Russian Vowels

Kosareva E.V.
Assistant Professor of the Department for Russian as a
Foreign Language
Russian Pronunciation Rules
Vowels
• Russian words have one stressed syllable.
In stressed syllables, the vowel keeps its quality.

• In a word the stressed vowel is pronounced clearly and fully.

• In unstressed syllables the vowel sounds are reduced

and sound differently.

• Stressed vowels are the rhythmic center of a word.

• The pronunciation of a vowel in a non-stressed position

is defined by its place in the word.
Aa
Арбýз

[а] like ar in “far”

Арбýз
Vowels in Stressed and Unstressed Positions

stressed position unstressed position

á = [á] а = [a]
Examples: Examples:
там мáма пáпа ˊ
картина
банáн  áвгуст
Reduction of А
• At the beginning of a word • In the remaining
unstressed syllables
• In the first unstressed syllable
after the hard consonants

a sounds like [а] = [ʌ], a is pronounced like [ъ],

that is, a short, weak [á] that is, a more weak
and short [а]
Examples: Examples:
[ʌ] [ʌ] [ъ] [ъ][ъ]
автóбус балкóн Áнна кóмната
 Ее
Енóт

[yе] like ye in “yet”

Енóт
Vowels in Stressed and Unstressed Positions

stressed position unstressed position

é = [’e] е = [и]
Examples: Examples:
есть рекá [рикá]
музéй вéчер [в’ечьр]
Vowels in Unstressed Positions

• If е is in the first • In the second pretonic

pretonic syllable syllable and in a post-tonic
syllable a very short [и]

a short [и] is pronounced is represented by [ь]

instead of [e]

Examples: Examples:
рекá [рикá] телеви́ зор [т’ьл’ив’изър]
сестрá [систрá] вéчер [в’ечьр]
Pronunciation of Е after
the Hard Consonants Ж, Ш, Ц
stressed position unstressed position

é = [э] е = [ы]
Examples: Examples:
жест [жэст] цех [цэх] женá [жынá]
шесть [шэст’] ценá  [цынá]
 Ёё
Ёж

[yo] like yo in “your”

Ёж
Vowels in Stressed Positions

stressed position • Ё is always stressed

in Russian words

ё = [йо]
Examples:
ёж ёлка
ёрш
Ии
Иглаˊ

[ee] like ee in “meet”

Иглаˊ
Pronunciation of И

stressed / unstressed • И after the hard

position consonants Ж, Ш is always
pronounced like [ы]

и = [и] и = [ы]
Examples: Examples:
́
мир виза ́
машина [машына]
́
визит
Оо
Облако

[o] like or in “port”

Облако
Vowels in Stressed and Unstressed Positions

stressed position unstressed position

ó = [о] о = [a]
Examples: Examples:
он   мост дом ́
это [эта]
́
окнó [акно]
Reduction of О
• At the beginning of a word
• In the first unstressed syllable
after the hard consonants
о sounds like [а],
that is, a short, weak [á]
Examples:
словáрь [славáр’]
окнó [акнó]
• In the second pretonic
and in a post-tonic syllable
[о] is shorter than in the first
pretonic syllable
and is represented by [ъ]
Examples:
молокó [мълʌкó]
э́ то [э́ тъ]
Уу
Утюг
ˊ

[u] like oo in “pool”

Утюг
ˊ
ы
• The sound ы is particularly
difficult. It’s never used
at the beginning of a word,
and is always combined
with hard consonants

ы = [ы]
Examples:

~[i]
мы [мы]
• The sound ы is particularly
difficult. It’s never used
at the beginning of a word,
and is always combined
with hard consonants

ы = [ы]
Examples:
мы [мы]
Ээ
Эскимóс

[e] like e in “bet”

Эскимóс
Юю
Юбка

[yu] like you in “you”

Юбка
Яя
Якорь

[yа] like ya in “yard”

Якорь
Vowels in Stressed and Unstressed Positions

stressed position unstressed position

я́ = [йа] я = [йи]
[и]
Examples: Examples:
́
мясо ́ [йизык]
язык ́
́
яблоко дéсять [дéсьть]
Vowels in Unstressed Positions

• In the first pretonic • In the second pretonic

syllable syllable and in a post-tonic
syllable a very short [и]

a short [и] is pronounced is represented by [ь]

instead of [я]

Examples: Examples:
́ [йизык]
язык ́ ́ [пьтьдисят]
пятьдесят ́
пятнáдцать [п’итнáццът’] дéсять [дéсьть]
St Petersburg
University