| Non-softening | Softening | |
|---|---|---|
| а [а] | < -- > | я [йа] |
| о [о] | < -- > | ё [йо] |
| у [у] | < -- > | ю [йу] |
| э [э] | < -- > | е [йэ] |
| ы [ы] | < -- > | и [и] |
Core rule:
- Softening vowels я, ё, ю, е, и after a consonant sound like their pairs а, о, у, э, ы and soften the preceding consonant (marked with ʹ).
- Softening vowels я, ё, ю, е at the start of a word or after another vowel, are pronounced with a short "y" glide: йа, йо, йу, йэ (no consonant to soften here).
- Non-softening vowels а, о, у, э, ы are almost always pronounced as written (no "y "glide) and never soften the consonant before them.
Vowel Pairs and Pronunciation
Skipping special rules after sibilants (see exceptions below).
| Non- softening |
Softening | After a consonant | After a vowel | Word start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| а |
ма́ма [m a-ma] |
диа́метр [d'i- a-m'etr] | а́том [ a-tom] | |
| я | мя́со [m'a-so] | края́ [kra- ya] | я́блоко [ ya-blo-ko] | |
| о | мо́ст [most] | зоопа́рк [za-a-park] | океа́н [o-ke-an] | |
| ё | лёд [l'od] | поёт [pa-yot] | ё́лка [yol-ka] | |
| у | су́п [sup] | соу́с [sous] | у́м [um] | |
| ю | лю́ди [l'u-di] | пою́ [pa-yu] | ю́мор [yu-mar] | |
| э | нэ́п [nep] | поэ́т | экза́мен | |
| е | коме́та [ko-m'e-ta] | пе́ние [p'e-ni-ye] | е́нот [ye-not] | |
| ы (hard “i”) |
мы [mi] | |||
| и (soft “i”) |
мир [m'ir] | мои́[mo-i] (note: no [yi]) | игла́ [i-gla] (note: no [yi]) |
- ж, ш are always hard; ч, щ are always soft (the vowel doesn't change that).
- ц is usually hard; before и it often sounds like [ɨ]-type (“цы”).
- After sibilants the “y-glide” may disappear (e.g., же is [ʐe], not [ʐye]). We skip these in the table to keep the core rule clear.
Why и and ы are different: unlike я/а, ё/о, ю/у, е/э, the pair и/ы does not alternate with a y-glide at the start of words. И is simply [i] and softens the preceding consonant; ы is a separate vowel [ɨ] that follows hard consonants and never adds a [j] sound.
Tip: compare мир [m'ir] “peace/world” vs. мы [my] “we”.
Practice: Soft vs. Hard (paired examples)
Transliteration [...] uses ' to mark a softened consonant, always after a consonant; the stress mark is always above or next to a vowel.
- ю́мор — humor [yu-mar]
- у́м — mind [um]
- Ева́нгелие - The Gospel [ye-ván-g'e-l'i-ye]
- ено́т — racoon [ye-nót]
- экза́мен — exam [eɡ-zá-m'en]
- лю́к — hatch [l'uk]
- лу́к — onion/bow [luk]
- би́ть — to beat [b'it']
- бы́ть — to be [bit']
- ге́незис — genesis(origin) [g'e-n'e-z'is]
- га́мма — gamma [gá-ma]
- дья́кон - deacon [d'ya-kan]
- дека́н - dean [de-kán]
- до́м — home/house [dom]
- пе́снь — hymn/song [p'esn']
- Па́сха — Pascha/Easter [pá-scha]
- фи́льм — film [f'il'm]
- миф — myth [m'if]
More good pairs to try aloud: свет / святой [sv'et / sv'atoj], пи́лот / пыль [p'ilot / pyl'], ге́ний / го́род [g'enij / go-rod].