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- <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" version="-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.1//EN"><head xmlns:h="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" profile=""><title>Russian phonetics</title><meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets V1.79.2"/></head><body><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a id="d0e3059" shape="rect"/>Russian phonetics</h1></div></div></div><p>In order to speak Russian well, you must become fully acquainted with the phonetics of the
- language. The task is both a simple and a difficult one as you have already seen, now that you
- know the alphabet well. In this lesson we will work on the basics of Russian pronunciation;
- specifically on the distinctions between "soft" {palatalized) consonants and "hard" ones {non-
- palatalized); how these differences are indicated in the orthography (writing system) and how
- they are manifested in the actual pronunciation of words.</p><p><strong>"Hard" and "soft" consonants. </strong>When we say that Russian has 20 consonants, we are referring only to the 20 consonant
- symbols in the alphabet. In reality, Russian has nearly twice that number of consonant
- sounds due to something called "palatalization", or "softening". All this means is that
- certain consonants can be slightly modified by arching your tongue and moving it forward,
- towards the hard palate area (that ridge on the roof of your mouth where your upper teeth
- fit in) while making the consonant sound. The effect is to make the sound "softer" and, in
- terms of pitch, slightly higher. The best mechanism for a good, palatalized consonant sound
- is to SMILE while pronouncing. Try it ~ it really works! Now you know how to make the sound.
- But how will you know when! Consonants which can be palatalized (all of them EXCEPT
- <span class="bold"><strong><span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">ж</em></span></strong></span>, <span class="bold"><strong><span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">ш</em></span></strong></span> and <span class="bold"><strong><span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">ц</em></span></strong></span>) will be pronounced
- palatalized when you see them followed by:</p><p>- the "soft sign"<span class="bold"><strong>
- <span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">ь</em></span></strong></span> (usually at the end of a
- word)</p><p>OR:</p><p>-one of these vowel symbols:<span class="bold"><strong>
- <span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">я</em></span>, <span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">е</em></span>, <span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">ё</em></span>, <span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">ю</em></span>, <span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">и</em></span></strong></span>
- (called "indicator" vowels)</p><p>The function of these vowel symbols is to indicate that the preceding consonant is
- pronounced in its "soft" variant. The consonant is then followed by the vowel sound: <span class="bold"><strong><span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">а</em></span>, <span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">э</em></span>, <span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">о</em></span>, <span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">у</em></span></strong></span> or<span class="bold"><strong>
- <span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">ы</em></span></strong></span>.</p><p>When any of the consonants listed above has no "soft sign" following it, or is followed by
- one of these vowel symbols:<span class="bold"><strong>
- <span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">а</em></span>, <span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">э</em></span>, <span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">о</em></span>, <span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">у</em></span>, <span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">ы</em></span></strong></span>, that consonant will be pronounced in its "hard" variant (no
- smiling allowed!).</p><p><span class="bold"><strong>KEEP IN MIND</strong></span>: <span class="bold"><strong><span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">Ч</em></span></strong></span> and <span class="bold"><strong><span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">Щ</em></span></strong></span> are always SOFT, no matter which vowel symbol
- follows them.<span class="bold"><strong>
- <span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">Ж</em></span></strong></span>, <span class="bold"><strong><span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">Ш</em></span></strong></span> and <span class="bold"><strong><span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">Ц</em></span></strong></span> are always HARD, even if they
- are followed by a "soft sign" or one of the "indicator" vowel symbols.</p></div></body></html>
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