You have now learnt the "hard" vowels: а, о, у, ы and э. Next, let's take up the five "soft" vowels.*
The letter И и [transcribed ee]
The letter и [ee] sounds shorter than the ee in feet or people.
Examples:
ива [ee-vuh] willow tree
иск [eesk] legal action
идол [ee-duhl] idol
The letters Е, Ё, Ю, Я.
These letters actually sound like a combination of й plus one of the "hard" vowels - а, о, у or э (when е, ё, ю and я are stressed, and appear (1) at the beginning of a word or (2) following another vowel, they will be transcribed, respectively, as yeh, yaw, yoo and yah).
The Phonetic Relationship between "Hard" and "Soft" Vowels
й + э = е (y + eh = yeh) yet
й + о = ё (y + aw = yaw) York
й + у = ю (y + oo = yoo) you
й + а = я (y + ah = yah) yard
At the beginning of a word.
The letter Е е [transcribed yeh]
Examples:
колье [kuhl'-yeh] necklace
ем [yehm] (I) am eating
еда [yeh-dah] food
The letter Ё ё [transcribed yaw]
The vowel ё is always stressed.
Examples:
ёж [yawzh] hedgehog
ёлка [yawl-kuh] spruce tree
ёрш [yawrsh] ruff
The letter Ю ю [transcribed yoo]
Examples:
юла [yoo-lah] top (a toy)
юмор [yoo-muhr] humor
юнга [yoon-guh] cabin boy
The letter Я я [transcribed yah]
Examples:
яма [yah-muh] pit
ялик [yah-leek] dingly, wherry
ящик [yah-shcheek] box, drawer
After another vowel.
The letter Е е [transcribed yeh]
Examples:
я ем [yah yehm] I am eating
уехал [oo-yeh-khuhl] (he) drove away
The letter Ё ё [transcribed yaw]
Examples:
заём [zuh-yawm] loan
поёт [puh-yawt] (he) sings
The letter Ю ю [transcribed yoo]
Examples:
уют [oo-yoot] coziness
каюта [kuh-yoo-tuh] cabin
The letter Я я [transcribed yah]
Examples:
маяк [muh-yahk] lighthouse
буян [boo-yahn] ruffian
ящик [yah-shcheek] box, drawer
* The words hard and soft, as used in connection with vowels, are widely accepted, conventional terms that have nothing to do with the actual sounds of the vowels themselves. What the terms do indicate is that certain vowels (the "soft" vowels) affect the sound of a consonant that precedes them, whereas the "hard" vowels do not. This phenomenon will be discussed later.
The letter И и [transcribed ee]
The letter и [ee] sounds shorter than the ee in feet or people.
Examples:
ива [ee-vuh] willow tree
иск [eesk] legal action
идол [ee-duhl] idol
The letters Е, Ё, Ю, Я.
These letters actually sound like a combination of й plus one of the "hard" vowels - а, о, у or э (when е, ё, ю and я are stressed, and appear (1) at the beginning of a word or (2) following another vowel, they will be transcribed, respectively, as yeh, yaw, yoo and yah).
The Phonetic Relationship between "Hard" and "Soft" Vowels
й + э = е (y + eh = yeh) yet
й + о = ё (y + aw = yaw) York
й + у = ю (y + oo = yoo) you
й + а = я (y + ah = yah) yard
At the beginning of a word.
The letter Е е [transcribed yeh]
Examples:
колье [kuhl'-yeh] necklace
ем [yehm] (I) am eating
еда [yeh-dah] food
The letter Ё ё [transcribed yaw]
The vowel ё is always stressed.
Examples:
ёж [yawzh] hedgehog
ёлка [yawl-kuh] spruce tree
ёрш [yawrsh] ruff
The letter Ю ю [transcribed yoo]
Examples:
юла [yoo-lah] top (a toy)
юмор [yoo-muhr] humor
юнга [yoon-guh] cabin boy
The letter Я я [transcribed yah]
Examples:
яма [yah-muh] pit
ялик [yah-leek] dingly, wherry
ящик [yah-shcheek] box, drawer
After another vowel.
The letter Е е [transcribed yeh]
Examples:
я ем [yah yehm] I am eating
уехал [oo-yeh-khuhl] (he) drove away
The letter Ё ё [transcribed yaw]
Examples:
заём [zuh-yawm] loan
поёт [puh-yawt] (he) sings
The letter Ю ю [transcribed yoo]
Examples:
уют [oo-yoot] coziness
каюта [kuh-yoo-tuh] cabin
The letter Я я [transcribed yah]
Examples:
маяк [muh-yahk] lighthouse
буян [boo-yahn] ruffian
ящик [yah-shcheek] box, drawer
* The words hard and soft, as used in connection with vowels, are widely accepted, conventional terms that have nothing to do with the actual sounds of the vowels themselves. What the terms do indicate is that certain vowels (the "soft" vowels) affect the sound of a consonant that precedes them, whereas the "hard" vowels do not. This phenomenon will be discussed later.
Kate, could you tell me why Gorbachev pronounce as Gorbachov? :) In Russian "Ё" also write as "E"?
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