Learning Russian language

S_jazz, thanks for the really great help with pronunciation! I've seen a dozen different descriptions, but yours are the absolute best! Actually it's hard to find good explanations for the soft sounds like ль and нь, so thanks especially for that

I only have 1 small suggestion: Isn't it better to say that the stressed O is more like "bowl"? English "ball" is pronounced a little more like Russian "бал" (dance party) ... I think! ... I'm not 100% sure, but maybe "bowl" is a little better to use as an example?

I also have a question: Is Russian "X" is ever pronounced like a hard "K", and I mean closing the throat completely? Or is it always soft? Between English K and H?

Hi Suzan!
I have a good friend who lives near you!

Jandros, I'm really glad if my explanation helps you
About "ball" and russian "бал". As I remember, in English "ball" "a" sounds like long "o"? Am i right? If it so, you can't say that "ball" = бал, caz in russian "бал" is russian "A" sound.
So, "ball" will sound in russian like "боолл", and russian "бал" will sound in English like "bul".
And you can use "bowl" like an example, leaving the sound "u" [boul], am I right in pronounciation?

Simply, russian stressed "O" is like English sound "O"

About russian sound "X". I'll try to find it's description, but I think, that the throat isn't closed completely. Russian "X" is like in the middle of English voiced "H" (heat) and russian "K". Maybe, the cough will be the good example to describe russian "X"

Try to explain very hard russian sound "Ы".
Pronunciating the sound "И" (which is similar to english sound "I"), put your flat tongue more lower - in the middle of your mouth and try to make round your throat, imaging that you're an opera singer

Originally Posted by s_jazz

Jandros, I'm really glad if my explanation helps you
About "ball" and russian "бал". As I remember, in English "ball" "a" sounds like long "o"? ...

No, English "ball" sounds like short o. Actually I think British/UK English makes the word "ball" sound little more like "bowl" ..... the British round the "a" just a little more than Americans ..... but the "a" in "ball" is definitely like short o, not long o.

Maybe I can help English-speakers just a tiny bit with "Ы": There's an old English word (but not a real word) "Phooie!" ... like you just ate something that tastes bad ... but if you say it really fast (but also flatten the tongue as you said) then I think it sounds little bit like "Ы"

Jandros, I'm a fool, ball sounds like short o, really...))

Actually I think British/UK English makes the word "ball" sound little more like "bowl" ..... the British round the "a" just a little more than Americans

Ah, I see....that's why "ball" isn't a good example....

Maybe I can help English-speakers just a tiny bit with "Ы": There's an old English word (but not a real word) "Phooie!" ... like you just ate something that tastes bad ... but if you say it really fast (but also flatten the tongue as you said) then I think it sounds little bit like "Ы"

Very interesting, can you give its pronunciation?

Oh yes, I forgot to do that! It's more simple than it looks: "Fui". In English the accent is very much on the "u", so it's really not a good example. But in English there is nothing really like "Ы", so I think it takes a lot of experimenting for an English speaker to get it right. It's almost the same problem as Turkish "ü", which is very hard for a native-English speaker to pronounce.

I practice "Ы" a lot, but I know that I still don't say it correctly.

thank you very much! the ы letter i can pronounce. I can also pronounce the х letter thanks so much for the help with the soft consonants

i still have a problem, but i have a friend who is helping me with them.
thank you so much!

@jandros: How about the name Phil the "i" sound is pretty close to "Ы". I dont know if you have the stereotypical southern accent and say "feel" though lol

What I enjoyed while starting with Russian, was to discover that the vowels (10) come in pairs of 2.
What I mean:
А - Я
Э - Е
Ы - И
О - Ё
У - Ю

Notice that the pronunciation of the first column is kind of 'clear' let's say, while the pronounciation of the second column is mixed with y at the beginning (ya, ye, yi, yo, you)

the pronouncation of И is simply like in "lee", i doubt it fits in that column...

Originally Posted by jandros

Oh yes, I forgot to do that! It's more simple than it looks: "Fui". In English the accent is very much on the "u", so it's really not a good example. But in English there is nothing really like "Ы", so I think it takes a lot of experimenting for an English speaker to get it right. It's almost the same problem as Turkish "ü", which is very hard for a native-English speaker to pronounce.

I practice "Ы" a lot, but I know that I still don't say it correctly.

Jandros, it's very funny, we have in Russian almost identical word with the same meaning - "Фу" or "Фууууу"
And about "Phooie" like the example for learning "ы": i found one forum, on which it's said how to teach a foreigner to pronounce "Ы": to say russian "у" without stretching out lips, and then say unstressed sound [ǝ] like on the end of the word "fire". It's very similar to your example )))

Viciousz_love, you're welcome )

Boubou, you can teach russian

Originally Posted by tim2286

@jandros: How about the name Phil the "i" sound is pretty close to "Ы". I dont know if you have the stereotypical southern accent and say "feel" though lol

I was born and grew up in the south, but I lost most of my southern accent becuz I traveled away from home for too long ... but I would say that words like "quill" come closer than the name Phil. However, I think s_jazz offered the best most understandable explanation that I've heard yet! .....

Originally Posted by s_jazz

... i found one forum, on which it's said how to teach a foreigner to pronounce "Ы": to say russian "у" without stretching out lips, and then say unstressed sound [ǝ] ....

Excellent, thank you! I say "excellent" because I have a lot of trouble saying "ты" properly, because the lips don't move ... isn't that true? ... but with that easy explanation, mystery solved! At least for me

question!

please correct me!

Меня завут ....... my name is ... (they call me ... )
Тебя завут ........ your name is .... (they call you ... )
Вас завут ......... your name is .... (they call you ..)

yes?

just a minor spelling error it's "зовут" in all 3 cases.

thanks

that's another thing. spelling rules are with the changes of the stressed and unstressed О and А

Originally Posted by jandros

Excellent, thank you! I say "excellent" because I have a lot of trouble saying "ты" properly, because the lips don't move ... isn't that true? ... but with that easy explanation, mystery solved! At least for me

Jandros, yes, the lips really don't move

what would be an accurate pronunciation of the word blyat?

viciousz_love
b - is b)
lya - like l'a in l'amour
t - soft t, the same is in the end of many english words, for example site, soft, gift) I hope this is understandable explanation ))

but don't use this word, please