Russian Pronunciation Guide


Master Russian pronunciation with our comprehensive guide featuring IPA transcriptions, audio examples, and pronunciation tips for all Russian letters.

Russian Vowels

А
[a]
мама
Е
[je]
еда
Ё
[jo]
ёлка
И
[i]
мир
О
[o]
дом
У
[u]
рука
Ы
[ɨ]
мы
Э
[e]
это
Ю
[ju]
юг
Я
[ja]
яблоко

Russian Initial consonants

Б
[b]
брат
В
[v]
вода
Г
[g]
город
Д
[d]
дом
Ж
[ʒ]
жизнь
З
[z]
звезда
К
[k]
книга
Л
[l]
любовь
М
[m]
мама
Н
[n]
ночь
П
[p]
папа
Р
[r]
рука
С
[s]
солнце
Т
[t]
тётя
Ф
[f]
флаг
Х
[x]
хорошо
Ц
[ts]
цвет
Ч
[tʃ]
человек
Ш
[ʃ]
школа
Щ
[ʃtʃ]
щука

Pronunciation key points

Vowel reduction: In unstressed positions, Russian vowels undergo reduction.

  • о → [а] / [ə]
  • е → [и]
  • я → [и]

Consonant softening: When soft consonants are pronounced, the tongue rises and approaches the hard palate.

  • т → ть [tʲ]
  • д → дь [dʲ]
  • н → нь [nʲ]

Stress rules: The position of stress in Russian is not fixed and needs to be memorized.

  • молоко́ (milk) - The stress is on the last syllable.
  • молоко (milk) - The stress is on the first syllable.

Learn to pronounce Russian correctly with our detailed pronunciation guide:

Complete alphabet coverage – All 33 Russian letters with IPA transcriptions
Audio examples – Native speaker pronunciations for each letter
Word examples – Common words demonstrating each letter
Pronunciation tips – Detailed guidance for challenging sounds

Key Features:
Vowel reduction rules – Learn when and how vowels change
Consonant palatalization – Master soft and hard consonants
Stress patterns – Understand Russian word stress
Common pitfalls – Avoid typical pronunciation mistakes