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Unit 16 · я and ё · Meet

я and ё

Hear ya/yo initially and soft consonants inside words.

About this unit

Я and ё work like ю: at the start of a word they begin with y, after a consonant they make it soft.

  • Яяapple
    ya; softens the consonant
    я́блоко · apple
  • Ёёfir tree
    yo; softens the consonant
    ёлка · fir tree
LetterAt the startAfter a consonant
яя́ма · yaмяч · soft m + a
ёёлка · yoмёд · soft m + o

Ё is always strong, so it needs no extra stress mark.

More words to read

я́ма

pityáma

мяч

ballmyach

мёд

honeymyot
Reading tips

The dots on ё matter for learners. Ё marks the stressed syllable by its identity, so an additional acute is unnecessary here. In мёд, final д sounds t. At word start я and ё have y; after м they soften м instead.

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

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.

мяч

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the spelling.

Spelling to sound

Read the word. Choose its sound.

я́блоко

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

apple

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

fir tree

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

Hear ya/yo initially and soft consonants inside words.

Next unit
apple

я́блоко

apple
fir tree

ёлка

fir tree

я́ма

pit

мяч

ball

мёд

honey
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.