russian alphabets
TRANSCRIPT
Russian AlphabetsThere are 33 letters in the Russian Alphabet: 10 vowels, 21 consonants, and 2 signs (ь, ъ).By Chalanthorn C
A a Name of Letter: a Similar English Sound: ar in far
Sample: а́том
1/33
Б б Name of Letter: be Similar English Sound: like b in box
Sample: бато́н
2/33
В в Name of Letter: ve Similar English Sound: like v in voice
Sample: ва́режки
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Г г Name of Letter: ge Similar English Sound: like g in go
Sample: гру́ша
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Д д Name of Letter: de Similar English Sound: like d in day
Sample: ды́ня
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Е е Name of Letter: ye Similar English Sound: like ye in yet or e in exit
Sample: ежеви́ка
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Ё ё Name of Letter: yo Similar English Sound: like yo in your
Sample: ёж
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Ж ж Name of Letter: zhe Similar English Sound: like s in pleasure
Sample: жук
8/33
З з Name of Letter: ze Similar English Sound: like z in zoo
Sample: замо́к
9/33
И и Name of Letter: ee Similar English Sound: like ee in meet
Sample: икра́
10/33
Й й Name of Letter: ee kratkoye (short i) Similar English Sound: like y in boy
Sample: йо́гурт
11/33
К к Name of Letter: ka Similar English Sound: like k in key or c in cat
Sample: клубни́ка
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Л л Name of Letter: el Similar English Sound: like l in lamp
Sample: лимо́н
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М м Name of Letter: em Similar English Sound: like m in man
Sample: мали́на
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Н н Name of Letter: en Similar English Sound: like n in note
Sample: носки́
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О о Name of Letter: o Similar English Sound: like o in not
Sample: о́вощи
16/33
П п Name of Letter: pe Similar English Sound: like p in pet
Sample: пе́рец
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Р р Name of Letter: er Similar English Sound: like r in rock (but rolled)
Sample: ры́ба
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С с Name of Letter: es Similar English Sound: like s in sun
Sample: стул
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Т т Name of Letter: te Similar English Sound: like t in table
Sample: торт
20/33
У у Name of Letter: oo Similar English Sound: like oo in moon
Sample: у́дочка
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Ф ф Name of Letter: ef Similar English Sound: like f in food
Sample: фру́кты
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Х х Name of Letter: kha Similar English Sound: like ch in Scottish loch
Sample: хво́я
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Ц ц Name of Letter: tse Similar English Sound: like ts in boots
Sample: ци́фры
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Ч ч Name of Letter: che Similar English Sound: like ch in chat
Sample: ча́шка
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Ш ш Name of Letter: sha Similar English Sound: sh in short
Sample: ша́пка
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Щ щ Name of Letter: shcha Similar English Sound: like sh_ch in fresh_cheese
Sample: щётка
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ъ Name of Letter: tviordiy znak (hard sign) Similar English Sound: has no sound
Sample: has no sample
28/33
ы Name of Letter: ih* Similar English Sound: like i in ill
Sample: has no sample
29/33* ih - "h" had been added to produce a more open sound, but is not pronounced
as an English "h".
ь Name of Letter: myagkiy znak (soft sign) Similar English Sound: has no sound
Sample: has no sample
30/33
Э э Name of Letter: e Similar English Sound: like e in end
Sample: экра́н
31/33
Ю ю Name of Letter: yoo Similar English Sound: like u in use
Sample: ю́бка
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Я я Name of Letter: ya Similar English Sound: like ya in yard
Sample: я́блоко
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About Russian Alphabet
Russian is an Eastern Slavonic language closely related to Ukrainian and Belorussian with about 277 million speakers in Russia and 30 other countries.
The Cyrillic alphabet was introduced into Russia (Kievan Rus' ) at the time of its conversion to Christianity (988 AD). The alphabet, the Cyrillic script is named in honor of the Byzantine scholar and monk, Cyril (827-869 AD), who, together with his brother Methodius (826-885 AD), created the first Slavic writing system in the second half of the ninth century in order to translate the Bible and other Christian texts into the Slavic languages.
Cyril and Methodius called their alphabet Glagolitsa, or the Glagolitic alphabet. The name comes from the Old Slavic word glagolŭ, which means ‘sound’. The Glagolitic alphabet was used for Slavonic manuscripts for a relatively short period of time (no more than a century) before the development of the Cyrillic. The Cyrillic alphabet was derived from Glagolitic by Cyril’s pupils and named after him. Cyrillic letters are different from the Glagolitic ones and have lots in common with the Greek letters.
Until the 17th century, the only written language in Russia was Church Slavonic. Civil Russian language started appearing in writing during the reign of Peter the Great (1672-1725). The dialect of Moscow was used as the basis for written Russian. The new civil alphabet was introduced by Peter the Great himself in order to write civil books, books on science and other texts not related to the church.
Four letters were eliminated from the alphabet in a 1918 language reform. Since 1918 the alphabet remains unchanged.