Language/Russian/Grammar/Cyrillic-Alphabet

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RussianGrammar0 to A1 Course → Alphabet and Pronunciation → Cyrillic Alphabet

Introduction[edit | edit source]

Welcome to the lesson on the Cyrillic alphabet! In this lesson, you will learn about the Russian alphabet and its pronunciation. The Cyrillic alphabet is used to write several Slavic languages, including Russian. It consists of 33 letters, some of which are similar to the letters in the Latin alphabet, while others are unique to Cyrillic. Understanding the Cyrillic alphabet is essential for learning Russian, as it forms the basis of the language's writing system. So, let's dive in and discover the fascinating world of the Russian alphabet!

History of the Cyrillic Alphabet[edit | edit source]

The Cyrillic alphabet was created in the First Bulgarian Empire during the 9th century by the scholars Cyril and Methodius. These two brothers were missionaries from Byzantium who wanted to spread Christianity among the Slavic people. They developed the alphabet to translate religious texts into the Slavic languages and to educate the Slavs in their own language. Over time, the Cyrillic alphabet spread to other Slavic nations, including Russia, where it became the official script in the 10th century. The alphabet underwent several modifications and adaptations throughout history, but it remains the writing system used in modern Russian.

Alphabet and Pronunciation[edit | edit source]

Now, let's explore the letters of the Cyrillic alphabet and their pronunciation. The Russian alphabet consists of 33 letters: 10 vowels, 21 consonants, and two letters that do not represent any sounds. Each letter has a name and a pronunciation, which we will cover in detail in the following sections.

Vowels[edit | edit source]

In Russian, there are 10 vowel letters. Let's take a look at each of them and learn how to pronounce them correctly:

Cyrillic Pronunciation English Translation
А [a] a
О [o] o
У [u] u
Ы [ɨ] y
Э [ɛ] e
Я [ja] ya
Ё [jo] yo
Ю [ju] yu
И [i] i
Е [je] ye

Here are some examples of words that contain these vowels:

  • Мама (mama) - mother
  • Дом (dom) - house
  • Чудо (chudo) - miracle
  • Лето (leto) - summer
  • Яблоко (yabloko) - apple
  • Ёж (yozh) - hedgehog
  • Юность (yunost') - youth
  • Игра (igra) - game
  • Ель (yel) - spruce tree

Consonants[edit | edit source]

The Russian alphabet also includes 21 consonant letters. Let's go through each of them and learn their correct pronunciation:

Cyrillic Pronunciation English Translation
Б [b] b
В [v] v
Г [g] g
Д [d] d
Ж [ʐ] zh
З [z] z
Й [j] y
К [k] k
Л [l] l
М [m] m
Н [n] n
П [p] p
Р [r] r
С [s] s
Т [t] t
Ф [f] f
Х [x] kh
Ц [ts] ts
Ч [tʃ] ch
Ш [ʂ] sh
Щ [ɕː] shch
Ъ - -
Ь - -

Here are some examples of words that contain these consonants:

  • Большой (bol'shoy) - big
  • Вода (voda) - water
  • Город (gorod) - city
  • Домой (domoy) - home
  • Жизнь (zhizn') - life
  • Зима (zima) - winter
  • Йогурт (yogurt) - yogurt
  • Книга (kniga) - book
  • Любовь (lyubov') - love
  • Мама (mama) - mother
  • Небо (nebo) - sky
  • Папа (papa) - father
  • Русский (russkiy) - Russian
  • Солнце (solntse) - sun
  • Товарищ (tovarishch) - comrade
  • Фотография (fotografiya) - photograph
  • Хорошо (khorosho) - good
  • Цветок (tsvetok) - flower
  • Чай (chay) - tea
  • Школа (shkola) - school
  • Щука (shchuka) - pike
  • Ъ (hard sign) - no sound
  • Ь (soft sign) - no sound

Letters without Sounds[edit | edit source]

In addition to the vowels and consonants, the Cyrillic alphabet includes two letters that do not represent any sounds. These letters are called "Ъ" (hard sign) and "Ь" (soft sign). The hard sign is used to indicate that the preceding consonant is pronounced hard. The soft sign indicates that the preceding consonant is pronounced soft. Although these letters do not have a sound of their own, they play an important role in Russian pronunciation.

Conclusion[edit | edit source]

In this lesson, we have covered the basics of the Cyrillic alphabet and its pronunciation. You have learned about the vowels, consonants, and letters without sounds in the Russian alphabet. Understanding the Cyrillic alphabet is crucial for reading, writing, and pronouncing Russian words correctly. Practice writing the letters and pronouncing the sounds to strengthen your knowledge. In the next lesson, we will explore the pronunciation rules of the Russian language in more detail. Keep up the good work, and soon you will be able to read and speak Russian with confidence!

Table of Contents - Russian Course - 0 to A1[edit source]


Alphabet and Pronunciation


Basic Phrases and Greetings


Nouns and Gender


Numbers and Time


Cases and Prepositions


Family and Relationships


Verbs and Conjugation


Food and Dining


Russian Traditions and Holidays


Travel and Transportation


Adjectives and Adverbs


Hobbies and Leisure Activities


Russian Literature and Arts

Videos[edit | edit source]

How to write the Russian alphabet/ Cyrillic alphabet handwriting ...[edit | edit source]


Sources[edit | edit source]


Other Lessons[edit | edit source]



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