False Friends:
Р р, В в, Н н, У у, Х х
 

These letters are called "false friends" because they look like English ones but sound different.

Letter Handwriting Name (RU) Sound [IPA] Similar English Sound
В в В в вэ [v] voice
Н н Н н эн [n] net
Р р Р р эр [r] (trilled) Rolled r
У у У у у [u] root
Х х Х х ха [x] Scottish loch or ugh

We’ll be using mnemonics to help remember the Russian letters and words. A mnemonic is just a little trick that makes something easier to recall. It can be a word, story or a picture. The best mnemonics are the ones that make sense to you personally, because they stick in your memory better. Can you think of a few mnemonics of your own. You can simply describe them, create a picture or find one online. Share your ideas in the next class!

В vs. Б : The Duel

GIF: Two B's duel; winner becomes В (V for Victory), loser becomes Б (B for Broken)

Some Russian letters look familiar but sound different. The Russian letter В looks like the English B, but it makes the V sound. There’s also a different Russian letter that makes the real B sound: Б.

To remember: imagine two English B’s having a sword duel. One wins and becomes Victorious — it turns into Russian В for Victory (sound V). The other gets its top broken off and becomes Russian Б for Broken (sound B).

Р: The Robot that says “RRR”

The Russian letter Р looks like the English P, but it’s pronounced like a rolled R. To remember this, picture yourself landing on another planet and meeting a robot shaped like the letter P. The robot says RRR in its robotic voice. Practice making that sound to learn how to roll your Рs.

Bonus: robot is a cognate. With these letters, you can already spell it. Can you spell “robot” in Russian?

Reading Practice. Try reading these simple words that use the letters we’ve learned so far. Click the speaker icon to hear the pronunciation.

  • мото́р
  • раке́та
  • теа́тр
  • секре́т
  • метро́
  • ка́рта
  • банк
  • Москва́

У: Bunny Ears

Illustration: Cute bunny saying 'oo'

The Russian letter У looks like the English Y, but it makes the sound “oo”.

Think of a little bunny with tall ears in the shape of У. It’s so cute that you can’t help but say “oo!” That’s the sound of У — just like the oo in food.

Х: The Finish Line Breath

Illustration: Х as a finish line, runner crossing and exhaling 'khhh'

The Russian letter Х looks just like the English X, but it doesn’t sound like X at all.

Imagine you’ve just run across a finish line marked with a giant Х. Out of breath, you’re panting: “khhh, khhh.” That’s the sound of Х — like the ch in Bach or loch.

Н: НЕТ!

Illustration: Soviet anti-alcohol poster of a man refusing with a hand gesture and saying 'NЕТ!'

The Russian letter Н looks just like the English H, but sounds like English N.

This is famous Soviet era anti-alcohol poster where a man uses a clear refusal hand gesture plus the word “НЕТ!” [n'et] which means “NO!” in Russian. The letter Н is the first letter of the word НЕТ. To remember the letter Н, visualize this poster with the man saying “НЕТ!” (No!).

Reading Practice. Try reading these cognates that use the letters we’ve learned so far. Click the speaker icon to hear the pronunciation.

  • рестора́н
  • но́та
  • тур
  • ку́рс
  • ресурс
  • структу́ра
  • хор
  • ха́ос