Klataza
Read Cyrillic
The Russian alphabet: 33 letters with pronunciation
Russian is written in the Cyrillic alphabet. A few letters you already know (А, К, М, О, Т), some are false friends and a few are brand new. Here are all 33, with pronunciation and an example word.
All letters
| Letter | Name | Latin | Sound | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| А а | а | a | "a" as in "father" A true friend: looks and sounds like A. | ма́ма mom |
| Б б | бэ | b | "b" as in "bat" The lowercase б looks a bit like the number 6. | бана́н banana |
| В в | вэ | v | "v" as in "van" False friend! Looks like B but sounds like V. False friend: looks like B | вода́ water |
| Г г | гэ | g | "g" as in "go" (always hard) Looks like an upside-down L. | го́род city |
| Д д | дэ | d | "d" as in "dog" Shaped like a little house with feet. | дом house |
| Е е | е | ye | "ye" as in "yes" False friend! Looks like E but sounds like "ye". After a consonant it softens it: нет = "nyet". False friend: looks like E | нет no |
| Ё ё | ё | yo | "yo" as in "yogurt" Always stressed. In everyday texts the dots are often left out. | ёж hedgehog |
| Ж ж | жэ | zh | "zh" like the "s" in "pleasure" Looks like a beetle - and "beetle" is жук! | жук beetle |
| З з | зэ | z | "z" as in "zoo" Looks like the number 3. | зима́ winter |
| И и | и | i (ee) | "ee" as in "meet" Looks like a backwards N. False friend: looks like N | и́мя name |
| Й й | и кра́ткое | y (short) | short "y" as in "boy" И wearing a little hat. Usually comes after a vowel. | мой my |
| К к | ка | k | "k" as in "kite" A true friend: looks and sounds like K. | кот cat |
| Л л | эль | l | "l" as in "lamp" (a bit darker) Shaped like the Greek letter Λ (lambda). | ла́мпа lamp |
| М м | эм | m | "m" as in "map" A true friend: looks and sounds like M. | мо́ре sea |
| Н н | эн | n | "n" as in "no" False friend! Looks like H but sounds like N. False friend: looks like H | нос nose |
| О о | о | o | "o" as in "more" (when stressed) When unstressed, О sounds like "a": молоко = "ma-la-KO". | окно́ window |
| П п | пэ | p | "p" as in "pen" Shaped like the Greek letter Π (pi). | парк park |
| Р р | эр | r | rolled "r", like in Spanish or Italian False friend! Looks like P but sounds like a rolled R. False friend: looks like P | ры́ба fish |
| С с | эс | s | "s" as in "sun" False friend! Looks like C, but it is always an S sound. False friend: looks like K | сок juice |
| Т т | тэ | t | "t" as in "top" A true friend. Handwritten, the lowercase т looks like m. | там there |
| У у | у | u (oo) | "oo" as in "moon" False friend! Looks like Y but sounds like "oo". False friend: looks like Y | у́тро morning |
| Ф ф | эф | f | "f" as in "fun" Shaped like the Greek letter Φ (phi). | фо́то photo |
| Х х | ха | kh | "kh" like "ch" in German "Bach" or Scottish "loch" False friend! Looks like X but sounds like a throaty "kh". False friend: looks like KS | хлеб bread |
| Ц ц | цэ | ts | "ts" as in "cats" Like П upside down, with a little tail. | цирк circus |
| Ч ч | че | ch | "ch" as in "chair" Looks like the number 4. | чай tea |
| Ш ш | ша | sh | "sh" as in "shop" (tongue pulled back) Looks like a W with a flat bottom. | шко́ла school |
| Щ щ | ща | shch | long soft "sh", as in "fresh sheets" Ш with a little tail. | борщ borscht |
| Ъ ъ | твёрдый знак | hard sign | no sound of its own The hard sign makes a tiny pause between a consonant and the vowel after it: подъезд = "pad-YEZD". | подъе́зд entrance (of a building) |
| Ы ы | ы | ɨ (hard i) | like the "i" in "bit", with the tongue pulled back No English equivalent. Try saying "ee" while smiling less and pulling your tongue back. | сыр cheese |
| Ь ь | мя́гкий знак | soft sign | no sound of its own The soft sign makes the consonant before it "soft", as if a tiny "y" were glued to it: соль = "sol'". False friend: looks like B | соль salt |
| Э э | э | e | "e" as in "met" A backwards Є. The "plain" e sound, without the "y". | э́то this (is) |
| Ю ю | ю | yu | "yu" as in "you" Looks like "IO" joined together. | ю́бка skirt |
| Я я | я | ya | "ya" as in "yard" Looks like a backwards R. On its own it means "I". False friend: looks like R | я́блоко apple |
Three things that help you read
Stress
Russian stress can fall on any syllable. Klataza marks it with an accent (ма́ма) – regular texts don’t.
Unstressed О
An unstressed О sounds almost like А: молоко́ (milk) is said roughly “malakó”.
Soft and hard
Е, Ё, И, Ю, Я and the soft sign Ь soften the consonant before them – a big part of the Russian sound.
Questions
How many letters does the Russian alphabet have?
The Russian alphabet has 33 letters: 10 vowels, 21 consonants and two signs without a sound of their own (Ъ and Ь).
Which letters are false friends?
В, Е, И, Н, Р, С, У, Х, Ь, Я look like Latin letters but sound different – for example В is “v” and Р is “r”.
What is the fastest way to learn the Russian alphabet?
In small portions with real words: Klataza teaches the letters in five short lessons with audio, reading and review.
Start reading Cyrillic
Five short lessons, then you read your first Russian words.