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Unit 14 · ч, щ and ц · Meet

ч, щ and ц

Separate short ch, long soft sh and ts.

About this unit

Three sounds with a stop at the start: ч is ch, ц is ts, and щ is a long, soft sh.

  • Ччtea
    ch, as in “cheese”
    чай · tea
    i

    Ч is normally soft.

  • Щщ
    a long, soft sh
    щу́ка · pike
  • Ццflower
    ts, as in “cats”
    цвето́к · flower
    i

    Ц is hard ts, including before written и.

Щ looks like ш with a small tail. Listen: it is softer and longer.

More words to read

ча́ша

bowl / gobletchásha

цирк

circustsyrk

шар

ballshar
Reading tips

Compare ш and щ by both the little tail and the audio. After ц, the letter и can sound ы-like, as in цирк; keep the written и.

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.

ча́ша

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the spelling.

Spelling to sound

Read the word. Choose its sound.

шар

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

tea

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

flower

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

Separate short ch, long soft sh and ts.

Next unit
tea

чай

tea

щу́ка

pike
flower

цвето́к

flower

ча́ша

bowl / goblet

цирк

circus

шар

ball
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.