- Recognise all 33 letters
- Sort true friends from false friends
- Read Russian words aloud
The Cyrillic Alphabet
Russian’s 33 letters: some match Latin exactly (А К М О Т), some look familiar but sound different (В= V, Н = N, Р = R, С = S, Х = kh), and some are new (Ж, Ц, Ч, Ш, Щ).
Definition: False friends
False friends are letters that look like Latin but sound different: В is V (not B), Н is N (not H), Р is R (not P), С is S (not C), У is U (not Y), Х is ‘kh’ (not X).
Key points
- True friends: А(а) К(ka) М(em) О(o) Т(te) — same look, same sound.
- False friends: В Н Р С У Х — same look, different sound. Drill these!
- New shapes: Б Д Ж З Л П Ф Ц Ч Ш Щ Ъ Ы Ь Э Ю Я.
- Handwriting differs from print — learn printed forms first.
Reading РЕСТОРАН
Looks like ‘PECTOPAH’ — but Р=R, Е=ye, С=s, Т=t, О=o, Н=n: ‘restoran’ = restaurant. False friends decoded!
Practice
What sounds do В, Н, Р, С make?
False friends.
В=V, Н=N, Р=R (rolled), С=S.
Read МОСКВА aloud (transliterated).
M-O-S-K-V-A.
‘Moskva’ — Moscow (Russians say Moskva, not Moscow).
Key takeaways
- 33 letters; a third are familiar.
- Beware false friends: В Н Р С У Х.
- New shapes take one focused weekend.
- Learn print before handwriting.