Read Russian Language Letters

This "how to" is for those who don't understand Russian letters and want to learn how to read them. The Russian language can be surprisingly easier to learn than other languages; why not start by learning the correct pronunciation and utilization of the Russian alphabet?

Steps

  1. Understand the Non Understandable that reading in Russian is even easier than it is in English. Every letter is read like it is written. For example, the letter "A" is always written one way. In English it is written in different ways. Also, some letters, such as "M" are written the same in both languages.
  2. Understand that a few letters look the same in English and Russian languages, but are written in different ways. For example P in Russian sounds like R in English.
  3. Know the Russian sounds Watch free Russian language tutorials. You will hear the sounds of the letters, and how to read words.
  4. Practice reading and writing in Russian.
  5. Try to find similar words in Russian and English. For example the word computer would be written in Russian as компьютер, but if you were to rewrite it in English letters it would look like kompyuter.
  6. Get your hands on some CDs. If you have a little extra money to throw at the pursuit of learning the Russian language, go to Amazon or Google Product Search and find yourself a copy of Pimsleur Russian I - or find it some other way. Bang your way through it and work to get your pronunciation correct. Try to mimic their speech, be patient with your capabilities, and watch them grow. I personally don't go for Rosetta Stone (language learning software,) but if it works for you, great.
  7. Get your hands on some books. You could use a Russian-English dictionary, 501 Russian Verbs[1], a traveller's Russian phrasebook, and a book on swearing in Russian (for that authentic touch.)[2] You also need Teach Yourself Russian Script[3], because handwritten Russian looks different from the printed version and Russians rarely print by hand - not to mention some signage uses script, as well.
  8. Keep building your knowledge through exposure to the Russian language. Try watching movies that were made in Russia with English subtitles and Russian audio, or vice versa. Two movies I like are Nightwatch and Daywatch. Also, go to Rambler.ru and try reading some of the articles. Use Google Translate[4] to figure out words you don't know and try to learn them. Find a Russian Word of the Day widget / gadget.



Tips

  • (vowels are shown stressed / unstressed)
    • А = a as in "father" / a as in "anew"
    • Б = b
    • В = v
    • Г = g (always as in "get" and never as in "voyage")
    • Д = d
    • Е = ye
    • Ё = yo
    • Ж = zh (like the "s" in "Asian")
    • З = z
    • И = i as in "elite" / i as in "sick"
    • Й = y as in "yet"
    • К = k
    • Л = l
    • М = m
    • Н = n
    • О = o as in "sole" / o as in "top"
    • П = p
    • Р = r
    • С = s
    • Т = t
    • У = u as in "amuse"
    • Ф = f
    • Х = ch as in the scottish word "loch" (try to make an "h" sound using the same muscles as you would to clear your throat, but don't sound like you're going to hock a loogie.)
    • Ц = ts as in "wits"
    • Ч = ch as in "change"
    • Ш = sh as in "shape"
    • Щ = tch as in "watch"
    • Ъ = no sound; called the "hard sign" because it hardens the consonant that comes before it.
    • Ы = wi as in "swim" (it's a more subtle sound)
    • Ь = no sound; called the "soft sign" because it softens the sign that comes before it. Try expelling a little breath when you read it - but the best way to learn it is to hear it from a Russian speaker / student.
    • Э = e as in "egg"
    • Ю = u as in "use"
    • Я = ya as in "Yanni" (say "yah")
  • At the ends of words, Б sounds like П, В sounds like Ф ("gorbachoff",) Г sounds like К, Д sounds like Т, З sounds like С, and Ж sounds like Ш. If you don't make an effort to remember this, you will sound to Russians like you have a heavy American accent, and it's easy once you get the concept of equivalency in these pairs of consonants.
  • Russian words are stressed in one syllable, and vowels in that syllable take the stressed, or long sound. Unstressed vowels take the unstressed, or short sound. Note that neither Й nor У have a short sound.
  • The Russian alphabet, in order:
    • АБВГДЕЁЖЗИЙКЛМНОПРСТУФХЦЧШЩЪЫЬЭЮЯ
    • абвгдеёжзийклмнопрстуфхцчшщъыьэюя
  • The sounds of each letter in order:
  • Create flash cards.

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Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.amazon.com/Russian-Barrons-Foreign-Language-Guides/dp/0764137433/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1245363299&sr=1-1
  2. ↑ http://www.amazon.com/Dermo-Real-Russian-Tolstoy-Never/dp/0452277450/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1245385780&sr=8-1
  3. ↑ http://www.amazon.com/Teach-Yourself-Beginners-Russian-Script/dp/0071419861/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1245385401&sr=8-1
  4. ↑ https://www.google.com/translate

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