Unit 6. Reading

6.1

ь, ъ are only letters. They don't have sounds of their own and cannot be pronounced in isolation. 

The letter ь indicates the softness of the preceding consonant.

Compare:

[л] - [л']

[т] - [т'] 

угол - уголь (corner - coal)

брат - брать (brother - to take)

The letter ъ indicates the hardness of the preceding consonant. It is written after prefixes only.

Compare:

Letters я, ё, ю, е

The letters я ё ю е represent sounds [а, о, у, э] after a soft consonant:

тётя [т'от'а] (aunt)

костюм [каст'ум] (suit)

We pronounce the letters я ё ю е as two sounds [йа, йо, йу, йе] :

- after ь and ъ:

судья [суд'йа] (judge)

объект  [абйект] (object)

объём   [абйом] (volume)

- after a vowel:

июль [ийул'] (June)

Россия  [рас'ийа] (Russia)

- at the beginning of a word:

я [йа] (I)

ёлка [йолка] ( fir-tree, Christmas tree)

Юра [йура] (men's first name)

ё  is always stressed

Practice   Practice   Practice   Practice   Practice   Practice   Practice   Practice   Practice

Read out loud. Compare.

[л]  -  [л']    Волга - Ольга (The name of Russian river - women's first name)

[л]  -  [л']    угол - уголь (corner - coal)

[т]  -  [т']    брат - брать (brother - to take)

Read out loud. 

субъект [бйе] (subject)

объект  [абйект] (object)

объём   [абйом]  (volume)

Read out loud. Compare.

ля [л'а]    -    лья [л'йа]    Оля - Илья (familiar variant of women's first name Ольга - men's first name)

дя [д'а]    -    дья [д'йа]    дядя - судья (uncle - judge)

ме [м'е]    -    мье [м'йе]    пример - премьер (example - premier)

лё [л'о]    -    льё [л'йо]    полёт - бельё (flight - bed-clothes)