Русский 1- Alphabet 1: Alphabet and Reading Rules
Е.Л. Шнитке
1
АЛФАВИТ
Аа Бб Вв Гг Дд Ее Ёё Жж Зз Ии Йй Кк Лл Мм Нн Оо Пп Рр
Сс Тт Уу Фф Хх Цц Чч Шш Щщ ъ ы ь Ээ Юю Яя
The very familiar ones:
Consonants: Кк
Мм
Сс
Тт
Vowels:
Аа
Оо
мáма
мáсса
like k in Kaiser, but without aspiration (breath)
like m in mother
like s in sail (never like k)
like t in stay, but with tongue against upper teeth
when stressed, like a in father
when stressed, between o in mole and the vowel sound in talk.
For unstressed, see Reading Rule 1.
мáска
кот
áтом
кóсмос
The somewhat familiar ones:
Consonants: Гг
Дд
Зз
Лл
Пп
Рр
Фф
Хх
пáпа
Да!
пáспорт
like g in gamma
like d in delta, but with tongue against upper teeth
like z in zoo
like l in lambda, but with tongue against upper teeth
like p in spot, but without aspiration (breath)
flap r, similar to trilled r in Spanish, similar to English t/tt between
vowels as in shut up, better, butter
like f in fun
like ch in Loch Ness
фóто
фóтоаппарáт
Ха-ха-ха!
Хáртфорд
Дáллас Зóрро
The confusing ones:
Consonants: Вв
Нн
Vowels:
Ее
Уу
like v in volcano
like n in no, but with tongue against upper teeth
when stressed and word initially or after another vowel, like ye in yes:
Ельцин, каéн ‘cayenne’.
When stressed and after a consonant, like e in men
For unstressed, see Reading Rule 2.
like oo in shoot, but with extreme lip rounding: Ура!
вулкáн áвгуст панорáма пропагáнда студéнт профéссор Вермóнт
Русский 1- Alphabet 1: Alphabet and Reading Rules
Е.Л. Шнитке
2
The unique ones:
Consonants: Бб
Жж
Йй
Цц
Чч
Шш
Щщ
Vowels :
like b in boy: Бóстон
like s in measure, but with tongue farther back: журнáл
like y in yet: йóга
like ts in cats: Цинциннáти
like ch in cheer: Чикáго
like sh in sure, but with tongue farther back: шоколáд
like long sh in fresh cheese: борщ
Ээ
ы
Ии
Ёё*
like e in Evan: Эван
between the a in about and the ee in see: ты 'you'
like i in machine: машина
always stressed; word initially or after another vowel, like yo in
New York: ёлка 'Christmas tree'
Юю* word initially or after another vowel, like u in use: Юлия
Яя* when stressed: word initially or after another vowel, like ya in yacht: я 'I'
after a consonant, like a with softening of the preceding
consonant
when unstressed, see Reading Rule 2.
The special ones: ь
(мягкий знак) soft sign – indicates that the preceding consonant is
palatalized: мел 'chalk' vs. мель 'shallows'
ъ
(твёрдый знак) hard sign – rarely used, indicates a y-sound between a
consonant and a vowel: села 'she sat down' vs. съела 'she ate'
RUSSIAN READING RULES
1. Vowel Reduction Rules
Rule 1:
Rule 2:
unstressed o  [a]
unstressed e, я
Москвá  [масквá]
кóсмос  [кóсмас]
Колорáдо  [каларáда]
not word-finally  [и]
word-finally
 [a]
Техáс  [тихáс]
Япóния  [йипóнийа]
Русский 1- Alphabet 1: Alphabet and Reading Rules
Е.Л. Шнитке
3
2. Palatalized (soft) and Unpalatalized (hard) consonants
А э
Я е
о
ё
ы
и
та
тя
то
тё
ты ту т
ти тю ть
тэ
те
у
ю ь
These vowels indicate that the preceding consonant is HARD
These vowels indicate that the preceding consonant is SOFT
Voiced and Voiceless Consonants
voiced/voiceless pairs: б/п
voiced only: л м н р
в/ф
г/к
д/т ж/ш
з/с
voiceless only: х ц ч щ
Rule 3 (Stroganoff effect - word final devoicing):
Those voiced consonants that have a voiceless pair pronounced voiceless
word finally, i.e.
б [п]
в [ф]
г [к]
Строганов 
Чехов
джаз


д [т]
ж [ш]
з[с]
Строгано[ф]
Чехо[ф]
джа[с]
Rule 4
WHEN TWO CONSONANTS GO WALKING
THE SECOND ONE DOES THE TALKING
Rule 4a (Vodka effect - devoicing of a voiced consonant before a voiceless one):
voiced +voiceless  voiceless +voiceless
б [п]
в [ф]
Достоевский
г [к]

д [т]
ж [ш]
з[с]
Достое[ф]ский
Rule 4b (Football effect - voicing of a voiceless consonant before a voiced one):
voiceless + voiced  voiced + voiced, i.e.
п [б]
ф [в]
футбол
баскетбол
к [г]


т [д] ш [ж]
фу[д]бол
баске[д]бол
с[з]