These letters have no Latin equivalent — no shortcuts! But with the right memory tricks and practice they will become your best friends in Russian.

Б🔊

/b/ — like “b” in ball. Looks like 6 with a flat top.

банк🔊

брат🔊
(brother)

Г🔊

/g/ — like “g” in go. Looks like upside-down L.

го´род🔊

(city)

где🔊
(where)

Д🔊

/d/ — like “d” in door. Looks like a tent with legs.

дом🔊
(house)

да🔊
(yes)

З🔊

/z/ — like “z” in zero. Looks like the number 3.

зима´🔊

(winter)

звезда´🔊

(star)

И🔊

/i/ — like “ee” in meet.

и´мя🔊

(name)

и´ли🔊

(or)

Й🔊

/j/ — like “y” in yes. И with a breve — the short И.

май🔊
(May)

чай🔊
(tea)

Л🔊

/l/ — like “l” in lamp. Upside-down V with a foot.

лес🔊
(forest)

ла´мпа🔊

П🔊

/p/ — like “p” in park. Looks like a goal post (Π).

парк🔊

па´па🔊

Ф🔊

/f/ — like “f” in film. Looks like a person with arms out.

фо´то🔊

фильм🔊

Ж🔊

/ʒ/ — like “s” in measure. Always hard. Looks like a beetle.

жук🔊
(beetle)

жить🔊
(to live)

Ц🔊

/ts/ — like “ts” in cats. Always hard. С with a foot.

цирк🔊
(circus)

центр🔊

Ч🔊

/tɕ/ — like “ch” in cheese. Always soft. Backwards 4.

чай🔊
(tea)

час🔊
(hour)

Ш🔊

/ʃ/ — like “sh” in shoe. Always hard. Looks like a comb.

шко´ла🔊

шум🔊
(noise)

Щ🔊

/ɕ/ — Ш with a tail, longer and softer. Always soft.

щи🔊
(soup)

ещё🔊
(still)

Ё🔊

/jo/ — like “yo” in yolk.

ёж🔊
(hedgehog)

ёлка🔊
(fir tree)

Э🔊

/e/ — like “e” in egg. Backwards С.

э´то🔊

(this)

э´хо🔊

(echo)

Ю🔊

/ju/ — like “you”. Looks like І+О.

юг🔊
(south)

ю´мор🔊

(humour)

Я🔊

/ja/ — like “ya”. Backwards R. Also means I.

я🔊
(I)

я´блоко🔊

(apple)

Ы🔊

/ɨ/ — no English equivalent. Say “i” while pulling tongue back.

ры´ба🔊

мы🔊
(we)

Ъ🔊

— hard sign. No sound — creates a pause between consonant and iotated vowel.

объе´кт🔊

съезд🔊

Ь🔊

— soft sign. No sound of its own — softens the consonant before it. Changes meaning!

мать🔊
(mother)

vs.

мат🔊
(mate/checkmate)

день🔊
(day)

★ Old friends (Lesson 2):
А К М О Т — same shape, same sound

✗ False friends (Lesson 3):
С Р У В Х Е Н — looks Latin, sounds Russian

✦ New friends (Lesson 4):
Б Г Д Ж Й И Л П Ф Ц Ч Ш Щ Ё Э Ю Я Ы Ъ Ь — completely new, use memory tricks!

Ex. 1 — Read aloud:

Ex. 2 — Write all 33 letters from memory. Then check against Lesson 1.