8 Introduction to the Russian language
Because stress can affect the pronunciation of a Russian word to
such a significant extent, it is important to adopt good habits from the
very beginning, always making every effort to stress words correctly
when reading and always learning new words with the correct stress.
When the ending on a Russian word changes, the position of the stress
may also change. For example, the stress may be on different syllables
in the plural and singular forms of a noun or be in a different position in
different parts of the same verb. Some common stress patterns are
included in the Grammar Summary at the end of this book. It is not
necessary to put stress marks on Russian words when writing unless
this helps with the learning process. Russians do not use stress marks
when they write.Pronunciation of the vowel ‘ы’
There is no exact equivalent sound in English. It is pronounced like ‘i’
in ‘sit’ but the tongue is drawn further back: язы�к ‘language’, му�зыка
‘music’. This is not an easy sound to copy. Try saying ‘oo’ but with your
lips unrounded.Pronunciation of certain consonants (Audio 1.6)
Some Russian consonants, while very similar to sounds in English, are
pronounced in a slightly different way.- The Russian letter p (the ‘r’ sound) is rolled. The tongue vibrates
against the front of the palate: Росси�я ‘Russia’. - T, д and н are pronounced like English ‘t’, ‘d’ and ‘n’ except that the
tip of the tongue is against the upper teeth, its tip pointing down-
wards and not with the tongue further back as in English: том ‘vol-
ume’, порт ‘port’, до�ктор ‘doctor’, рeстора�н ‘restaurant’. - B is pronounced like English ‘v’ but with the lower lip behind the
upper teeth: Во�лга ‘River Volga’. - Л is pronounced like English ‘l’ but with the back of the tongue low
and the tip against the upper teeth: ла�мпа ‘lamp’. - Ш is pronounced like the ‘sh’ in ‘rush’ but with the tongue curled away
from the palate: шок ‘shock’. Щ is pronounced like a double-length
‘sh’, but with the tongue flat against the palate: товáрищ ‘comrade’. - Ж is like ‘s’ in ‘treasure’ but with the lower jaw extended: журна�л
‘magazine’.