Russian for beginners
Letter Я
Letter Я is the last letter in The Russian alphabet. It represents a vowel, though there is no such sound as [я]. There are two ways how we pronounce letter Я in Russian words. In some words it denotes two sounds – [й] and [а] (белая – бела[йа], in some just one – [а] (дядя – д[а]д[а]).
How to pronounce Russian letter Я
If letter Я is at the beginning of the word, after vowels, after ъ and ь.
Examples: яблоко, пьяный, объявить.
Pronunciation – йа
If letter Я is after consonants.
Examples: ряд, сяду, вялый
Pronunciation – а, also it means that previous consonant is soft.
The same as in English, where pronoun I represents just one letter, Russian Я not just a letter, it also is a pronoun I.
Letter Ю
How to pronounce Russian letter Ю
If letter Ю is at the beginning of the word, after vowels, after ъ and ь.
Examples: юг, адъютант, пою.
Pronunciation – йу.
If letter Ю is after consonants.
Examples: люстра, нюхать, парашют.
Pronunciation – у, also it gives softness to the previous consonant (exceptions ж, ш)
Letter Ф
Pronunciation of the Russian letter Ф
If letter Ф is before а, о, у, ы, к, п, с, т, ф, х, ц, ч, ш, щ, л, м, н, р.
Examples: фунт, факт, фокус.
Pronunciation – Ф
If letter Ф is before е, и, я, ю, ё.
Examples: фея, фигура
Pronunciation – фь.
If фф are before а, о, у, ы and at the end of the word.
Example: буфф
Pronunciation – фф, ф
If фф are before е, и
Example: дифференцировать
Pronunciation – фьфь, фь.