1. альфавит These letters look and sound the same as the English: A К М О
The Russian (Cyrillic) Alphabet
There are 33 letters in the Russian alphabet. Some look and sound like English letters,
Some sound different, and some look different and sound different.
These letters look and
sound the same as the
English: A К М О Т
Practice! Can you read…
ТАМ = there
МАТ = checkmate
МАК = poppy
КАК = how
ТАК = so

2. These letters look the same but are different to English:
Practice!
вес = weight
сон = sleep
yхо = ear
нос = nose
сор = rubbish
рост = height
Москва = Moscow
север = north
муха = fly
совет = advice
метро = metro
ресторан = restaurant
These letters look the same
but are different to English:
В = v as in van
Е = ye as in yesterday
Н = n as in name
Р = r as in error
С = s as in smile
У = oo as in cool
Х = ch as in loch

3. These letters look the same as but are different to English:
More Practice!
ром = rum
тема = theme
но = but
сухо = dry
арена = arena
верно = true
рука = arm/hand
порт = port
корт = court
сорт = sort
These letters look the same as
but are different to English:
В = v as in van
Е = ye as in yesterday
Н = n as in name
Р = r as in error
С = s as in smile
У = oo as in cool
Х = ch as in loch

4. Unfamiliar letters with familiar sounds:
Б = b as in but
Г = g as in get
Д = d as in dress
Ё = yo as in yonder
З = z as in zoo
И = ee as in meet
Й = oy as in toy
Л = l as in love
П = p as in paper
Ф = f as in farm
Э = e as in bet
Ю = yu as in Yugoslavia
Я = ya as in yard
Practice!
Рим = Rome футбол = football
мир = peace/world до свидания = goodbye
да = yes Россия = Russia
спасибо = thank you гора = hill
сад = garden парк = park

5. Letters which might take a while to remember: Ж = zh as in measure
Ч = ch as in chess
Ц = ts as in its
Ш = sh as in fish
Щ = shch as in fresh_chicken
Ъ = ‘hard sign’ no sound of its
own- changes the letters
round it
Ы = i as in bill
Ь = ‘soft sign’ – changes letters
around it.
More Practice!
журнал = paper, journal
чай = tea
Чайковский = Chaikovsky,
composer
объект = object
кофе = coffee
конь = horse
день = day

6. Ё А Б В Г Д Е Ж З И Й К Л М Н О П Р С Т У Ф Х Ц Ч Ш Щ Ъ Ы Ь Э Ю Я
ah be ve ge de ye yo zhe ze ee Й К Л М Н О П Р С Т У
oy ka el em en oh pay air ess tay oo Ф Х Ц Ч Ш Щ Ъ Ы Ь
L=raise left hand, R=right hand, T=both hands together!
eff kha tse che sha schch iy Э Ю Я
eh yu ya