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  1. <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xmlns:epub="http://www.idpf.org/2007/ops" xmlns:m="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:pls="http://www.w3.org/2005/01/pronunciation-lexicon" xmlns:ssml="http://www.w3.org/2001/10/synthesis" xmlns:svg="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><head><title>Russian phonetics</title><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="docbook-epub.css"/><meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets V1.79.2"/><link rel="prev" href="ch01s02.xhtml" title="The Russian alphabet"/><link rel="next" href="ch01s04.xhtml" title="Practice in Russian phonetics"/></head><body><header/><section class="section" title="Russian phonetics" epub:type="subchapter" id="d0e3059"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both">Russian phonetics</h2></div></div></div><p>In order to speak Russian well, you must become fully acquainted with the phonetics of the
  2. language. The task is both a simple and a difficult one as you have already seen, now that you
  3. know the alphabet well. In this lesson we will work on the basics of Russian pronunciation;
  4. specifically on the distinctions between "soft" {palatalized) consonants and "hard" ones {non-
  5. palatalized); how these differences are indicated in the orthography (writing system) and how
  6. they are manifested in the actual pronunciation of words.</p><p title="&#34;Hard&#34; and &#34;soft&#34; consonants"><span class="formalpara-title">"Hard" and "soft" consonants. </span>When we say that Russian has 20 consonants, we are referring only to the 20 consonant
  7. symbols in the alphabet. In reality, Russian has nearly twice that number of consonant
  8. sounds due to something called "palatalization", or "softening". All this means is that
  9. certain consonants can be slightly modified by arching your tongue and moving it forward,
  10. towards the hard palate area (that ridge on the roof of your mouth where your upper teeth
  11. fit in) while making the consonant sound. The effect is to make the sound "softer" and, in
  12. terms of pitch, slightly higher. The best mechanism for a good, palatalized consonant sound
  13. is to SMILE while pronouncing. Try it ~ it really works! Now you know how to make the sound.
  14. But how will you know when! Consonants which can be palatalized (all of them EXCEPT
  15. <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
  16. palatalized when you see them followed by:</p><p>- the "soft sign"<span class="bold"><strong>
  17. <span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">ь</em></span></strong></span> (usually at the end of a
  18. word)</p><p>OR:</p><p>-one of these vowel symbols:<span class="bold"><strong>
  19. <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>
  20. (called "indicator" vowels)</p><p>The function of these vowel symbols is to indicate that the preceding consonant is
  21. 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>
  22. <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
  23. one of these vowel symbols:<span class="bold"><strong>
  24. <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
  25. 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
  26. follows them.<span class="bold"><strong>
  27. <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
  28. are followed by a "soft sign" or one of the "indicator" vowel symbols.</p></section><footer/></body></html>