Reduction, Voice/less, Hard/Soft

Question 1

Vowel Pronunciation Rules

Answer 1

1) A word may only have one stressed syllable
2) Only vowels can be stressed and should be pronounced longer and with emphasis
3) If a word has only one vowel, it is stressed

Question 2

Reduction rules for: а & о

Answer 2

• a and o is pronounced as “аh” [ʌ] before a stressed syllable
• a and o is pronounced as “uh” [ə] after a stressed syllable or before two or more syllables

ex) панорáma -> пəнəрámʌ
дорогóй -> дəрʌгòй

Question 3

Reduction rules for: е & я

Answer 3

• е and я are pronounced as “ее” and is written with и [i] for any unstressed syllable except at the end of the word
• е and я are pronounced as “yeh” [yə] if used
  at the end of a word

ex) цветók -> цвитók

Question 4

Reduction rules for: ё

Answer 4

• Ё and ë are always stressed in Russian words

Question 5

Grammar rule for: e

Answer 5

• e after ж, ш, and ц is pronounced as: é = [э] | е = [ы]

Question 6

Grammar rule for: и

Answer 6

• и stressed or unstressed keep its form

- и after ж or ш is pronounced: и = [ы]

Question 7

The letter ____ is never used at the beginning of a word

Answer 7

ы

Question 8

How many consonants with hard/soft counterparts are there? Which consonants are always hard/soft?

Answer 8

• There are 15 hard consonants with soft counterparts
• Always hard: ж, ш, ц
• Always soft: ч, щ, й

Question 9

Which consonants have a hard/soft relationship?

Answer 9

б в г д з к л м н п с т ф х

Question 10

How does the soft-pronunciation sound?

Answer 10

Soft pronunciation adds a soft “-yuh” sound at the end of the consonant

Question 11

How is softness indicated?

Answer 11

By writing the soft sign ь or by the letters: и, е, ё, ю, я

Question 12

English Voice/Voiceless letters

Answer 12

Voiced: V Z B G D (vocal chord vibration)

Voiceless: F S P K T (vocal chord do not vibrate)

Question 14

Rules for voice and voiceless consonants (2) and the exception

Answer 14

• Voiced consonants at the end of the word are pronounced voiceless
  ex) джаз —pronounced—> джас
• When two consonants are next to each other, the first consonant adopts the second consonant’s voice
• Exception: If the second consonant is В, the first consonant stays voiceless

Question 15

Russian voiced and voiceless counterparts

Answer 15

б в г д ж з | п ф к т ш с

Question 16

Which Russian letters are always voiced and voiceless

Answer 16

Always voiced: й л м н р

Always voiceless: х ч щ ц