LernLaterne

Welcome back

Unit 17 · ь and ъ · Meet

ь and ъ

Read signs that change a boundary without adding a vowel.

About this unit

Two letters with no sound of their own. Ь makes the consonant before it soft; ъ keeps a consonant apart from the y sound after it.

  • Ььsalt
    no sound; softens a consonant
    соль · salt
  • Ъъ
    no sound; hard break before y
    съезд · congress / exit ramp
SpellingWhat you hear
матhard t at the end
матьsoft t, no extra vowel
съездs, then ye: s-yest

After this unit you know all 33 Russian letters.

More words to read

mother

мать

mothermatʲ

у́голь

coalúgalʲ
Reading tips

Compare мат and мать: the last consonant changes, and no extra syllable is added. In съезд, ъ separates с from е; е keeps its y onset. The cluster зд is devoiced at the end. These sign cards use labelled names, not invented isolated sounds.

Reading practice

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.

съезд

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the spelling.

Spelling to sound

Read the word. Choose its sound.

мать

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

salt

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

mother

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

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 signs that change a boundary without adding a vowel.

Next unit
salt

соль

salt
mother

мать

mother

у́голь

coal

съезд

congress / exit ramp
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.