Урок 20. 20 труднопроизносимых русских слов. Lesson 20. 20 Difficult Russian Words to Pronounce.

Almost all consonants in Russian appear in two forms: palatalized (soft) and non-palatalized (hard) ones. The term palatalized means that while pronouncing the sound the middle part of your tongue is lifted toward the hard palate and makes what is being uttered sound in a higher pitch what is perceived by us as softness. You can determine where your hard palate is by pronouncing the sound [j] like in "yes": it is where your tongue touches the upper jaw. Try to compare sounds [n] and [n'] (' denotes palatalization) in words "not" and "new": in the first one you pronounce [n] because the next [o] vowel is on open vowel and does not require your tongue to lift while pronouncing [n]; on the contrary, in the second word you pronounce [n'] because your tongue automatically adjusts to the pronunciation of the next [j] consonant and lifts toward the hard palate.

1. артикуляция	[uhr-tee-koo-l’ah-tsih-yuh]	articulation
2. благотворительность	[bluh-guh-tvuh-ree-teel’-nuhs’t’]	charity
3. воодушевление	[vuh-uh-doo-sheev-l’eh-nee-yeh]	enthusiasm
4. глубокомысленный	[gloo-buh-kuh-mihs-leen-nihy]	thoughtful
5. доказательство	[duh-kuh-zah-teel’-stvuh]	proof

6. единомышленник	[yeh-dee-nuh-mihsh-leen-neek]	like-minded person
7. звукоподражательный	[zvoo-kuh-puhd-ruh-zhah-teel’-nihy]	onomatopoeic
8. инсценированный	[een-stsee-nee-ruh-vuhn-nihy]	dramatize
9. квалифицированный	[kvuh-lee-phee-tsee-ruh-vuhn-nihy]	skilled
10. легкомысленный	[lee-khuh-mihs-leen-nihy]	light-headed / thoughtless
11. маневрировать	[muh-neev-ree-ruh-vuht’]	manoeuvre (v)
12. неприкосновенный	[nee-pree-kuhs-nuh-vehn-nihy]	inviolable, reserved
13. обворожительный	[uhb-vuh-ruh-zhee-teel’-nihy]	fascinating, bewitching
14. переэкзаменовка	[pee-ree-ee-khzuh-mee-nawf-kuh]	re-examination
15. растениеводство	[ruhs-teh-nee-yeh-vawd-stvuh]	plant growing
16. самообслуживание	[suh-muh-uhb-sloo-zhee-vuh-nee-yeh]	self-service
17. триумфальный	[tree-oom-phahl’-nihy]	triumphal
18. уравновешенный	[oo-ruhv-nuh-veh-sheen-nihy]	steady, balanced
19. фейерверк	[feh-yehr-vehrk]	firework
20. хранилище	[khruh-nee-lee-shcheh]	storage