Russian Alphabet

The Russian Alphabet: A Guide to the Cyrillic Script

History and Origins

The Russian alphabet, also known as the Cyrillic alphabet, is a writing system used to write Russian and several other Slavic languages. It was developed in the 9th century by two Bulgarian monks, Cyril and Methodius, based on the Greek alphabet.

Structure and Composition

The Russian alphabet consists of 33 letters, including 10 vowels, 21 consonants, and two non-alphabetic characters:

• The hard sign (ъ)
• The soft sign (ь)

Pronunciation and Usage

The pronunciation of Russian letters can vary depending on their position within a word. For example, the letter "г" is pronounced as "g" at the beginning of a word and as "v" in the middle or at the end of a word.

The Russian alphabet is essential for understanding written Russian and is widely used in various contexts, including literature, newspapers, magazines, and online content.