Russian Cyrillic Alphabet

Name: а Sound: "a" as in father Example: мама = mom

Name: бэ Sound: "b" as in boy Example: брат = brother

Name: вэ Sound: "v" as in van Example: вода = water Looks like a Latin B but sounds like V.

Name: гэ Sound: "g" as in go Example: город = city

Name: дэ Sound: "d" as in dog Example: дом = house, home

Name: е Sound: "ye" as in yes; after a consonant it softens that consonant Example: нет = no

Name: ё Sound: "yo" as in yogurt Example: ёлка = fir tree, Christmas tree Always stressed. In most printed texts it is written without the dots, as е.

Name: жэ Sound: "zh" like the s in pleasure Example: журнал = magazine

Name: зэ Sound: "z" as in zoo Example: зима = winter

Name: и Sound: "ee" as in see Example: кино = cinema, movies Looks like a backwards N but is a vowel.

Name: и краткое (short i) Sound: short "y" as in boy Example: чай = tea

Name: ка Sound: "k" as in kite Example: кот = cat (male)

Name: эль Sound: "l" as in lamp Example: лампа = lamp

Name: эм Sound: "m" as in map Example: молоко = milk

Name: эн Sound: "n" as in no Example: нос = nose Looks like a Latin H but sounds like N.

Name: о Sound: "o" as in more when stressed; closer to "a" when unstressed Example: окно = window

Name: пэ Sound: "p" as in pen Example: папа = dad

Name: эр Sound: rolled "r" Example: рыба = fish Looks like a Latin P but sounds like a rolled R.

Name: эс Sound: "s" as in sun Example: сок = juice Looks like a Latin C and always sounds like S.

Name: тэ Sound: "t" as in top Example: торт = cake

Name: у Sound: "oo" as in food Example: утро = morning Looks like a Latin Y but sounds like OO.

Name: эф Sound: "f" as in fun Example: фото = photo

Name: ха Sound: "kh" like ch in Scottish loch Example: хлеб = bread Looks like a Latin X but sounds like a throaty H.

Name: цэ Sound: "ts" as in cats Example: цирк = circus

Name: чэ Sound: "ch" as in chair Example: час = hour

Name: ша Sound: hard "sh" as in shop Example: шапка = hat (winter hat)

Name: ща Sound: long, soft "sh" (as in fresh sheets) Example: борщ = borscht

Name: твёрдый знак (hard sign) Sound: no sound of its own; it separates a consonant from the vowel after it Example: подъезд = building entrance

Name: ы Sound: no English equivalent; like the i in bit with the tongue pulled back Example: мы = we Never starts a native Russian word.

Name: мягкий знак (soft sign) Sound: no sound of its own; it softens the consonant before it Example: мать = mother

Name: э Sound: "e" as in met Example: это = this, it is

Name: ю Sound: "yu" as in you Example: юбка = skirt

Name: я Sound: "ya" as in yard Example: яблоко = apple Я on its own is also the word "I".

В = v Н = n Р = r С = s У = oo Х = kh Also Е = ye at the start of a word.

А, К, М, О, Т О sounds like O only when stressed.

33: 10 vowels, 21 consonants and 2 signs (Ъ, Ь) that have no sound of their own.

Hard: а, э, ы, о, у Soft: я, е, и, ё, ю