Russian Grammar.Russian is worth speaking.
|
1.13. Russian Voicing, Silent Consonants, Doubled Letters, and Consonant Shift
QUICK LOOK
Aa Бб Вв Гг Дд Ее Ёё Жж Зз Ии Йй Кк Лл Мм Нн Оо Пп Рр Сс Тт Уу Фф Хх Цц Чч Шш Щщ Ъъ Ыы Ьь Ээ Юю Яя
- There are 33 letters in the Russian alphabet. There are 21 consonants, 10 vowels, and 2 unpronounced signs that indicate the pronunciation of the consonant they follow.The gender of nouns referring to people is determined by the biological sex of the person, while the gender of all other nouns is determined by their endings.
Letters by Type
|
Hard Vowels
Velars
|
Soft Vowels
Sibilants
|
Consonants
|
-
1.13.1. Voiced and Voiceless
-
1.13.2. Unpronounced Consonants
-
1.13.3. Double Letters
-
1.13.4. Consonant Shift
<
>
1.13.1.1. Russian Voiced and Voiceless Pairs
English has what can be called voiced-voiceless pairs. Examples are b-p, d-t, g-k, v-f and z-s. The letters b, d, g, v and z are pronounced by activating the voice box. If the voice box is not used, the voiceless counterparts p, t, k, f and s are produced. Russian also has such pairs:
|
Voiced Consonants
б в г д ж з |
Voiceless Consonants
п ф к т ш с |
|
There are four consonants in Russian that do not have a voiced counterpart:
No Voiced Counterpart х ц ч щ |
1.13.1.2. Russian Voiced Consonants Pronounced Voiceless
Voiced consonants (б, в, г, д, ж, з) become voiceless when followed by a voiceless consonant (п, ф, к, т, ш, с, х, ц, ч). For example, к in вокза́л is pronounced as г.
|
а́втoр (author) - aftor
бéгствo (flight) - bekstvo вóвce (completely) - bofce вóдка (vodka) - votka вхoд (entrance) - fxhod |
ло́жка (spoon) - loshka
мyжчи́на (man) - mooshcheena oвца́ (sheep) - oftsa ска́зка (story) - skaska xxxx |
1.13.1.3. Devoicing of Russian Consonants at the End of a Word
When a voiced consonant appears as the final letter of a word, its voiceless counterpart is pronounced. If English had such a rule sob would be pronounced sop. This rule only changes pronunciation, not spelling.
|
го́рoд (city)
дyб (oak) морóз (frost) нoж (knife) о́стрoв (island) шaг (step) |
го́рoдa (of the city)
дýбa (of oak) морóзa (of frost) нoжа́ (of the knife) о́стрoвa (of the island) шáгa (of the step) |
1.13.2.1. Unpronounced Russian Consonants
A consonant in a consonant cluster can often times be unpronounced.
|
по́здно (late) - д is unpronounced
счастли́вый (happy) - т is unpronounced гру́стный (sad) - т is unpronounced чу́вство (feeling) - first в is unpronounced здра́вствуйте (hello) - first в is unpronounced |
1.13.3.1. The Lengthening of Doubled Russian Letters
With the exception of the letters -нн- and some foreign words, there are no words with double consonants in Russian. Unlike English, when two identical consonants are in a row the pronunciation is slightly lengthened. Incidentally, the double consonant -нн- is extremely common, especially in adjectives and participles.
|
The Lengthening of Doubled Consonants -нн-
весе́нний (spring [attrib.]) испо́рченный (rotten) почте́нный (venerable) ра́нний (early) свяще́нник (priest) у́тренний (morning [attrib.]) напи́санный (written) прочи́танный (read) совершённый (accomplished) зарабо́танный (earned) |
Some Foreign Words with Doubled Consonants
агре́ссор (aggressor) алле́я (alley) аллерги́я (allergy) бассе́йн (pool) ге́тто (ghetto) грамма́тика (grammar) лассо́ (lasso) ло́бби (lobby) профе́ссор (professor) те́ннис (tennis) |
Like consonants, vowel pronunciation is slightly lengthened when doubled.
The Lengthening of Doubled Vowels
ве́ер (fan)
вообще́ (in general)
зоопа́рк (zoo)
Иису́с (Jesus)
координа́та (coordinate [n.])
перееда́ть (to overeat)
перее́зд (crossing)
рее́стр (register)
сообра́зно (in accordance with)
ве́ер (fan)
вообще́ (in general)
зоопа́рк (zoo)
Иису́с (Jesus)
координа́та (coordinate [n.])
перееда́ть (to overeat)
перее́зд (crossing)
рее́стр (register)
сообра́зно (in accordance with)
1.13.4.1. Russian Consonant Shift
Dictionaries give words. Grammar books give rules. Language360 adds context. |