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[queenmaeve.livejournal.com]

When trying to pronounce a word in russian, does the letter sound like it's name?
For example,
Letter: A
Russian Name: ah

Does the letter sound as 'ah', or is that strictly it's name? I guess what I'm really trying to ask is if I try to pronounce a word, do I string together the sounds?
I realize that I really can't understand much until I actually hear it from someone who knows what their doing or get a tape, but I have all of $5 as of now, and that doesn't look like it's going to change any time soon. Until then, anything you try to beat into my head will be very helpful. Feel free to add any information you deem necessary.

Comments

[superslayer18.livejournal.com]

Russian is usually pretty simple when it comes to this. Words USUALLY sound like what they look like, but definately not always. Also keep in mind that the sound of some vowels changes based on whether or not it is stressed, o being the perfect example. Make sure you learn the emphasis of a word when you learn it, because that will defiantely be needed.

[zloizloi.livejournal.com]

Try these links:

http://www.semiology.com/rwt/read-russian/index.html
and
http://jamaica.u.arizona.edu/ic/atheneum/russianalphabet.html

[queenmaeve.livejournal.com]

Thank you! That certainly helps.

[holyschist.livejournal.com]

Vowels, yes. Consonants, less so. "Ge" would be pronounced as a G, not as "ge". "Bog" is pronounced like it looks, not like "Beohge".

I believe someone posted a link a while back for the website to the Golosa textbooks. It has a lot of recorded examples.

[queenmaeve.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I'll look for that link.

[kart.livejournal.com]

О is really the only tricky one, because it sounds completely unlike the Latin O when it falls in an unaccented syllable. The rest of the vowels are close enough, although you'll need to listen to native speakers to get the pronounciation just right ;)

А sounds just like Latin A.

Е has a "slide" or dipthong that Latin E lacks. Russian Е sounds like "ye", more or less depending on where it occurs in a word.

И is just like Latin I.

Й - think of it like like J in German, or Y in English.

О - Accented Russian О sounds like a Latin О, though sometimes with a schwa-slide at the end. Unaccented О sounds more like A or like a neutral vowel. Note that Bielarussian spelling has shifted all unaccented О's to А's in an attempt to make the spelling more fonetik, or perhaps to confuse Russians ;) example: гора -> гара, Могилев -> Магілеў

У - sounds just like U

Ю - just like JU or YU

Я - just like JA or YA

[kart.livejournal.com]

Hmm, but the о in гора is in the accented syllable. I have no idea. Better to stick to plain old Russian!

[madrumos.livejournal.com]

just a few notes-

O in Russian never a diphthong, particularly at the end - there is no schwa glide at the end of an o sound that I can think of. It is English that contaminates o sounds with trailing diphthongs, Russian has pure vowels.

And гора is stressed on the end, so it is pronounced garA.

[kart.livejournal.com]

Oops, yeah... i was confused as to where the accent went on gora.

I still think Russians put a little twang on the end of their O's sometimes. Listen to how somebody with a Moscow accent says окно - ack-NOUH

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

Hmmmm (repeats окно a couple dozen times, being a Muscovite) --- can't hear this :)) This might depend of someone's personal peculiarities of speech, I believe.

[shameonyooou.livejournal.com]

Are you in Britain? If so i have a russian cd with pronoucation and stuff on it i could copy for you, this is probably illegal :/ but yeah, i could send this to you?

I started learning russian three days ago, yay me. I havent even got through all the alphabet yet :/ but its a nice language and i like the way if you pronouce things they ususally sounds like english, tis cool.

[queenmaeve.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I'd appreciate a copy, but only if you feel like paying shipping to America. Thanks for the offer!