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FSI-Russian


			
				
					
						
						
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          <th colspan="3" align="center">Russian phonetics</th>
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            <h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a id="d5e2244"></a>Russian phonetics</h2>
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      <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>
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