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Unit 11 · з, ж and ш · Meet

з, ж and ш

Hear s/z and the voiced versus voiceless hush sounds.

About this unit

Three hissing sounds. З and ж buzz in the throat; ш is the quiet partner of ж.

  • Ззumbrella
    z, as in “zoo”
    зонт · umbrella
  • Жжbeetle
    zh, like s in “measure”
    жук · beetle
  • Шшhat
    sh, as in “shop”
    ша́пка · hat

Put a hand on your throat: it buzzes for ж in жук, not for ш in ша́пка.

More words to read

за́мок

castlezámak

жа́ба

toadzhába
Reading tips

Ж is voiced, as in the middle of measure; ш is its voiceless partner. They are hard consonants in ordinary Russian. За́мок has unstressed о; do not change its spelling.

Reading practice

Listen before looking

Do these two syllables or words sound the same or different?

Clip 1
Clip 2

Listen before looking

Do these two syllables or words sound the same or different?

Clip 1
Clip 2

Hear the strong syllable

Listen, then choose the stressed syllable, counting from the start.

Clip 1

Letters in words

Match each sign to the same sign in its example.

Find the sound

Match the sounds to the signs. Tap a sign to check.

Read with support

Match the words to their pictures.

Read without a sound cue

Match the words to their pictures.

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the spelling.

Spelling to sound

Read the word. Choose its sound.

жа́ба

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the spelling.

Spelling to sound

Read the word. Choose its sound.

жук

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

umbrella

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

beetle

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

hat

Recall the spelling

Listen and build the word without its picture.

Recall the spelling

Listen and build the word without its picture.

Recall the spelling

Listen and build the word without its picture.

Finish practice to save this unit.

You can read and write this

Hear s/z and the voiced versus voiceless hush sounds.

Next unit
umbrella

зонт

umbrella
beetle

жук

beetle
hat

ша́пка

hat

за́мок

castle

жа́ба

toad
Use a Russian keyboard

The standard Russian layout is ЙЦУКЕН. All guided writing also works with on-screen tiles. Type ё with its own key when practising ё; outside that task е is a common printed replacement. Teaching stress accents are optional input, not extra letters.

All letters

А а
i

a

К кIn ка
i

ka

М мIn ма
i

ma

О о
i

o

Т тIn та
i

ta

В вIn ва
i

va. В is v, not Latin B.

Н нIn на
i

na. Н is n, not Latin H.

Р рIn ра
i

ra. Р is r, not Latin P.

С сIn са
i

sa. С is s, not Latin c/k.

У у
i

u. У is u, not Latin y.

Х хIn ха
i

kha. Х is a friction sound, like ch in German Bach.

Е еye; softens the consonant
i

ye / e. At word start е begins ye; after a consonant it normally gives e and softens that consonant.

Б бIn ба
i

ba

Г гIn га
i

ga

Д дIn да
i

da

Л лIn ла
i

la

П пIn па
i

pa

З зIn за
i

za

Ж жIn жа
i

zha

Ш шIn ша
i

sha

И и
i

i. И normally follows a soft consonant.

Й й
i

y. Й is the short consonant y of yes, not a vowel syllable.

Ы ы
i

y / ɨ. Ы is a full vowel after a hard consonant; compare и.

Ч чIn ча
i

cha. Ч is normally soft.

Щ щa long, soft shIn ща
i

shcha. Щ is a long soft sh sound; it is not modern Russian ш + ч.

Ц цIn ца
i

tsa. Ц is hard ts, including before written и.

Ф фIn фа
i

fa

Э э
i

e. Э does not add an initial y sound.

Ю юyu; softens the consonant
i

yu. Ю begins yu initially and gives u plus a soft consonant after one.

Я яya; softens the consonant
i

ya. Initial я is ya; after a consonant it gives a plus softness.

Ё ёyo; softens the consonant
i

yo. Ё gives yo initially, or o plus softness; it is normally stressed.

Ь ьno sound; softens a consonantIn мягкий знак
i

soft sign (name). Ь has no independent vowel or consonant sound; here it makes л soft.

Ъ ъno sound; hard break before yIn твёрдый знак
i

hard sign (name). Ъ separates a consonant from a following е/ё/ю/я and keeps its y onset.