Грамматика русского языка. Часть 4. Безударные гласные. Глава 3. Безударные Э, У, и Ю. Значение ударения. Russian Grammar. Part 4. The Unstressed Vowels. Unit 3. The Unstressed Э, У, and Ю. Significance of the Stress.

The Unstressed Э, У, and Ю

These vowels remain practically the same, whether stressed or unstressed.

Examples:

это экран [eh-tuh ehk-rahn] this is a screen
умный дуэт [oom-nihy doo-eht] a clever duet
я мою каюту [yah maw-yoo kuh-yoo-too] I am washing the cabin

There was no real difference between the stressed and unstressed э, у, and ю in these phrases.

Грамматика русского языка. Часть 4. Безударные гласные. Глава 2. Безударные Ы, Е, И и Я. Russian Grammar. Part 4. The Unstressed Vowels. Unit 2. The Unstressed Ы, Е, И and Я.

The Unstressed Ы

The unstressed ы, usually occurring at the end of a word, sounds something like a cross between the uh-sound in lemon and the true sound of the ы.

Examples:

вазы [vah-zih] vases
куклы [kook-lih] dolls
красный [krahs-nihy] red (m.)
умный [oom-nihy] intelligent (m.)

Грамматика русского языка. Часть 4. Безударные гласные. Глава 1. Безударные А и О. Russian Grammar. Part 4. The Unstressed Vowels. Unit 1. The Unstressed А and О.

Russian words have only one stressed syllable and the vowel in that stressed syllable always remains true to its sound in the alphabet. You therefore know how to pronounce every stressed vowel in the Russian language.

Attention please

1. As in English, the stress in Russian has no fixed place in a word. In a word of two or more syllables, it may fall on any syllable.
2. In Russian, the stressed syllable - and particularly the vowel in that syllable - is pronounced more emphatically than in English.
3. In the pronunciation of a stressed syllable in Russian, the pitch of the voice is raised.

Часть 1. Русский алфавит. Глава 8. Гласные И, Е, Ё, Ю, Я. Russian Grammar. Part 1. Russian Alphabet. Unit 8. The Vowels И, Е, Ё, Ю, Я.

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

Грамматика русского языка. Часть 1. Русский алфавит. Глава 1. Гласные А, О, Э, У. Russian Grammar. Part 1. Russian Alphabet. Unit 1. The Vowels А, О, Э, У.

The first sounds you will learn to pronounce will be the vowels А, О, Э, У .

The letter А a [transcribed ah when stressed]
The stressed a sounds almost like the a in father, but it is brighter and shorter.
Examples:
так [tahk] thus
лак [lahk] varnish
мак [mahk] poppy