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Below are
some helpful tips
to learn
and remember the
Russian letters and their
order in the alphabet
RUSSIAN CYRILLIC ALPHABET
Аа
ah
Same place in alphabet, and same shape as the English "A". Pronounced similar to
a short "A".
Бб
beh
There are two letters that look similar to the English "B" in the
same place in the alphabet
Вв
veh
Гг
geh
This letter is in the place of "C" in the English alphabet, and it looks like two
thirds of the letter"C". (Actually
the Greek gamma)
Дд
deh
This letter is in the place of "D" in the English alphabet, (it actually is the
Greek "D"(delta).
Ее
yeh
Same place in alphabet, and same shape as the English
"E"
Ёё
yoh
This is like a second "E", and it takes the place of the "F" in the English alphabet.
Жж
zheh Same place in
alphabet, and a similar sound as the soft English
"G"
Зз
zeh
Same place in alphabet, as the English
"H". Like a shortened version of the preceding letter zheh.
(Memory aid- Rhyme: 3 is Z)
Ии
ee
Same place in alphabet, and similar sound as the short English
"I"
Йй
ee krat' kah yeh
Same place in alphabet, as the English
"J". A shortened version of the preceding letter "ee" (The pronun-ciation
of the letter literally means "ee" short.
Кк
kah
Same place in alphabet, and same shape as the English
"K"
Лл
el
Same place in alphabet, and same sound as the English
"L"
(This is actually the Greek "L"(lambda).)
Мм
em Same
place in alphabet, and same shape and sound as the English
"M"
Нн
en
Same place in alphabet, and same sound as the English
"N"
Memory aid- Looks like an N with the crossbar level
Оо
o
Same place in alphabet, and same shape as the
English "O"
Пп
peh
Same place in alphabet, and same sound as the English
"P"
(This is actually the Greek pi.)
There is no Russian letter
in the place of "Q".
Рр
err
Same place in alphabet, and same sound as the English
"R"
(This is actually the Greek rho.) Rolled as in Spanish
Сс
es
Same place in alphabet, and same sound as the English
"S“
Like the pronunciation of the soft c in “city’
Тт
teh
Same place in alphabet, and same shape as the English
"T"
Уу
oo
Same place in alphabet, and somewhat similar sound as the English
"U"
Memory aid- looks like y as in you
, and pronounced like you except without the y.
Фф
eff
Same place in alphabet, and somewhat similar sound as the English "V" (actually
an "F" sound)
Actually the Greek letter phi.
Хх
hah
Same place in alphabet, and same shape as the English
"X".
There is no Russian letter
in the place of "W" in the English alphabet.
Цц
tseh Same
place in alphabet, and same shape(with imagination) as the English
"Y"
Чч
cheh Same place
in alphabet, and same shape(again with imagination) as a second English "Y".
Looks like an upside down chair, and the sound is like the first 2 letters of the
word chair.
Шш
shah
Remember this phrase:
Why would there be an ending
y (instead of a z in the alphabet).
This letter looks like a “w”, which is the first letter of the first word in the
phrase.
Щщ
shchah
This letter also looks like a “w”, which is the first letter of the second word
in the phrase.
Why would
there be an ending y (instead of a z in
the alphabet).
Ъ
tviord' ee znak
The name of this letter is literally
"hard sign". (it has no sound) Remember this phrase: Why would
there be an
ending y (instead of a z in the alphabet).
There are 3 letters in a row here which look similar to "b"
Ыы
oo ee
Ь
mya' kee znak
The name of this letter is literally "soft sign"(it indicates
that the preceding consonant is pronounced soft)
Ээ
eh
Similar shape as a backwards English
"E", and similar sound as a soft "E". Remember this phrase: Why
would there be an
ending y (instead of a z in the alphabet).This
letter looks like a backwards “e”, which is the first letter of “ending” in the
phrase.
Юю
you Why
would there be an ending y (instead of a z in the alphabet).
Imagine that the Russian alphabet ends with "Y', since the last 2 letters start
with a "y" sound.
Яя
yah
See also the Wikipedia article
about the Russian alphabet:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_alphabet
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