45

Reference Table

Letter Position in a word IPA Examples Remarks
stressed
in the first pretonic
syllable
initial
[a] [\klat]
[ka\nal]
[aLEk\Sej]

a weakened [a] in any
other unstressed position
[A] [kAra\MeL]
[\mamA]
In speech, sounds as [i] in the
first pretonic syllable,
following or : [hi\sy].
In speech sounds as [y] in the
first pretonic syllable following
or and preceding a soft
consonant: [/y\LeT].
before a non-palatalizing
vowel
before a voiced hard
consonant in the same word
final and followed by
voiced , , , , or in the
next word
[b]

[ba\nan]
[lab\zaT]
[\broSiT]
[ab\/ok]
[wtob=\dan]
before a palatalizing vowel
before a soft sign + vowel
before a voiced soft
consonant in the same word
[B] [pa\BEk]
[\BjoCA]
[LuB\Lu]
[\BLEdnyj]
final and not followed by
voiced , , , , or in the
next word
before a voiceless hard
consonant
[p] [\grop]
[\gLEp]
[apta\hiT]

absolute final + soft sign
before a voiceless soft
consonant
[P] [\skorP]
[aP\Seh]
Sometimes the particle is
shortened to . In that case,
this letter is pronounced as [b]
before voiced consonant and as
[p] before unvoiced:

[\jeSLi=b=MNE]


[ka\gda= p= ty]


before a non-palatalizing
vowel
before a voiced hard
consonant in the same word
final and followed by
voiced , , , , or in the
next word
[v] [val\na]
[vy]
[\rovnA]
[\vlaST]
before a palatalizing vowel
before a soft sign + vowel
before a voiced soft
consonant in the same word
[V] [\VeTer]
[VjugA]
[\Vm,eSTE]
final and not followed by
voiced , , , , or in the
next word
before a voiceless hard
consonant
[f] [\rof]
[f=\takt]
[af\ca]
final + soft sign
before a voiceless soft
consonant
[F] [Lu\boF]
[FSE\gda]

silent as the first letter in
the cluster --
[ ] [\hustvA]
Preposition (in) must be
pronounced as a part of the
following word:

[v=\vas]
[V=\Nom]
[f=\puT]
[v=\oZeRE]

Reading Russian
46


Letter Position in a word IPA Examples Remarks
before a non-palatalizing
vowel
before a voiced hard
consonant in the same word
final and followed by
voiced , , , , or in the
next word
[g] [\guS]
[\grat]
[\gLEp]
[mog=\daT]
before or e
[G ] [GE\roj]
[a\NeGin]
final and not followed by
voiced , , , , or in the
next word
[k] [\mok]
before or in the same
word
in the word (god)
[box]
[x] [\Maxkqj]
[\LExhE]




in suffixes ,
[v] [jE\vo]
[\SReDNEvA]
In the Moscow dialect only the
plosive [g] is used. The
fricative [Q] is a
characteristic quality of the
southern Russian
dialects. This sound can be
used on stage to produce a
particular effect.



before a non-palatalizing
vowel
before a voiced hard
consonant in the same word
final and followed by
voiced , , , , or in the
next word
[d] [\da]
[pad\vox]
[pad\nos]
[\gorAd=Ze\Lonyj]
before a palatalizing vowel
before a soft sign + vowel
before a voiced soft
consonant in the same word
[D] [\DeTi]
[\Djak]
[\poDVik]
[DNEpr]
final and not followed by
voiced , , , , or in the
next word
before a voiceless hard
consonant
[t] [na\rot]
[\sklat]
[pat\tok]

final + soft sign
before a voiceless soft
consonant
[T] [\klaT]
[paT\TEkst]
The preposition and
must be pronounced as part of
the following word:

[paD =\DEREvAm]



[PeREd=\vaMi]



[pat=\stalom]


[PeReT =\TEm kak]

initial or preceded by a
vowel and followed by a
hard consonant or , ,
preceded by a soft or hard
sign and followed by a hard
consonant or , ,
[jE] [JE\roxA]
[JEz\da]
[\samyjE]
[iz\gnaNjE]
[pad\jExaT]
initial or preceded by a
vowel and followed by a
soft consonant, , or
preceded by a soft or hard
sign and followed by a soft
consonant, , or
[je] [jeV\GeNij]
[na\JeZNik]
[pAje\Dinak]
[\sjeST]
[je\jo]

after a consonant and
followed by a hard
consonant or , ,
[E] [\DEvA]
! [\bo/E moj]
In speech e is reduced to [i] or
[y] in un unstressed position.
In singing this pronunciation is
acceptable in fast speech-like
passages.

47

Letter Position in a word IPA Examples Remarks
after a consonant and
followed by a soft
consonant, , or
[e] [\DeN] [ska\Rej]
initial or preceded by a
vowel
preceded by a soft or hard
sign
[jo] [\jolkA]
[pad\jom]

after a consonant
[o] [\kLon]
The dieresis over is often
omitted.
followed by a vowel or a
voiced consonant
[/] [/yZN]
[u/=\dolgA]
final and not followed by
voiced , , , , or in the
next word
before a voiceless
consonant
[w] [\jow]
[\uw=vy]
[\huwt]

doubled within a root
[?] [\vo?i]
The combination within a
root is pronounced as [?]:
[pAdje\?aT]
[\po?E].
before a non-palatalizing
vowel
before a voiced hard
consonant in the same word
stressed
final and followed by voiced
, , , , or in the next
word
[z] [pa\zor]
[\zdraVijE]
[Bez=\vas]
[SLEz=z=\dubA]

before a palatalizing vowel
before a soft sign + vowel
before a voiced soft
consonant in the same word
[Z] [ZeM\La]
[\Zmij]
[BeZ\DeLjE]
final and not followed by
voiced , , , , or in the
next word
before a voiceless hard
consonant
[s] [vos]

[BEs=sA/A\LeNjA]

final + soft sign
before a voiceless soft
consonant
[S] ! [\SLeS]
[iS=\PeSNi]
The preposition (without)
is pronounced as a part of the
following word:
[BEz=\vas]
[BeS=Te\Ba]
[bE/=\/yZNi]
[bEw=\wapKi].
absolute initial
after a vowel
after a palatalized
consonant
[i] [ik\ra]
[va\iSTinu]
[\SiNij]
after , or
initial and preceded by a
hard consonant in the
previous word
[y] [\/yZN]
[on=y\Dot]
[v=yg\RE]

as part of the endings ,
, or
[A]
[y]
[vy\sokAj] [yj]
[\strogAj] [yj]
[\TixAj] [yj]

always
[j] [\jotA]
[pa\koj]
This letter is initial only in a
few words of foreign origin.
Reading Russian
48


Letter Position in a word IPA Examples Remarks
before a non-palatalizing
vowel
followed by any
consonant, except voiced ,
, , , or
[k] [\kaMeN]
[k=Li\cu]
[ak\no]
before or
[K] [\KiST]
[\Kerh]

followed by voiced , , ,
, or
[g] [g=\BeREgu]
[kag=\ZDeS]
Preposition (to, toward) must
be pronounced as part of the
following word:
[k=\vam].



before a palatalizing vowel
or
[L] [\LeL]
[\oLgA]
in all other positions
[l] [\laskA]
[pal\Ki]

silent in the word
[ ] [\soncE]
is never softened before
another soft consonant:
[\alhnyj].



before a palatalizing vowel
or
before most palatalized
consonants
[m,] [\SeM]
[Me\Na]
[iM\PeRijA]

in all other positions
[m] [\maT]
[\dom]

before a palatalizing vowel
or
before most palatalized
consonants
[N] [\PeN]
[\NebA]
[\/eNWinA]



in all other positions
[n] [nah\LEk]


stressed
[o] [\koN]
in the first pretonic
syllable
initial and unstressed
[a] [pa\BEdA]
[abla\ka]

a weakened [a] in any
other unstressed position
[A] [pAgAva\Ri]
[\ploskAvA]
In modern Russian, this letter
in the unstressed position
produces [o] only in certain
foreign words.
before a non-palatalizing
vowel
followed by any hard
consonant, except voiced ,
, , , or
[p] [u\pal]
[\plah]
before a palatalizing vowel
or
before most palatalized
consonants
[P] [\PeSNA]
[\Pjot]

followed by voiced , , ,
, or
[b] [karb=\/aREnyj]




before a palatalizing vowel
or
[R] [\Risk] [\TveR]
in all other positions
[r] [\ruskqj]
[\trut]
can be rolled for emphasis.

49

Letter Position in a word IPA Examples Remarks
before a non-palatalizing
vowel
before a hard voiceless
consonant or hard , , , ,

absolute final
[s] [\soVeST]
[mas\kva]
[\srok]
[\Bes]
before a palatalizing vowel
or
before a voiceless soft
consonant or soft , , , ,

[S] [pa\SolAk]
[\PeSN]
before a voiced hard , ,
,
[z] [\zdahA] [\zgovAr]

before a voiced soft , ,
,
[Z] [\ZDElAT]
[ZBE\/aT]
The preposition c (with) is
pronounced as a part of the
following word.

Certain combinations
involving c are pronounced as:
[//], [ww], [W].

Verbal endings: [CA],
[CA], [lsA],
[msA], [sA] or [SA].
before a non-palatalizing
vowel
before a hard voiceless
consonant or hard , , , ,

absolute final
[t] [\toLkA]
[at\kryT] [\tvaR]
[\kot]
before a palatalizing vowel
or
before a voiceless soft
consonant or soft , , ,
[T] [TE\traT] [\VeTF]
[aT\NaT]
before a voiced hard , ,
, ,
[d] [ad\daj]

before a voiced soft , ,
,
[D] [aDBE\/aT]
The preposition (from) must
be pronounced as a part of the
following word:
[at=\EtAvA]
[aT+Te\Ba]
[aD=De\ReVNi]


always
[u] [\utkA]
[na\ukA]

before a non-palatalizing
vowel
final
[f] [fa\reL]
[\graf]

before a palatalizing vowel
before a soft consonant
[F] [\FiLm] [\NeFT]
This letter usually occurs in
words of the foreign origin.


in most cases
[x] [xAra\wo]
before and
[X] [\Xitryj]


before voiced , , , ,
[Q] ! [aQ=\da]
Russian [x] is never as guttural
as German achlaut.
in most cases
[c] [a\TEc]
[\ceP]

before voiced , , , ,
[Y] [ka\NEY=\godA]

This consonant is always hard.
in most cases [h] [\heST]
[\Meh]
before voiced , , , ,
[H] [luH=DeN\Nicy]


in word ,
[w] [\wtoby]
This consonant is always soft.
in most cases
[w] [\wapkA]
[\weST]
This consonant is always hard.
Reading Russian
50


Letter Position in a word IPA Examples Remarks
before voiced , , , ,
[/] [va/=\dom]
[na/=\box]

always in contemporary
Russian
[W] [\WEpkA]
archaic
[8h] archaic [\8hEpkA]
This consonant is always soft.
The hard sign is a
separation symbol that
indicates that the j-glide in
the following palatalizing
vowel letter must be
articulated.
[pad\jom] [D]
[ab\jEst] [B]
[ab\jEkt] [B]
In the contemporary Russian
this symbol is not very
common. It was more widely
used before the reforms of
1918.
always
[y] [ty]
[\pylkyj]
Only occurs after a hard
consonant.
The soft sign indicates that
the preceding consonant is
soft, and the j-glide in the
following palatalizing vowel
letter must be articulated.
[\plakAT]
[\Vjun]
[\LjoCA]
[sAlaV\j i]
The consonants and are
not softened by the soft sign.
before a soft consonant or

[e] [\eTi]
! [\ej]

in all other positions
[E] [po\Et]
[E\tap]
In speech this vowel letter is
reduced to [i] in an unstressed
position.
initial, preceded by a
vowel, ,
[ju] [i\juL]
[\juk]

preceded by a consonant
[u] [u\Tuk]

stressed and initial,
preceded by a vowel, soft or
hard sign
[ja] [\jarkqj]
[na\jab,R]
stressed and preceded by
consonant
[a] [\PaT]
[\Mah]
unstressed and initial,
preceded by a vowel, soft or
hard sign
[jA] [nAjA\vu]
[abjA\ViT]

unstressed and preceded
by consonant
[A] [gRA\duWij]
In speech this vowel letter is
usually reduced to [i] in an
unstressed position.