In Russian the vowels e and я are given full pronunciation only when they are stressed. Listen as your instructor reads the following words then repeat after him/her. You'll also find this exercise on the tape for this lesson.
| коме́та | дире́ктор | буфе́т | пять | я́хта |
| те́ма | биле́т | портфе́ль | я́блоко | семья́ |
| текст | Че́хов | фе́рма | ребя́та | Я́лта |
When unstressed these vowels are pronounced as a short i. Listen as your instructor reads the following words then repeat after him/her. You'll also find this exercise on the tape for this lesson.
| телефо́н | теа́тр | дека́брь | берёза | язы́к |
| рестора́н | винегре́т | планета́рий | Япо́нец | янва́рь |
| но́мер | календа́рь | галере́я | Япо́нка | яйцо́ |