ั
โehrโ
R r
Like โrโ in red
ะก ั
โehsโ
S s
Like โsโ in start
ะข ั
โtehโ
T t
Like โtโ in tap
ะฃ ั
โooโ
U u
Like โooโ in root
ะค ั
โehfโ
F f
Like โfโ in farm
ะฅ ั
โkhahโ
H h, KH kh
Throaty H, like the โchโ in loch (Scottish) or Bach (German)
ะฆ ั
โtsehโ
TS ts
Like โtsโ in tsunami
ะง ั
โchehโ
CH ch
Like โchโ in chip
ะจ ั
โshahโ
SH sh (hard)
Like โshโ in shot (back of the mouth)
ะฉ ั
โschyahโ
SH sh (soft)
A harsher more closed variation of the ั sound.
Like the โshโ in shot, but with your tongue pressed up against the roof of your mouth to make the sound more closed
ะช ั
โtvyordiy znakโ (ัะฒะตัะดัะน ะทะฝะฐะบ)
Hard Sign (-)
Makes the preceding later hard
ะซ ั
โihโ
Y y or I i
Like โiโ in ilk and illustrate
ะฌ ั
โmyagkiy znakโ (ะผัะณะบะธะน ะทะฝะฐะบ)
Soft Sign (โ)
Makes the preceding later soft
ะญ ั
โehโ
E e
Like โeโ ten
ะฎ ั
โyooโ
YU yu
Like โeuโ in eulogy or โuโ in use
ะฏ ั
โyahโ
YA ya
Like โyaโ in yak
Hard And Soft Russian Sounds
In the list above, you may have noticed the funny-looking bโs called the hard sign and the soft sign. These symbols are a key feature of Russian pronunciation.
Hereโs a reminder of how they look and their names:
The hard sign โ ะช ั โ ัะฒััะดัะน ะทะฝะฐะบ (tvyordiy znak)
(Note: Be careful not to confuse the soft sign with the letter ะซ ั!)
Although both of these characters are silent, they affect the sound of the letter they follow. Iโm sure youโre wondering what exactly they do.
When you begin to say Russian words, you'll notice that the so-called โsoftโ Russian vowels change the sound of preceding consonants, by making them softer.
These vowels are:
ะฏ (ya)
ะ (yoh)
ะ (ye)
ะฎ (yoo)
ะ (ee)
So what does a soft consonant sound like?
Letโs consider an example in English to help you understand a bit better.
Do you see how the โnโ sounds harder in the word โnowโ, and softer in the word โnewโ? In the second word, itโs as if youโre adding a โyโ after the โnโ.
(The same soft sound is also found in other languages, like the โnโ sound in the word gnocchi in Italian, for example.)
Technically speaking, a soft consonant is @, or pronounced with the middle of the tongue raised towards the roof of the mouth.
The hard sign (or a hard vowel), on the other hand, prevents palatalisation. So you pronounce a hard consonant with the tip of the tongue touching the front of the mouth (or the lips).
If there's a hard sign after a consonant, you should read it as a hard sound. In transcriptions, the consonants hardened by the hard sign are separated from the softening vowels that follow with a dash.
Hard And Soft Sign Examples
Some examples of words that use the hard sign are:
ะฒัะตะทะด (v-yezd) โ entry or entrance (for cars) โ > the hard sign makes the ะต fully pronounced (โyeโ in Yeltsin rather than โeโ in mend. Compare this to ะฒะตะทะดะต [veh-zdye], which means everywhere)
oะฑัะตะบั (ob-yekt) โ object, subject, or facility -> as above
ะฟะพะดััะผ (pad-yom) โ rise, lift, or elevation -> the hard sign separates the ะด from the ั, so that the ะด stays hard (like the hard โdโ in do rather than the softer โdโ in dew)
The soft sign, on the other hand, is used to make the preceding consonant sound softer. This usually occurs at the end of a word or between two consonants. In transcriptions, the soft sign is marked with an apostrophe.
Some words that include the soft sign are:
ะดะตะฝั (dyenโ) โ day -> the ะฝ is soft (like the โnโ in new)
ัะฐััั (chastโ) โ part or piece -> the ั is soft, and therefore palatalised (as in the โtโ sound in tube)
aะฟะตะปััะธะฝ (apelโsin) โ orange -> the ะป is soft (like the โlโ sound in allure)
Those are the basics of the cyrillic alphabet and how to pronounce each letter, bearing in mind the effect of the hard and soft sign.
Letโs move on to a couple of important exceptions. Specifically, weโll talk about when vowel sounds can change based on stress.
4 Rules For Understanding Stress In Russian Words
Stress indicates which syllable is emphasised in a word. In Russian, stress plays an important role. It determines how letters in a word are pronounced, as well as meaning and grammatical value.
Unfortunately, stress is not fixed in Russian. It can fall on any syllable in the word, and it is not indicated in writing.
Stress can also change its place in the word depending on the form of the word, which can be a challenge for beginners. But donโt worry about that too much for now.
You need to pay attention to where the stress falls when learning new words in Russian. In textbooks and other learning resources, the stress will usually be marked with an accent.
Eventually, you will have to memorise these. But stay positive, because I can assure you that with some practice, it will come naturally before you know it.
Now, letโs see how stress determines the pronunciation of stressed and unstressed vowels, based on a simple set of rules.
Russian Vowel Reduction
Stress, or accents, affect how you pronounce vowels in a word. The reduction of vowels happens when they are not part of the stressed syllable in the word. This means they are pronounced less distinctly than the others, and how they sound changes.
The difference in pronunciation depending on stress in Russian is comparable to โshort vowelsโ and โlong vowelsโ in English. The first โaโ in โcascadeโ, for example, sounds different from the second.
Similarly, in Russian, ะผะพะปะพะบะพ (milk), is pronounced โmahlakoโ rather than โmolokoโ. This is because an unaccented โo' is pronounced more like an โah' in unaccented syllables.
Luckily, there are only four main vowel reduction rules to memorise, and as you start pronouncing more Russian words they will begin to come naturally.
Rule 1: The letter o
In the syllable before the stress, the letter โะพโ sounds like โะฐโ [a] (or the first โaโ in โamazingโ).
o -> a
For example:
we spell: ะพะบะฝะพฬ, ะะพัะบะฒรก
we say: [ะฐะบะฝะพ] (akno), [ะผะฐัะบะฒa] (maskva)
translation: window, Moscow
Rule 2: The letters ะพ, ะฐ
Anywhere after the stress, and more than one syllable before the stress, the letters โะพโ and โaโ sound like [ษ] (or the โaโ in โorcaโ).
o, a -> [ษ]
we spell: ะบะพฬัะผะพั, ะปรกะผะฟะฐ, ะบะฐัะฐะฝะดรกั, ะฟัะพัะตฬััะพั, ั ะพัะพัะพฬ
translation: cosmos, lamp, pencil, professor, good
Rule 3: The letters ะต, ั
In the syllable before the stress, the letters ะต, ั are pronounced like ะธ [ee] (like the โeeโ in โcheeseโ).
ะต, ั -> ะธ
we spell: ัะตัััรก, ะผะตััรก, ะฟััะธััรกะถะบะฐ
we say: [ั'ะธัััะฐ] (see-stra), [ะผ'ะธััะฐ] (meechta), ะฟ'ะธัะธััะฐะถะบะฐ (peetee-ehtazhka)
translation: sister, dream, five-story building
Rule 4: The letters ะต, ั
Anywhere after the stress and more than one syllable before the stress, ะต and ั are pronounced like โษ [yuh] (or โyeโ in โyesโ).
ะต, ั -> โษ
we spell: ะฝะพฬะผะตั, ััะธฬัะตะปั, ะดะตฬัััั, ะดัฬะดั
we say: [ะฝะพะผ'ษั] (nomyer), [ััะธั'ษะป'] (uchityel), [ะด'ะตั'ษั'] (desyetโ), [ะด'ะฐะด'ษ] (dyadyuh)
translation: number, teacher, ten, uncle
Russian Vowels: A Different Perspective
It might seem like a lot to take in at first. Maybe it will help to see it from another perspective.
If you think about it, vowels are sounds you make with nothing but your voice and the shape of your open mouth. (Try saying โyeow!โ, and you will say all the vowels in a row as you change the shape of your mouth.)
When a vowel is stressed within a word, it becomes the emphasised sound. As you say it, your vocal energy goes into that vowel. And often your mouth moves to make the sound in full. Most stressed vowels require you to change the shape of your mouth as you say them.
Unaccented vowels, however, are diminished versions of their accented counterparts. When the stress falls elsewhere, you use less distinct, almost โmumbledโ versions of these vowels, which require less effort to say. You also move your mouth less. This is how an โoโ sound can become an โuhโ, or a โyaโ can become a โyuhโ.
In some languages, this difference happens naturally. In Russian, there are rules for it, because the significance of stress makes the sounds more distinct.
But thatโs enough about Russian vowels, for now. Letโs move on to the consonant sounds.
Voiced And Voiceless Russian Consonants
Like vowels, consonants can sound different depending on where in the word they are. Some are pronounced more distinctly, while others are said softly. These are called voiced and voiceless consonants, respectively.
We use our vocal chords when pronouncing voiced consonants, but not when pronouncing voiceless consonants. In Russian, the consonants can be organised into pairs as such:
These pairs can interchange in how they are pronounced depending on their position in the word. A โtโ can sound like a โdโ, for example (similar to US English as in the word โdittoโ).
Two things can happen:
1. Devoicing When The Consonant Is At The End Of A Word
When a voiced consonant is at the end of a word, it becomes devoiced, or pronounced as its voiceless counterpart. (If the final consonant is accompanied by a soft sign, you still include it.)
For example, ะณะฐัะฐะถ, or garage, is pronounced as ะณะฐัะฐ[ั] (garash).
Similarly, ะผะฐัะบะตัะธะฝะณ, or marketing, sounds like ะผะฐัะบะตัะธะฝ[ะบ] (marketeenk).
Finally, ะปะตะฑะตะดั, or swan, is pronounced like ะปะตะฑะต[ั]ั (lye-betโ)
2. Voiced-Voiceless Assimilation
When voiced and voiceless consonants are adjacent, or next to each other in a word, the nature of the second consonant dictates the nature of the first:
voiced + voiceless -> voiceless + voiceless
If a voiced consonant is followed by a voiceless consonant, both become voiceless.
For example, ััะฑัะธััั, or subtitles, is pronounced as ัั[ะฟั]ะธััั (soopteetrih).
voiceless + voiced -> voiced + voiced
If a voiceless consonant is followed by a voiced consonant, both become voiced.
For example, ะฑะฐัะบะตัะฑะพะป, or basketball, is pronounced as ะฑะฐัะบะต[ะดะฑ]ะพะป (baskedbol)
Now, it might seem like there are many rules you need to remember. But the truth is, nobody expects you to get it right from the start.
When you begin to hear and speak more Russian, these rules will start coming naturally to you. It will take some time and practice, but before you know it your Russian will sound great.
Itโs Time For Some Russian Pronunciation Practice!
Thatโs it โ youโve now know how all the Russian letters sound. And the cases in which their pronunciation changes.
Now itโs up to you to spend some time listening to these sounds and practicing them yourself! Once you get a good grasp on the above, your Russian pronunciation will sound authentic, and you'll have less of an accent.
Remember that the theoretical explanations of pronunciation usually seem more complicated than pronunciation really is.
The key to developing a good understanding of Russian pronunciation is listening to native speakers. Likewise, the best way to learn how to say words is by repeating the way Russians say them.
Or you can apply a fun and effective method like StoryLearningยฎ and immerse yourself in audiobook versions of short stories in Russian. As you read and listen and even try reading aloud, you'll start to develop your Russian pronunciation skills naturally.
ะัะตะณะพ ั ะพัะพัะตะณะพ! (Vsevo kharoshova) Good luck!
FREE StoryLearning Kit!
Join my email newsletter and get FREE access to your StoryLearning Kit โ discover how to learn languages through the power of story!
Olly Richards
Creator of the StoryLearningยฎ Method
Olly Richards is a renowned polyglot and language learning expert with over 15 years of experience teaching millions through his innovative StoryLearningยฎ method. He is the creator of StoryLearning, one of the world's largest language learning blogs with 500,000+ monthly readers.
Olly has authored 30+ language learning books and courses, including the bestselling "Short Stories" series published by Teach Yourself.
When not developing new teaching methods, Richards practices what he preachesโhe speaks 8 languages fluently and continues learning new ones through his own methodology.
Which language are you learning?
What is your current level in [language]?
Which language are you learning?
What is your current level in [language]?
Download this article as a FREE PDF?
What is your current level in Latin?
Download this article as a FREE PDF?
What is your current level in Norwegian?
Download Your Free StoryLearningยฎ Kit!
Discover the world famous story-based method that 1,023,037 people have used to learn a language quicklyโฆ
Which language are you learning?
What is your current level in [language]?
Download this article as a FREE PDF?
What is your current level in Swedish?
Download this article as a FREE PDF?
What is your current level in Danish?
Which language are you learning?
What is your current level in [language]?
Download this article as a FREE PDF?
Download this article as a FREE PDF?
What is your current level in Arabic?
FREE StoryLearning Kit!
Join my email newsletter and get FREE access to your StoryLearning Kit โ discover how to learn languages through the power of story!
Which language are you learning?
What is your current level in [language]?
Download a FREE Story in Japanese!
Enter your email address below to get a FREE short story in Japanese and start learning Japanese quickly and naturally with my StoryLearningยฎ method!
What is your current level in Japanese?
Download Your FREENatural Japanese Grammar Pack
Enter your email address below to get free access to my Natural Japanese Grammar Pack and learn to internalise Japanese grammar quickly and naturally through stories.
What is your current level in Japanese?
What is your current level in Portuguese?
What is your current level in German?
Train as an Online Language Teacher and Earn from Home
The next cohort of my Certificate of Online Language Teaching will open soon. Join the waiting list, and weโll notify you as soon as enrolment is open!
Train as an Online Language Teacher and Earn from Home
The next cohort of my Certificate of Online Language Teaching will open soon. Join the waiting list, and weโll notify you as soon as enrolment is open!
Download this article as a FREE PDF?
Loadingโฆ
What is your current level in Portuguese?
Download this article as a FREE PDF?
What is your current level in Portuguese?
Download this article as a FREE PDF?
What is your current level in Turkish?
What is your current level in French?
What is your current level in Italian?
What is your current level in German?
What is your current level in Japanese?
Download Your FREEJapanese Vocab Power Pack
Enter your email address below to get free access to my Japanese Vocab Power Pack and learn essential Japanese words and phrases quickly and naturally. (ALL levels!)
What is your current level in Japanese?
Download Your FREE German Vocab Power Pack
Enter your email address below to get free access to my German Vocab Power Pack and learn essential German words and phrases quickly and naturally. (ALL levels!)
What is your current level in German?
Download Your FREE Italian Vocab Power Pack
Enter your email address below to get free access to my Italian Vocab Power Pack and learn essential Italian words and phrases quickly and naturally. (ALL levels!)
What is your current level in Italian?
Download Your FREEFrench Vocab Power Pack
Enter your email address below to get free access to my French Vocab Power Pack and learn essential French words and phrases quickly and naturally. (ALL levels!)
What is your current level in French?
What is your current level in Portuguese?
What is your current level in Russian?
What is your current level in Russian?
What is your current level in Italian?
What is your current level in Italian?
What is your current level in French?
What is your current level in French?
What is your current level in Spanish?
What is your current level in Spanish?
What is your current level in Spanish?
What is your current level in Arabic?
What is your current level in Portuguese?
What is your current level in Turkish?
What is your current level in Korean?
What is your current level in Russian?
What is your current level in Japanese?
What is your current level in Chinese?
What is your current level in Spanish?
What is your current level in Italian?
What is your current level in French?
What is your current level in German?
Download Your FREENatural Portuguese Grammar Pack
Enter your email address below to get free access to my Natural Portuguese Grammar Pack and learn to internalise Portuguese grammar quickly and naturally through stories.
What is your current level in Portuguese?
Download Your FREENatural Russian Grammar Pack
Enter your email address below to get free access to my Natural Russian Grammar Pack and learn to internalise Russian grammar quickly and naturally through stories.
What is your current level in Russian?
Download Your FREENatural German Grammar Pack
Enter your email address below to get free access to my Natural German Grammar Pack and learn to internalise German grammar quickly and naturally through stories.
What is your current level in German?
Download Your FREENatural French Grammar Pack
Enter your email address below to get free access to my Natural French Grammar Pack and learn to internalise French grammar quickly and naturally through stories.
What is your current level in French?
Download Your FREENatural Italian Grammar Pack
Enter your email address below to get free access to my Natural Italian Grammar Pack and learn to internalise Italian grammar quickly and naturally through stories.
What is your current level in Italian?
Download a FREE Story in Portuguese!
Enter your email address below to get a FREE short story in Brazilian Portuguese and start learning Portuguese quickly and naturally with my StoryLearningยฎ method!
What is your current level in Portuguese?
Download a FREE Story in Russian!
Enter your email address below to get a FREE short story in Russian and start learning Russian quickly and naturally with my StoryLearningยฎ method!
What is your current level in Russian?
Download a FREE Story in German!
Enter your email address below to get a FREE short story in German and start learning German quickly and naturally with my StoryLearningยฎ method!
What is your current level in German?
Download a FREE Story in Italian!
Enter your email address below to get a FREE short story in Italian and start learning Italian quickly and naturally with my StoryLearningยฎ method!
What is your current level in Italian?
Download a FREE Story in French!
Enter your email address below to get a FREE short story in French and start learning French quickly and naturally with my StoryLearningยฎ method!
What is your current level in French?
Download a FREE Story in Spanish!
Enter your email address below to get a FREE short story in Spanish and start learning Spanish quickly and naturally with my StoryLearningยฎ method!
What is your current level in Spanish?
FREE Download:
The Rules of Language Learning
Enter your email address below to get free access to my Rules of Language Learning and discover 25 โrulesโ to learn a new language quickly and naturally through stories.
Which language are you learning?
What is your current level in [language]?
Download Your FREESpanish Vocab Power Pack
Enter your email address below to get free access to my Spanish Vocab Power Pack and learn essential Spanish words and phrases quickly and naturally. (ALL levels!)
What is your current level in Spanish?
Download Your FREENatural Spanish Grammar Pack
Enter your email address below to get free access to my Natural Spanish Grammar Pack and learn to internalise Spanish grammar quickly and naturally through stories.
What is your current level in Spanish?
Free Step-By-Step Guide:
How to generate a full-time income from home with your Englishโฆ even with ZERO previous teaching experience.
Download this article as a FREE PDF?
What is your current level in Thai?
Download this article as a FREE PDF?
What is your current level in Spanish?
Download this article as a FREE PDF?
What is your current level in Cantonese?
Download this article as a FREE PDF?
What is your current level in Russian?
Download this article as a FREE PDF?
What is your current level in Korean?
Download this article as a FREE PDF?
What is your current level in Japanese?
Download this article as a FREE PDF?
What is your current level in Italian?
Download this article as a FREE PDF?
What is your current level in German?
Download this article as a FREE PDF?
What is your current level in French?
Steal My Method?
Iโve written some simple emails explaining the techniques Iโve used to learn 8 languagesโฆ
Which language are you learning?
What is your current level in [language]?
Which language are you learning?
What is your current level in [language]?
I want to be skipped!
Join 84,574 other language learners getting StoryLearning tips by emailโฆ
โAfter I started to use your ideas, I learn better, for longer, with more passion. Thanks for the life-change!โ โ Dallas Nesbit
Which language are you learning?
What is your current level in [language]?
Download this article as a FREE PDF?
What is your current level in Chinese?
Which language are you learning?
What is your current level in [language]?
Find The Perfect Language Course For You!
Looking for a breakthrough in your language learning?
Complete this short survey to find the perfect course for you!