The Russian Alphabet for Azerbaijani Speakers: 33 Letters + Free PDF

The Russian alphabet has 33 letters: 10 vowels, 21 consonants and 2 signs (ъ and ь) that have no sound of their own. For Azerbaijani speakers it is easier than it looks: from 1939 to 1991 Azerbaijani was also written in Cyrillic, and the sounds of Ж, Ч, Ш, Х and Ы all exist in Azerbaijani. Below are all 33 letters with their Azerbaijani sounds in one table, a 4-group learning plan and a free PDF.

This article is about the alphabet. For the full guide — grammar, vocabulary, CEFR levels and choosing a course — see learn Russian.

The Russian alphabet: 33 letters and their sounds

The table gives each letter's Russian name, the closest Azerbaijani sound and an example. The reading of each example is written in Azerbaijani Latin letters:

Note: an unstressed О is read as «a» (молоко → malakó), and Russian stress moves from word to word. Learn every new word together with its stress.

Learn the 33 letters in 4 groups

1. Look like Latin letters and sound the same (6): А, Е, К, М, О, Т (Е is read «ye» at the start of a word). You will know these on day one.
2. Look like Latin letters but sound different (6): В = v, Н = n, Р = r, С = s, У = u, Х = x. Most mistakes happen here: «РЕСТОРАН» reads «restoran», not «pectopah».
3. New letters with a familiar sound (17): Б, Г, Д, Ж, З, И, Й, Л, П, Ф, Ч, Ш, Ы, Э, Ё, Ю, Я. For example Ч = ç, Ш = ş, Ж = j, Ы = ı, Я = ya.
4. No Azerbaijani equivalent (4): Ц (ts), Щ (a long, soft ş), Ъ and Ь — the last two have no sound.

The 5 hardest letters

• Ь (soft sign) — silent; it softens the consonant before it: брат (brother) and брать (to take) are different words.
• Ъ (hard sign) — separates a consonant from a following е, ё, ю, я: съел → syel.
• Щ — longer and softer than Ш: щи, борщ.
• Ц — «t» and «s» as one sound: отец → atyets.
• Е and Э — Е is read «ye» at the start of a word (если → yesli), Э is always «e» (это → eto).

Watch out for handwritten letters

In Russian cursive some letters look very different from print and resemble Latin letters: т looks like «m», и like «u», п like «n» and д like «g». Once you can read print, practise reading handwriting separately.

How to learn the Russian alphabet in 7 days

At 15 minutes a day you will start reading within 5–7 days; writing takes about one more week:

1. Days 1–2: groups 1 and 2 (12 letters). Read words made only of them: ресторан, метро, такси.
2. Days 3–5: group 3 (17 letters), 5–6 letters a day, one word for each.
3. Day 6: group 4 (Ц, Щ, Ъ, Ь) and the unstressed-О rule.
4. Day 7: real text — street signs, shop labels, children's books.
5. Week 2: handwriting — one page a day.

What to learn after the alphabet

Once you can read the letters, the next step is grammar. The six Russian cases side by side with the Azerbaijani ones: Russian grammar — cases table (with a free cases PDF). A speaking plan: how to start speaking Russian — 30-day plan.

Russian at Inlingua Baku

At Inlingua Baku Russian is taught from scratch — from the Cyrillic alphabet to C2: the communicative method, speaking practice with a teacher, groups for adults and children.

Courses, levels and formats: Russian courses in Baku · General Russian (A1–C2).

Frequently asked questions

How many letters are in the Russian alphabet?

The Russian alphabet has 33 letters: 10 vowels (а, е, ё, и, о, у, ы, э, ю, я), 21 consonants and 2 signs with no sound of their own — the hard sign (ъ) and the soft sign (ь).

Is the Russian alphabet the same as Azerbaijani Cyrillic?

No. From 1939 to 1991 Azerbaijani was written in Cyrillic too, so most letters are familiar. But Azerbaijani Cyrillic had letters Russian does not (ә, ғ, ҝ, ҹ, һ, ө, ү, ј), and Russian letters such as Ц, Щ, Ъ and Ь were not used in Azerbaijani words.

How many days does it take to learn the Russian alphabet?

At 15 minutes a day you will start reading within 5–7 days, and writing takes about one more week. The fastest way is to learn the letters in four groups: read like Latin; look Latin but sound different; new letters with a familiar sound; no Azerbaijani equivalent.

Where can I download the Russian alphabet as a PDF?

Inlingua Baku's free PDF: the Russian alphabet (3 pages, 33 letters with Azerbaijani sounds). Next step: 33 letters + 202 A1 words (5 pages).

What are Ъ and Ь for?

Neither has a sound. The soft sign (ь) softens the consonant before it and can change the meaning: брат (brother) — брать (to take). The hard sign (ъ) separates a consonant from a following е, ё, ю, я: съел (ate) is read «syel».