1. RussianAlphabets
There are 33 letters in the RussianAlphabet: 10 vowels, 21
consonants, and 2 signs (ь, ъ).
By ChalanthornC
2. A a
Name of Letter: a
Similar English Sound: ar in far
Sample: том
1/33
3. Б б
Name of Letter: be
Similar English Sound: like b in box
Sample: н
2/33
4. В в
Name of Letter: ve
Similar English Sound: like v in voice
Sample: режки
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5. Г г
Name of Letter: ge
Similar English Sound: like g in go
Sample: ша
4/33
6. Д д
Name of Letter: de
Similar English Sound: like d in day
Sample: ня
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7. Е е
Name of Letter: ye
Similar English Sound: like ye in yet or e in exit
Sample: ка
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8. Ё ё
Name of Letter: yo
Similar English Sound: like yo in your
Sample: ёж
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9. Ж ж
Name of Letter: zhe
Similar English Sound: like s in pleasure
Sample: жук
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10. З з
Name of Letter: ze
Similar English Sound: like z in zoo
Sample: к
9/33
11. И и
Name of Letter: ee
Similar English Sound: like ee in meet
Sample:
10/33
12. Й й
Name of Letter: ee kratkoye (short i)
Similar English Sound: like y in boy
Sample: гурт
11/33
13. К к
Name of Letter: ka
Similar English Sound: like k in key or c in cat
Sample: ка
12/33
14. Л л
Name of Letter: el
Similar English Sound: like l in lamp
Sample: н
13/33
15. М м
Name of Letter: em
Similar English Sound: like m in man
Sample: на
14/33
16. Н н
Name of Letter: en
Similar English Sound: like n in note
Sample:
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17. О о
Name of Letter: o
Similar English Sound: like o in not
Sample: вощи
16/33
18. П п
Name of Letter: pe
Similar English Sound: like p in pet
Sample: рец
17/33
19. Р р
Name of Letter: er
Similar English Sound: like r in rock (but rolled)
Sample: ба
18/33
20. С с
Name of Letter: es
Similar English Sound: like s in sun
Sample: стул
19/33
21. Т т
Name of Letter: te
Similar English Sound: like t in table
Sample: торт
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22. У у
Name of Letter: oo
Similar English Sound: like oo in moon
Sample: дочка
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23. Ф ф
Name of Letter: ef
Similar English Sound: like f in food
Sample: кты
22/33
24. Х х
Name of Letter: kha
Similar English Sound: like ch in Scottish loch
Sample: я
23/33
25. Ц ц
Name of Letter: tse
Similar English Sound: like ts in boots
Sample: фры
24/33
26. Ч ч
Name of Letter: che
Similar English Sound: like ch in chat
Sample: шка
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27. Ш ш
Name of Letter: sha
Similar English Sound: sh in short
Sample: пка
26/33
28. Щ щ
Name of Letter: shcha
Similar English Sound: like sh_ch in fresh_cheese
Sample: щётка
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29. ъ
Name of Letter: tviordiy znak (hard sign)
Similar English Sound: has no sound
Sample: has no sample
28/33
30. ы
Name of Letter: ih*
Similar English Sound: like i in ill
Sample: has no sample
29/33* ih - "h" had been added to produce a more open sound, but is not pronounced as an English "h".
31. ь
Name of Letter: myagkiy znak (soft sign)
Similar English Sound: has no sound
Sample: has no sample
30/33
32. Э э
Name of Letter: e
Similar English Sound: like e in end
Sample: н
31/33
33. Ю ю
Name of Letter: yoo
Similar English Sound: like u in use
Sample: бка
32/33
34. Я я
Name of Letter: ya
Similar English Sound: like ya in yard
Sample: блоко
33/33
35. About Russian
Alphabet
Russian is an Eastern Slavonic language closely related to Ukrainian and Belorussian with about
277 million speakers in Russia and 30 other countries.
TheCyrillic alphabet was introduced into Russia (Kievan Rus' ) at the time of its conversion to
Christianity (988 AD).The alphabet, the Cyrillic script is named in honor of the Byzantine scholar
and monk, Cyril (827-869 AD), who, together with his brother Methodius (826-885 AD), created
the first Slavic writing system in the second half of the ninth century in order to translate the Bible
and other Christian texts into the Slavic languages.
Cyril and Methodius called their alphabet Glagolitsa, or the Glagolitic alphabet.The name comes
from the Old Slavic word glagolŭ, which means ‘sound’.The Glagolitic alphabet was used for
Slavonic manuscripts for a relatively short period of time (no more than a century) before the
development of the Cyrillic.TheCyrillic alphabet was derived from Glagolitic by Cyril’s pupils and
named after him. Cyrillic letters are different from the Glagolitic ones and have lots in common
with the Greek letters.
Until the 17th century, the only written language in Russia was Church Slavonic. Civil Russian
language started appearing in writing during the reign of Peter the Great (1672-1725).The dialect
of Moscow was used as the basis for written Russian.The new civil alphabet was introduced by
Peter the Great himself in order to write civil books, books on science and other texts not related
to the church.
Four letters were eliminated from the alphabet in a 1918 language reform. Since 1918 the
alphabet remains unchanged.
Editor's Notes
Russian AlphabetsThere are 33 letters in the Russian Alphabet: 10 vowels, 21 consonants, and 2 signs (ь, ъ).