Russian Alphabet: Pronunciation

In other words - What do Russian characters sound like?

As in English you must know the alphabet in order to read. Letters are either consonants or vowels and by putting these together we have syllables. By combining syllables we have words. So in order to build a good foundation in the language it is important to learn the letters of the Russian alphabet and how these sound. Yes, it's not a secret in order to read and progress in the language one must know the alphabet. So let's get started.

Alphabet: Download and print the Russian Alphabet to see what the Russian Alphabet looks and sounds like. You will notice that many Russian characters, even though look different, have sounds that are found in English. Some of the letters are new sounds. Your ears and tongue will have to get use to hearing and pronouncing these correctly. In order to achieve that you must listen carefully and repeat aloud. Be patient with yourself and practice regularly. Memorize these letters and their sounds correctly. After you have done that, please watch the videos below that will help you to correctly pronounce the sounds of the Russian alphabet. After learning the alphabet, continue on the the Russian Vowels and Russian Syllables sections below so that you can begin to read in Russian.


Watch Alphabet Video.


Watch Alphabet Song.

Watch Alphabet Video.



Watch Alphabet Song.



Vowels: In the russian alphabet there are 10 vowels, in order to pronounce them correctly we must first see what they look like and hear how each sounds like. Therefore let's do that now by looking at them and hearing them. Download the vowels guide. Now Download Russian Vowels Audio or listen to the audio clip below:



Syllables: To help get the sounds right, we're going to break up words in to smaller sections. Sections of words are called syllables. Let's practice reading the syllables. Please follow these 3 basic steps to improve your reading and pronunciation:

  1. Print out the Syllables file, you'll notice it's divided into section numbers (in red color)
  2. Listen to the corresponding syllables Audio file (numbers correspond to the printed copy):
    1. Download Russian Syllables Audio 1 or listen to the audio clip below:



    2. Download Russian Syllables Audio 2 or listen to the audio clip below:



    3. Download Russian Syllables Audio 3 or listen to the audio clip below:



    4. Download Russian Syllables Audio 4 or listen to the audio clip below:



    5. Download Russian Syllables Audio 5 or listen to the audio clip below:



    6. Download Russian Syllables Audio 6 or listen to the audio clip below:



  3. Now as you look at the syllable, hear how it's pronounced in the audio recording, then try reading the same way.
  4. Practice reading each section until your pronunciation is same as on audio.

When reading longer words simply break them down into smaller parts (syllables) and that will help you in reading. For example, take the word кошка (cat), read it in parts кош-ка. Then of course remember to stress the right syllable.

If you are still having problems with the Russian Alphabet, go to Russian for Everyone and complete lessons 1-10 with exercises at the bottom of each lesson and the 4 accompanying quizes.

Dotty Dingo Russian Alphabet Tutor

So, do you feel like you know the alphabet now? Let's have fun, play a game and test how well you know it. Please download the Dotty Dingo Russian alphabet tutor. It is a Windows-based program that you can install on your computer. After installation please open the program by going to Start » Programs » Dotty Dingo Russian Alphabet Tutor » Alpha.exe

Advanced Students

Russian Script: If you already know the Russian Alphabet, learn how to write it in cursive. Download and print the script booklet and practice writing script.

Go to Russian for Everyone to see animations that will show you how to correctly write each letter.

Practice writing in cursive until you can do this proficiently.