Learn to Read Russian in 15 Minutes

Posted by Tomte 10/28/2024

Learn to Read Russian in 15 Minutes(www.ryanestrada.com)

14 points | 5 comments

pessimizer 10/28/2024|

Seems like a bunch of cool mnemonics, but the problem is that I don't know the English accent of the author, so I don't know how they make vowel sounds. That's a common problem with improvised pronunciation notation e.g. you say it's like the "I" in "FISH" but English speakers from different regions use totally different vowels there.

English orthography and its vowel system are just too weird to be a good basis for comparison (unless people grew up within a mile of each other, and weren't sharply divided by cultural or class lines.)

ropejumper 10/28/2024||

Some of them are plain wrong, as well. The ы sound barely ever shows up in english and their explanation of "it's the I in bill" is not right at all.

The closest I can get is the imaginary vowel between the D and the N in the word "couldn't", when said slowly. A more useful idea is to say the first sound in the word "about" and then lift your tongue and jaw up. That's much closer.

theshrike79 10/28/2024|||

This is a huge problem in many language tutorials, they try to teach the pronunciation through English analogies, which might be fine for native speakers, but for us non-native speakers it's just a hindrance.

For example trying to study Japanese through English tutorials was next to impossible, but in my native language it's easy - because both languages are spelled as they are written (to me).

ogogmad 10/28/2024||

You need audio too.

Saying that "TOMKAT" sounds like "tome cot" is wrong and confusing: [təʊm kɔt]? If you said that, no Russian would understand you. It's more like "tawm cut": [tom kat].

Use IPA. This strip won't even help native English speakers learn Cyrillic. I rate this 3/10.

082349872349872 10/28/2024|

articles with plenty of audio:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/Russian

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_phonology

(I found the alphabet sequences of Спокойной ночи, малыши! to be an excellent way to learn cyrillic. If I watch enough lyric vids, I may even eventually learn cursive...)