Printed Hand- Name of Sound Similar English Sound
written Letter
Аа А а a [a] like a in “car”
Бб Б б бэ [б] like b in “blue”
Вв Вв вэ [в] like v in “voice”
Гг Г г гэ [г] like g in “get”
Дд Д д дэ [д] like d in “dog”
Ее Е е е [йэ] like ye in “yes”
Ёё Ё ё ё [йо] like yo in “york”
Жж Ж ж жэ [ж] like s in “measure”
Зз Зз зэ [з] like z in “zoo”
Ии И и и [и] like ee in “see”
Йй Й й short и [й] like y in “boy”
Кк К к ка [к] like k in “kite”
Лл Лл эл [л] like l in “lamp”
Мм М м эм [м] like m in “map”
Нн Нн эн [н] like n in “not”
Оо Оо о [о] like or in “port”
Пп П п пэ [п] like p in “pot”
Рр Рр эр [р] like r in “rock” (rolling the “r”)
Сс С с эс [с] like s in “smoke”
Тт Т т тэ [т] like t in “time”
Уу Уу у [у] like oo in “book”
Фф Ф ф эф [ф] like f in “face”
Хх Хх ха [х] like ch in Scottish “loch”
Цц Ц ц цэ [ц] like ts in “boots”
Чч Ч ч чэ [ч] like ch in “chip”
Шш Ш ш ша [ш] like sh in “shut”
Щщ Щ щ ща [щ] like sh ch in “Danish charter”
pronounced as one word
, ъ ъ hard sign
(твёрдый
знак)
ы ы ы [ы] like i in “kick”
ь ь soft sign
(мягкий
знак)
Ээ Э э э [э] like e in “bet”
Юю Ю ю ю [йу] like you in “youth”
Яя Я я я [йа] like ya in “yard”
Rules I: Ы – И
Don’t write alphabet “Ы” after these letter: ‘Г, К, Х, Ж, Ч, Ш, Щ’, but replace it with “И” instead.
Rules II: O
Vokal letter “O” will still reas as O if followed by these letter: ‘Ж, Ч, Ш, Щ, Ц’, because in some
cases O will be read as A.
Rules III: Я – А
Don’t write alphabet “Я” after these letter: ‘Г, К, Х, Ж, Ч, Ш, Щ, Ц’, but replace it with “A” instead.
Rules IV: Ю – У
Don’t write alphabet “Ю” after these letter: ‘Г, К, Х, Ж, Ч, Ш, Щ, Ц’, but replace it with “У”
instead.
Rules V: How to write letter “J” & “H”
The letter “J” in Russian is written with the letter “Дж”. For example, if your name is John then it
would be written as “Джон”.
The letter “H” in Russian is written with the letter “Г”. For example, if your name is Harry then it
would be written as “Гарри”
BASIC VOCABULARY YOU NEED TO REMEMBER!
Words How to Pronounce Meaning
Здравствуй! [Zdravstvy!] Hello! (ты form; formal
way)
written Letter
Аа А а a [a] like a in “car”
Бб Б б бэ [б] like b in “blue”
Вв Вв вэ [в] like v in “voice”
Гг Г г гэ [г] like g in “get”
Дд Д д дэ [д] like d in “dog”
Ее Е е е [йэ] like ye in “yes”
Ёё Ё ё ё [йо] like yo in “york”
Жж Ж ж жэ [ж] like s in “measure”
Зз Зз зэ [з] like z in “zoo”
Ии И и и [и] like ee in “see”
Йй Й й short и [й] like y in “boy”
Кк К к ка [к] like k in “kite”
Лл Лл эл [л] like l in “lamp”
Мм М м эм [м] like m in “map”
Нн Нн эн [н] like n in “not”
Оо Оо о [о] like or in “port”
Пп П п пэ [п] like p in “pot”
Рр Рр эр [р] like r in “rock” (rolling the “r”)
Сс С с эс [с] like s in “smoke”
Тт Т т тэ [т] like t in “time”
Уу Уу у [у] like oo in “book”
Фф Ф ф эф [ф] like f in “face”
Хх Хх ха [х] like ch in Scottish “loch”
Цц Ц ц цэ [ц] like ts in “boots”
Чч Ч ч чэ [ч] like ch in “chip”
Шш Ш ш ша [ш] like sh in “shut”
Щщ Щ щ ща [щ] like sh ch in “Danish charter”
pronounced as one word
, ъ ъ hard sign
(твёрдый
знак)
ы ы ы [ы] like i in “kick”
ь ь soft sign
(мягкий
знак)
Ээ Э э э [э] like e in “bet”
Юю Ю ю ю [йу] like you in “youth”
Яя Я я я [йа] like ya in “yard”
Rules I: Ы – И
Don’t write alphabet “Ы” after these letter: ‘Г, К, Х, Ж, Ч, Ш, Щ’, but replace it with “И” instead.
Rules II: O
Vokal letter “O” will still reas as O if followed by these letter: ‘Ж, Ч, Ш, Щ, Ц’, because in some
cases O will be read as A.
Rules III: Я – А
Don’t write alphabet “Я” after these letter: ‘Г, К, Х, Ж, Ч, Ш, Щ, Ц’, but replace it with “A” instead.
Rules IV: Ю – У
Don’t write alphabet “Ю” after these letter: ‘Г, К, Х, Ж, Ч, Ш, Щ, Ц’, but replace it with “У”
instead.
Rules V: How to write letter “J” & “H”
The letter “J” in Russian is written with the letter “Дж”. For example, if your name is John then it
would be written as “Джон”.
The letter “H” in Russian is written with the letter “Г”. For example, if your name is Harry then it
would be written as “Гарри”
BASIC VOCABULARY YOU NEED TO REMEMBER!
Words How to Pronounce Meaning
Здравствуй! [Zdravstvy!] Hello! (ты form; formal
way)
