Russian AlphabetsThere are 33 letters in the Russian Alphabet: 10 vowels, 21 consonants, and 2 signs (ь, ъ).By Chalanthorn C

A a Name of Letter: a Similar English Sound: ar in far

Sample: а́том

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Б б Name of Letter: be Similar English Sound: like b in box

Sample: бато́н

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В в Name of Letter: ve Similar English Sound: like v in voice

Sample: ва́режки

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Г г Name of Letter: ge Similar English Sound: like g in go

Sample: гру́ша

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Д д Name of Letter: de Similar English Sound: like d in day

Sample: ды́ня

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Е е Name of Letter: ye Similar English Sound: like ye in yet or e in exit

Sample: ежеви́ка

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Ё ё Name of Letter: yo Similar English Sound: like yo in your

Sample: ёж

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Ж ж Name of Letter: zhe Similar English Sound: like s in pleasure

Sample: жук

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З з Name of Letter: ze Similar English Sound: like z in zoo

Sample: замо́к

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И и Name of Letter: ee Similar English Sound: like ee in meet

Sample: икра́

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Й й Name of Letter: ee kratkoye (short i) Similar English Sound: like y in boy

Sample: йо́гурт

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К к Name of Letter: ka Similar English Sound: like k in key or c in cat

Sample: клубни́ка

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Л л Name of Letter: el Similar English Sound: like l in lamp

Sample: лимо́н

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М м Name of Letter: em Similar English Sound: like m in man

Sample: мали́на

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Н н Name of Letter: en Similar English Sound: like n in note

Sample: носки́

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О о Name of Letter: o Similar English Sound: like o in not

Sample: о́вощи

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П п Name of Letter: pe Similar English Sound: like p in pet

Sample: пе́рец

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Р р Name of Letter: er Similar English Sound: like r in rock (but rolled)

Sample: ры́ба

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С с Name of Letter: es Similar English Sound: like s in sun

Sample: стул

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Т т Name of Letter: te Similar English Sound: like t in table

Sample: торт

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У у Name of Letter: oo Similar English Sound: like oo in moon

Sample: у́дочка

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Ф ф Name of Letter: ef Similar English Sound: like f in food

Sample: фру́кты

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Х х Name of Letter: kha Similar English Sound: like ch in Scottish loch

Sample: хво́я

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Ц ц Name of Letter: tse Similar English Sound: like ts in boots

Sample: ци́фры

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Ч ч Name of Letter: che Similar English Sound: like ch in chat

Sample: ча́шка

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Ш ш Name of Letter: sha Similar English Sound: sh in short

Sample: ша́пка

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Щ щ Name of Letter: shcha Similar English Sound: like sh_ch in fresh_cheese

Sample: щётка

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ъ Name of Letter: tviordiy znak (hard sign) Similar English Sound: has no sound

Sample: has no sample

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ы Name of Letter: ih* Similar English Sound: like i in ill

Sample: has no sample

29/33* ih - "h" had been added to produce a more open sound, but is not pronounced

as an English "h".

ь Name of Letter: myagkiy znak (soft sign) Similar English Sound: has no sound

Sample: has no sample

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Э э Name of Letter: e Similar English Sound: like e in end

Sample: экра́н

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Ю ю Name of Letter: yoo Similar English Sound: like u in use

Sample: ю́бка

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Я я Name of Letter: ya Similar English Sound: like ya in yard

Sample: я́блоко

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About Russian Alphabet

Russian is an Eastern Slavonic language closely related to Ukrainian and Belorussian with about 277 million speakers in Russia and 30 other countries. 

The Cyrillic alphabet was introduced into Russia (Kievan Rus' ) at the time of its conversion to Christianity (988 AD). The alphabet, the Cyrillic script is named in honor of the Byzantine scholar and monk, Cyril (827-869 AD), who, together with his brother Methodius (826-885 AD), created the first Slavic writing system in the second half of the ninth century in order to translate the Bible and other Christian texts into the Slavic languages. 

Cyril and Methodius called their alphabet Glagolitsa, or the Glagolitic alphabet. The name comes from the Old Slavic word glagolŭ, which means ‘sound’. The Glagolitic alphabet was used for Slavonic manuscripts for a relatively short period of time (no more than a century) before the development of the Cyrillic. The Cyrillic alphabet was derived from Glagolitic by Cyril’s pupils and named after him. Cyrillic letters are different from the Glagolitic ones and have lots in common with the Greek letters. 

Until the 17th century, the only written language in Russia was Church Slavonic. Civil Russian language started appearing in writing during the reign of Peter the Great (1672-1725). The dialect of Moscow was used as the basis for written Russian. The new civil alphabet was introduced by Peter the Great himself in order to write civil books, books on science and other texts not related to the church. 

Four letters were eliminated from the alphabet in a 1918 language reform. Since 1918 the alphabet remains unchanged.