In Russian, the vowels о and a are pronounced as о and a only when they are stressed. Look at the following words and note the syllable which is stressed. Listen as your instructor reads these words aloud and repeat after him/her. You'll also find this exercise on the tape for this lesson.
| торт | вино | лимон | патриот | бюро |
| сорт | норма | жаргон | Волга | кино |
| зона | метро | киоск | кофе | номер |
In Russian, the vowels о and a are pronounced as о and a only when they are stressed. Look at the following words and note the syllable which is stressed. Listen as your instructor reads these words aloud and repeat after him/her. You'll also find this exercise on the tape for this lesson. Now listen and repeat:
| Москва | концерт | канал | аванс |
| поэт | комета | Канада | абсурд |
| роман | газета | Пентагон | аорта |
| хоккей | балет | дипломат | оркестр |
| протест | туалет | аэропорт | океан |
| Толстой | банан | агроном | омега |
In all other unstressed syllables both vowels о and а are pronounced like the short, indistinct "a" in tuna. Look at the following words and note the syllable which is stressed. Now listen and repeat:
| паспорт | маска |
| трактор | гамма |
| атом | дача |
| доктор | самовар |
| фото | стадион |
| экспорт | Динамо |
| Лондон | молоко |
| хроника | каша |
| климат | машина |