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