![]() | This is the pronunciation key for IPA transcriptions of Russian on Wikipedia. It provides a set of symbols to represent the pronunciation of Russian in Wikipedia articles, and example words that illustrate the sounds that correspond to them. Integrity must be maintained between the key and the transcriptions that link here. Some keys are built on consensus more strongly than others; if the conventions of this key are already in wide use, any substantive change to it should be discussed on the talk page first as it would affect a large number of articles. |
The charts below show the way in which the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) represents Russian pronunciations in Wikipedia articles. For a guide to adding IPA characters to Wikipedia articles, see {{IPA-ru}}.
Russian distinguishes hard (unpalatalized or plain) and soft (palatalized) consonants. Soft consonants, most of which are denoted by a superscript j, ⟨ʲ⟩, are pronounced with the body of the tongue raised toward the hard palate, like the articulation of the y sound in yes. /j, ɕː, tɕ/ are always soft, whereas /ʂ, ts, ʐ/ are always hard.
See Russian phonology and Russian alphabet for a more thorough look at the sounds of Russian.
Consonants | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hard | Soft | |||||
IPA | Examples | English approximation | IPA | Examples | English approximation | |
b | ![]() |
boot | bʲ | ![]() |
beautiful | |
d | ![]() ![]() |
do | dʲ | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
dew (UK) | |
f | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
fool | fʲ | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
few | |
ɡ | ![]() ![]() |
goo | ɡʲ | ![]() |
argue | |
— | j | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
yes, York, you, yard, boy | |||
k | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
scar | kʲ | ![]() |
skew | |
l | ![]() |
pill | lʲ | ![]() ![]() |
lean | |
m | ![]() |
moot | mʲ | ![]() ![]() |
mute | |
n | ![]() |
noon | nʲ | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
newt (for some dialects) | |
p | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
span | pʲ | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
spew | |
r | ![]() |
flapped or trilled r, like in Spanish | rʲ | ![]() ![]() |
flapped or trilled r, like in Spanish | |
s | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
soup | sʲ | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
assume, soup (for some dialects) | |
ʂ | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
rush | ɕː | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
wish sheep | |
t | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
stand | tʲ | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
stew (UK; for some dialects) | |
ts[11] | ![]() ![]() |
cats | tɕ[11] | ![]() ![]() |
chip | |
v | ![]() |
voodoo | vʲ | ![]() ![]() |
view | |
x | ![]() ![]() |
loch (Scottish) | xʲ | ![]() ![]() |
huge (for some dialects) | |
z | ![]() ![]() |
zoo | zʲ | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
presume (for some dialects) | |
ʐ | ![]() |
rouge | ʑː | ![]() |
prestige genre | |
Stressed vowels | ||||||
[-soft] | [+soft] | |||||
IPA | Examples | English approximation | IPA | Examples | English approximation | |
a | ![]() |
father | æ | ![]() ![]() |
pat (US) | |
ɛ | ![]() ![]() |
met | e | ![]() ![]() |
penny | |
ɨ | ![]() ![]() |
roses (for some dialects) | i | ![]() ![]() |
meet | |
o | ![]() ![]() |
chore | ɵ | ![]() ![]() |
bird (non-rhotic) | |
u | ![]() |
boot | ʉ | ![]() ![]() |
choose | |
Unstressed vowels | ||||||
[-soft] | [+soft] | |||||
IPA | Examples | English approximation | IPA | Examples | English approximation | |
ɐ | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
bud | — | |||
ə | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
about | ə | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
lasagna | |
ɨ | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
roses (for some dialects) | ɪ | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
bit | |
ʊ | ![]() |
put | ʉ | ![]() ![]() |
youth | |
ɛ | тетра́эдр; поэте́сса[17] | met | — | |||
o | ![]() |
chore | ɵ | ма́чо; сёрфинги́ст[18] | bird (non-rhotic) | |
Suprasegmental | ||||||
IPA | Example | Explanation | ||||
ˈ | ![]() |
Stress mark, placed before the stressed syllable | ||||
ː | ![]() |
Consonant length mark, placed after the geminated consonant |