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 | вино́ | лимо́н | патрио́т | бюро́ |
| сорт | но́рма | жарго́н | Во́лга | кино́ |
| зо́на | метро́ | кио́ск | ко́фе | но́мер |
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:
| Москва́ | конце́рт | кана́л | ава́нс |
| поэ́т | коме́та | Кана́да | абсу́рд |
| рома́н | газе́та | Пентаго́н | ао́рта |
| хокке́й | бале́т | диплома́т | орке́стр |
| проте́ст | туале́т | аэропо́рт | океа́н |
| Толсто́й | бана́н | агроно́м | оме́га |
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:
| па́спорт | ма́ска |
| тра́ктор | га́мма |
| а́том | да́ча |
| до́ктор | самова́р |
| фо́то | стадио́н |
| э́кспорт | Дина́мо |
| Ло́ндон | молоко́ |
| хро́ника | ка́ша |
| кли́мат | маши́на |