Read down the alphabet in the standard order. Е and Ё are shown separately for learning, even when a dictionary sorts them together.
The reading guide is approximate. Unstressed vowels change sound; consonants may soften or become devoiced. Ъ and Ь have no independent vowel or consonant sound.
The drill uses written-letter transcription, not a full phonetic transcription. For Ъ and Ь, type hard sign or soft sign.
Russian alphabet
| Capital | Lowercase | Letter name | Reading guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| А | а | а | a |
| Б | б | бэ | b |
| В | в | вэ | v |
| Г | г | гэ | g |
| Д | д | дэ | d |
| Е | е | е | ye / e, depending on position |
| Ё | ё | ё | yo |
| Ж | ж | жэ | zh |
| З | з | зэ | z |
| И | и | и | i |
| Й | й | и краткое | y (as in boy) |
| К | к | ка | k |
| Л | л | эль | l |
| М | м | эм | m |
| Н | н | эн | n |
| О | о | о | o when stressed |
| П | п | пэ | p |
| Р | р | эр | r (trilled) |
| С | с | эс | s |
| Т | т | тэ | t |
| У | у | у | u |
| Ф | ф | эф | f |
| Х | х | ха | kh |
| Ц | ц | цэ | ts |
| Ч | ч | че | ch |
| Ш | ш | ша | sh |
| Щ | щ | ща | shch (a long, soft sh sound) |
| Ъ | ъ | твёрдый знак | Hard sign: separation, no sound of its own |
| Ы | ы | ы | y (a central/back unrounded vowel) |
| Ь | ь | мягкий знак | Soft sign: often marks a soft consonant; also separates |
| Э | э | э | e |
| Ю | ю | ю | yu / u after a soft consonant |
| Я | я | я | ya / a after a soft consonant |
Reading examples
| Example | Guide | What to notice |
|---|---|---|
| ёлка | yolka | Ё contains the yo sound |
| мать | matʹ | Ь marks the preceding consonant as soft |
| объект | obʺyekt | Ъ separates the consonant from the following vowel |
Sources and conventions
Letter names, sounds, and transcription serve different purposes. Latin spellings are reading aids; consult the linked teaching sources for pronunciation and contextual rules.