The following are memory aids and only represent an approximation of the Russian sound
Once you can remember each letter, you should go on to listen to each letter pronounced by a Russian speaker
Many get overwhelmed by a new writing system and stop at the beginning
These memory aids should help you get used to the letters and make connections between them and things you already know
Letters that are the same or very similar to the English counterparts
Аа is pronounced like English “ah”
Кк is pronounced like English “k”
Мм is pronounced like English “m”
Оо is pronounced like the “o” in English “or” but further back in the mouth (a bit like the “oh” when a Scot says “Oh, I see”)
C is pronounced like the letter “c” in “cent”, “city”, “censure”, “cement” or “century”
T is pronounced like English “t”
Letters that look like English letters but are pronounced differently
Вв is pronounced like English “v”. You can use the following to remember it. Betty vindictively bought very bright violet bells
Ее is pronounced like English “yeah”
Ёё is pronounced like English “yo” where the “o” is like the Russian O mentioned previously
Нн is pronounced like English “n”. Imagine a capital N where the middle slanted line is rotated until it is flat and you have cyrrilic Н
Рр is pronounced like Spanish “r”. It is a rolled R. Rita petted red parrots and read purple roombas
Уу is pronounced like English “oo”
Хх is pronounced like Scottish “ch” or Spanish “j” (in trabaja)
Letters that don’t look like English letters
Бб is pronounced like English “b”
Big black bears bit a bit off the bear’s big black ear
Imagine a b but with a bit bitten out of it
Гг is pronounced like English “g”
Г looks like a gun. Put your hands in the air Г
Дд is pronounced like English “d”
Д looks like a dome. Dave drove deer during dinner to the delightful dome
Жж is pronounced like English “s” in “pleasure”
It looks like a spider. The spider’s aversions to decisions lead to confusion and collusion
Зз is pronounced like English “z”
This looks a bit like a 3, so 1, 2, 3 and x, y, z
Ии is pronounced like English “ee” (which in IPA is /i/)
This looks like a backwards N and we all know that King Arthur was confounded by the Knights who say NI! So it looks like an N and sounds like the second letter in NI
Йй is pronounced like English “y”
Лл is pronounced like English “l”
The first part looks like a backwards capital L
Пп is pronounced like English “p”
Пп looks like a simplified city skyline. Peter picks a peck of pickled buildings
Фф is pronounced like English “f”
Ф looks like a lollypop. Fred fed the lollypop four fried fish
Цц is pronounced like English “ts”
Чч is pronounced like English “ch”
Ч looks like an upside down chair
Шш is pronounced like English “sh”
Just put a horizontal line at the top and they look like shutters
Shut the shutters
Щщ is pronounced like English the “sh” in “sheer”
Ыы looks like a chair on a bus. It sounds like the “i” in hit or the “e” in “roses”
The bus hit the roses
Ээ is pronounced like the “ei” in “heir” or the “ai” in “air”
Юю is pronounced like “you”
Яя is pronounced like “ya”
Palatalization markers
Palatalization is where consonants start to be pronounced using the palate. There are many sounds that can be pronounced there but for our purposes we can say that palatalization is where a sound like the “y” in “yellow” is added.
Ъъ prevents the previous consonant from becoming palatalized
Ьь palatalizes the previous consonant