The Russian alphabet
33 letters in dictionary order. Click a letter for its sound, mnemonic and example words with native recordings.
| Letter | Name | IPA | Sounds like | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| А а | а | [a] | a "a" in father | мама |
| Б б | бэ | [b] | b "b" in bat | банк |
| В в | вэ | [v] | v "v" in van | вода |
| Г г | гэ | [g] | g "g" in go | год |
| Д д | дэ | [d] | d "d" in dog | да |
| Е е | е | [je] | e "ye" in yes | нет |
| Ё ё | ё | [jo] | yo "yo" in yoghurt | ёж |
| Ж ж | жэ | [ʐ] | zh "s" in measure, "j" in French bonjour | жена |
| З з | зэ | [z] | z "z" in zoo | зима |
| И и | и | [i] | i "ee" in see | и |
| Й й | и краткое | [j] | y "y" in boy | музей |
| К к | ка | [k] | k "k" in kit | кот |
| Л л | эль | [l] | l "l" in lamp | лампа |
| М м | эм | [m] | m "m" in mum | мама |
| Н н | эн | [n] | n "n" in no | нет |
| О о | о | [o] | o "o" in more (unstressed it drifts to "a") | кто |
| П п | пэ | [p] | p "p" in pen | папа |
| Р р | эр | [r] | r rolled "r" as in Spanish perro | ресторан |
| С с | эс | [s] | s "s" in sun | сок |
| Т т | тэ | [t] | t "t" in top | такт |
| У у | у | [u] | u "oo" in moon | утро |
| Ф ф | эф | [f] | f "f" in fun | фото |
| Х х | ха | [x] | kh "ch" in Scottish loch, German Bach | хорошо |
| Ц ц | цэ | [ts] | ts "ts" in cats | цирк |
| Ч ч | чэ | [tɕ] | ch "ch" in cheese | чай |
| Ш ш | ша | [ʂ] | sh "sh" in shop | школа |
| Щ щ | ща | [ɕː] | shch a long soft "sh", as in freSH CHeese | щи |
| Ъ ъ | твёрдый знак | (hard) | " no sound: a tiny pause before a y-vowel | объект |
| Ы ы | ы | [ɨ] | y "i" in bit, said from the back of the throat | мы |
| Ь ь | мягкий знак | (soft) | ' no sound: softens the consonant before it | день |
| Э э | э | [ɛ] | e "e" in met | это |
| Ю ю | ю | [ju] | yu "u" in use, "you" | юг |
| Я я | я | [ja] | ya "ya" in yard | я |