Comprehensive Course Preparation
Russian Alphabet
The Russian Alphabet
The Russian alphabet, called the Cyrillic alphabet, is your first step into the language. It has 33 letters. Some will look familiar, but don't be fooled—looks can be deceiving. Others will be completely new.
Learning these letters is not just about reading. It's the key to pronunciation. Once you know the sound each letter makes, you can pronounce any Russian word you see.
Learning the 33 letters of the Cyrillic alphabet is non-negotiable because it is the foundation of reading, writing, and pronunciation in Russian.
We'll break the alphabet into manageable groups to make it easier to learn. First up are the letters that are exactly what they seem.
Familiar Faces
These five letters look and sound almost exactly like their English counterparts. They are your anchor in this new alphabet.
| Cyrillic | Name | Sound | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| А а | a | "ah" | like in art |
| К к | ka | "k" | like in kite |
| М м | em | "m" | like in mom |
| О о | o | "o" | like in go (short) |
| Т т | te | "t" | like in top |
False Friends
This next group is tricky. These letters look like English letters, but they represent completely different sounds. This is where most beginners get tripped up. Pay close attention here.
| Cyrillic | Looks Like | Actual Sound | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| В в | B | "v" | like in van |
| Е е | E | "ye" | like in yes |
| Н н | H | "n" | like in no |
| Р р | P | rolled "r" | like in Spanish perro |
| С с | C | "s" | like in sun |
| У у | Y | "oo" | like in moon |
| Х х | X | "kh" | like the ch in Loch Ness |
Remembering these "false friends" is crucial. When you see a P in Russian, think "rolled r." When you see an H, think "n."
New Shapes, Familiar Sounds
Now for the letters that look new but make sounds you already know. You just need to connect the new shape to a familiar sound.
| Cyrillic | Sound | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Б б | "b" | like in bat |
| Г г | "g" | like in go |
| Д д | "d" | like in dog |
| Ё ё | "yo" | like in yo-yo |
| З з | "z" | like in zoo |
| И и | "ee" | like in meet |
| Й й | "y" | like in boy |
| Л л | "l" | like in love |
| П п | "p" | like in pet |
| Ф ф | "f" | like in fun |
| Э э | "e" | like in met |
| Ю ю | "yu" | like the word you |
| Я я | "ya" | like in yard |
You might notice a pattern with some of these vowels: Я (ya), Е (ye), Ё (yo), and Ю (yu) all start with a "y" sound.
New Shapes, New Sounds
This last group contains letters and sounds that might be entirely new. Don't worry, they're not as difficult as they seem. This group also includes two letters that have no sound at all—they just modify other sounds.
| Cyrillic | Name | Sound / Function |
|---|---|---|
| Ж ж | zhe | like the "s" in pleasure or Asia |
| Ц ц | tse | like the "ts" in cats |
| Ч ч | che | like the "ch" in chair |
| Ш ш | sha | like the "sh" in she |
| Щ щ | shcha | a soft "sh" sound, like in fresh sheet |
| Ы ы | yery | a short, deep "i" sound, no English equivalent |
| Ъ ъ | hard sign | creates a pause, makes the next vowel hard |
| Ь ь | soft sign | makes the preceding consonant soft (palatalized) |
The hard sign (Ъ) and soft sign (Ь) don't have sounds. They act like modifiers for the letters around them. The soft sign is much more common.
Ready to test your knowledge? This quiz will help you practice recognizing the Cyrillic letters and their sounds.
The Russian letter 'Р' makes which English sound?
Which of these Cyrillic letters looks and sounds almost exactly like its English counterpart?
That's the entire Russian alphabet. Reviewing these groups of letters regularly will help you master them quickly. Once you're comfortable, you'll be ready to start reading and speaking your first Russian words.