Learn Cyrillic: Letters and Helpful Mnemonics 📚🗣️

📑 Table of Contents

📚 Introduction to the Cyrillic Alphabet

The Cyrillic alphabet is the writing system for many Eastern European languages, including Russian, Bulgarian, and Serbian. It consists of 33 letters, some of which resemble Latin letters, others look completely new. With mnemonics and visual associations, learning the alphabet becomes easier. The goal is not only to recognize the letters, but also to confidently know how they are pronounced.
⚙ einfuhrung

🔤 Similar Letters: Familiar Shapes

Some Cyrillic letters are similar to Latin letters, both in appearance and pronunciation:
- А а: Exactly like our "A," pronounced as in "Apple."
- Е е: Like the German "E" in "Esel" (donkey).
- К к: Identical to "K," as in "Kangaroo."
- М м: Like "M" in "Mother."
- О о: Same as our "O," as in "Orange."
- Т т: Corresponds to "T," as in "Tiger."
⚙ vertraut

🔁 Confusing Twins: Look Alike, Sound Different

Some Cyrillic letters look like familiar Latin letters but are pronounced differently:
- В в: Looks like a B, but sounds like "W" in "Water."
  "The German B in Russian is a W and wants to drink water."
  В а с с е р
  W a s s e r
- Н н: Looks like an H, but is pronounced as N.
  "The Cyrillic H wants to be nice – it is an N."
  Н а з е
  N a s e
- Р р: Looks like a P, but is rolled like an R.
  "The P rolls away and becomes a Russian R."
  Р е г е н
  R e g e n
- С с: Like our C, but pronounced as "S."
  "The C sings an Ssssong."
  с о н г
  S o n g
- У у: Looks like a Y, but is pronounced as U as in "you."
  "The Cyrillic Y shouts: Uuu!"
  У - б о т
  U - B o a t
⚙ zwillinge

✨ New Shapes: Unique to Cyrillic

These letters do not exist in the Latin alphabet and need their own mnemonics:
- Ж ж: Pronounced like J in "Journal."
- - "Like a car jack in the garage!"
- Д д: Sounds like D, but resembles a stylized "A" with a long leg.
- - "D like tripod."
- З з: Looks like the number "3," pronounced like "S" in "Sun."
- Ф ф: Circle with a line, sounds like German F. Similar to the Greek letter φ (phi).
- Ц ц: Pronounced like "Z." Remember the small foot of the character as a fuse.
⚙ neueformen

🌱 Additional Letters – The Core of Cyrillic

Here are the most important additional letters – they appear in many Russian words.
Consonants:
- Г г: Like "g" in Goose
  Mnemonic: Has a long "G" leg.
  Looks like a gallows!
- Л л: Like "l" in Lamp
  Mnemonic: Like a table with two legs – L like Lounge.
- П п: Like "p" in Papa
  Mnemonic: Looks like a classic gate – Port.
- Ч ч: Like "ch" in German
  Mnemonic: Looks like a small table – Ch!
- Ш ш: Like "sh" in School (a bit harder than Ж ж)
  Mnemonic: Three strokes – like Sh-Sh-Sh.
- Щ щ: Like "shch," a combination of "sh" + "ch," very soft.
  Mnemonic: A sh-sh-table! (A wave with a small table)
Vowels and Special Letters:
- И и: Like "i" in Vienna
- Й й: Like "y" in yes – called short i or semivowel.
- Ы ы: No direct German sound; like a deep, dark i.
- Э э: Like "ae" or "e" in bed
- Ю ю: Like "yu" in young
- Я я: Like "ya" in yard
- Ё ё: Like "yo" in yogurt – often replaced by "Е," but with its own dots.
Complete Overview (Pronunciation):

Character	Pronunciation	Example
И и	like "i"	мир (world)
Й й	like "y"	май (May)
Ы ы	mix of i and ü	мы (we)
Э э	like "ae"	это (this is)
Ю ю	like "yu"	юг (south)
Я я	like "ya"	я (I)
Ё ё	like "yo"	ёж (hedgehog)

Mnemonics:
- Tables: Л л, П п, Ч ч, Ш ш, Щ щ
- Vowels with extras: Ы ы (throat sound), Э э (open E), Ё ё (the two dots are like yogurt with fruit)
Practice with examples and visual ideas helps you actively remember each sound.
⚙ zusatz

Other Letters

You have already covered many important letters of the Cyrillic alphabet. However, there are other basic Cyrillic letters:
Й й
- Pronunciation: Like the German "j" in "yes."
- Example: май ("May").
- Explanation: Often called "short i" or semivowel.
И и
- Pronunciation: Similar to German "i" in "Vienna," but a bit tenser.
- Example: мир ("world", "peace").
Л л
- Pronunciation: Like "l" in "Lamp."
- Example: лес ("forest").
П п
- Pronunciation: Like "p" in "Paula."
- Example: папа ("Papa").
Г г
- Pronunciation: Like "g" in "Goose."
- Example: город ("city").
Ч ч
- Pronunciation: Like "ch" in "German."
- Example: чай ("tea").
- Mnemonic: Looks a bit like an upside-down small table – Ch!
Ш ш
- Pronunciation: Like "sh" in "School," but a bit harder than Ж ж.
- Example: школа ("school").
Щ щ
- Pronunciation: Longer/softer "sh" ("shch"), like in "fresh Champagne."
- Example: еще ("more").
Ы ы
- Pronunciation: There is no direct German sound; a mix of i and u, like a deep, throaty i.
- Example: мы ("we").
Э э
- Pronunciation: Like the German "ä" or "e" in "bed."
- Example: это ("this is").
Ю ю
- Pronunciation: Like "yu" in "Young."
- Example: юг ("south").
Я я
- Pronunciation: Like "ya" in "yes."
- Example: я ("I").
Special characters:
- Ё ё: Pronounced like "yo" in "yogurt" (e.g. вёл – led). Often replaced by "Е" in everyday situations, but a distinct letter.
Summary:
- Й й: "y"
- И и: "i"
- Л л: "l"
- П п: "p"
- Г г: "g"
- Ч ч: "ch"
- Ш ш: "sh"
- Щ щ: "shch"
- Ы ы: special sound (iy/ü)
- Э э: "ae"/open "e"
- Ю ю: "yu"
- Я я: "ya"
- Ё ё: "yo"

🎭 Soft and Hard Signs: Ь and Ъ

- Ь (Soft sign): Makes the previous consonant soft, no own sound.
- Ъ (Hard sign): Hardens the previous consonant, occurs rarely.
Mnemonic: "The small b (Ь) makes everything soft like butter, the hard b (Ъ) stays hard like concrete."
⚙ weichhart

📖 Tips for Memorizing & Practicing

- Write out the alphabet and speak each letter aloud.
- Create flashcards – one side the letter, the other pronunciation + mnemonic.
- Use the letters in simple Russian words (e.g., мама, сок, кот).
- Draw each letter as a picture: Ж as a bug, Д as a dancing clown, etc.
- Use apps or YouTube videos to better memorize the sounds.
⚙ tipps

Overview of Russian Letters

Aa -> a Бб -> b Вв -> v Гг -> g Дд -> d Ее -> e Ёё -> ё Жж -> zh Зз -> z Ии -> i Йй -> y Кк -> k Лл -> l Мм -> m Нн -> n Оо -> o Пп -> p Рр -> r Сс -> s Тт -> t Уу -> u Фф -> f Хх -> kh Цц -> ts Чч -> ch Шш -> sh Щщ -> shch Ъъ -> " Ыы -> y Ьь -> ' Ээ -> ae Юю -> yu Яя -> ya
⚙ ubersicht