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Unit 8 · у, х and е · Meet

у, х and е

Read u, back-of-mouth kh and the first soft-vowel pattern.

About this unit

Two more Latin lookalikes, and е, the first vowel letter that also changes the consonant before it.

  • Ууear
    oo, as in “moon”
    у́хо · ear
    i

    У is u, not Latin y.

  • Хх
    kh, as in Scottish “loch”
    му́ха · fly
    i

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

  • Ееfur
    ye; softens the consonant
    мех · fur
уoo, as in “moon”
хkh, as in Scottish “loch”

У is u, not y. Х is kh, not x.

After a consonant, е gives e and makes that consonant soft: мех is soft m + ekh.

More words to read

hand / arm

рука́

hand / armruká
Reading tips

The accent on рука́ points to the last syllable; му́ха starts strong. In мех, е softens м; it is not an extra y syllable. This is the first example of a vowel letter telling you about the consonant.

Reading practice

Hear the strong syllable

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

Clip 1

Listen before looking

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

Clip 1
Clip 2

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.

у́хо

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the spelling.

Spelling to sound

Read the word. Choose its sound.

мех

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

ear

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

hand / arm

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

fur

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

Read u, back-of-mouth kh and the first soft-vowel pattern.

Next unit
ear

у́хо

ear
hand / arm

рука́

hand / arm

му́ха

fly
fur

мех

fur
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.