My room

My room

KОTАMЕС

Back to: Learn to read Russian

1

First 7 letters: КОТАМЕС

Let’s begin the Russian reading course with the letters and sounds which look and sound (almost) like in English:

 

What you do

  1. Look carefully at each picture. It contains a letter, its sound and a visual association. 
  2. Listen to the sounds.
  3. Try to read your first Russian words.

2. Letter О

Russian Letter О | Russian Yazik

Sound [o]

Read: Коко

First Russian words | Коко | Russian Yazik

Check yourself: Коко

“О” sometimes sounds as [a]. Click open (+) to see why

“О” sounds as [a] in unstressed syllables. Vowels in stressed syllables are underlined:

Коко – [kako]

frown Unfortunately, it is impossible to tell which syllable is stressed by looking at the word. As well as it’s impossible to tell if you should write “А” or “О” when you hear [a].

laughing People will still understand you if you pronounce all letters “О” as [o]. As well as if you make a mistake in writing.

7. Letter Е

Russian Letter Е | Russian Yazik

Sound [je]

Read: Текст

First Russian words | Текст | Russian Yazik

Check yourself: Текст

Letter "Е" is special. Click open (+) to see why

“Е” sounds as [i] in unstressed syllables. Vowels in stressed syllables are underlined:

Рестарт (restart) – [ristart]

Also,”Е” is one of the “softening” vowels (Е, Ё, Ю, И, Я). It makes the previous consonant soft: текст – [t’ekst].

If there is no consonant before, you pronounce “Е” as [je]:

Евро (euro) – [jevra]

 

surprised “Е” is even more special.

Many Russian words came from a foreign language:

  • Some of them with “Е” are pronounced in the Russian way: текст – [t’ekst]
  • But some of them with “Е” are pronounced in the “foreign” way: тест – [test]

frown Unfortunately, it is impossible to tell how it sounds by looking at the word.

laughing People will still understand you if you make a mistake.

Read the Russian words

These words are (almost) the same in English. Can you read them and guess what they mean?

Том.

Мета.

Секс.

Секта.

Атом.

Кассета.

Мекка.

Тост.

Check yourself: translation

Tom, meta, sex, sect, atom, cassette, Mecca, toast.

Check yourself: reading