Russian alphabet mnemonics are pictures that turn each new Russian letter into something you already know, and the picture's name starts with the letter's sound. Н is drawn as a net strung between two posts, so when you see the shape, the word net and the n sound come back together. The chart below shows all 33 Russian letters, grouped the way the free course teaches them.
How Do Russian Picture Mnemonics Work?
Five letters need no picture at all, because А, К, М, О and Т look and sound much like English letters. Seven more are false friends: В, Н, Р, С, У, Х and Е look English but say something else, so their pictures carry the Russian sound. Р is a ribbon looped at the top of a post, which reminds you that it says r. When a keyword has capitals, like YEti for Е or SHip for Ш, the capitals spell the sound. Three letters are built from others: a curved mark turns И into Й, a small tail turns Ш into Щ, and two dots turn Е into Ё. The signs Ь and Ъ make no sound, so their pictures show what they do. Ь is a pillow that softens the letter before it, and Ъ is a barrier that keeps two letters apart.
The Russian Alphabet Chart With Pictures
The sound next to each letter is a simple English spelling. Х, Ц and Щ are written kh, ts and shch, the way Russian passports spell them.
Letters You Already Know 5
- Аa
- Кk
- Мm
- Оo
- Тt
Familiar Shapes, New Sounds 4
ВвvVineThe Vine curls all the way up the straight cane, making two loops.
НнnNetTwo posts stand up, and the Net between them makes the middle.
РрrRibbonThe post runs the full height, and the Ribbon loops once near the top.
СсsSnakeThe Snake curls round and leaves the same gap on the right.
Three More To Watch 3
УуuOOlongThe OOlong glass makes the V at the top, and its stem bends down into the tail.
ХхkhHockey sticksThe two Hockey sticks cross in the middle, exactly where the letter does.
ЕеyeYEtiThe YEti's furry body runs down the left, and three arms reach out to the right.
New Shapes, Familiar Sounds 5
ПпpPillarsThe beam lies flat across the top, and two Pillars hold it up.
ЛлlLampThe Lamp's shade is the flat top. One leg drops straight down, and the other curves out to the left.
ДдdDoghouseThe Doghouse sits on its plank, and two little feet peek out below.
ИиiEElsTwo EEls stand up, and a third swims between them from low to high.- ЙyИ → Й
Three Bold New Letters 3
БбbBellThe bracket makes the top and the left side, and the little Bell hangs low.
ГгgGooseThe Goose's neck goes straight up, and its head looks out to the right.
ЗзzZipperThe Zipper is closed in the middle and opens into two curves, both sweeping left.
The Hushing Letters 5
ЖжzhJetThe Jet's body runs down the middle, and its four wings make the strokes around it.
ШшshSHipThe SHip's three masts stand on one flat hull.
ЧчchCHairThe CHair is upside down. Its seat is the bar across the middle, and its back hangs down on the right.- ЩshchШ → Щ
ЦцtsTSarThe TSar wears an elegant robe that trails down behind him.
The Soft Vowels 4
ЯяyaYArnThe ball of YArn sits at the top, the needle is on the right, and the strand trails down to the left.- ЁyoЕ → Ё
ЮюyuUnicycleThe Unicycle's seat post stands on the left, and its wheel sits beside it.
ЭэeEggThe Egg is the whole curve, and one painted stripe crosses its middle.
The Two Signs 2
Ь'pillow
Ъ"barrier
The Last Two 2
ЫыyInkThe Ink pot hangs from the tall handle on the left, and the pen stands apart on the right.
ФфfFireflyThe Firefly's body is the line down the middle, with a wing on each side.
How Should You Practice With the Chart?
Let the pictures bring a letter back, then check yourself against real Russian sounds.
- Name the PictureCover the keywords, look at a letter, and say what its picture shows and which sound it starts with.
- Hear Х and ЫListen to Х and Ы in the free course. Х is the ch in the Scottish word loch, and Ы is a vowel English does not have.
- Read a WordSound out кот, which means cat, and мама, which means mom. They use only letters that look English.
The free Russian Cyrillic course teaches these letters in nine short chapters, with a spoken example word for every letter, right in your browser. The same course is free in Bubblegum, a language app where Poppy, its AI tutor, writes Russian lessons at your level once you can read.
Г is a goose on this chart because Russian Г says g. Ukrainian and Belarusian use the same letter for an h sound, so the Ukrainian chart and the Belarusian chart draw it as a hoe. Serbian, Bulgarian and Macedonian have Cyrillic alphabets of their own, with charts for Serbian Cyrillic, Bulgarian and Macedonian.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Letters Are in the Russian Alphabet?
The Russian alphabet has 33 letters: 20 consonants, 10 vowels, Й, and the two signs Ь and Ъ. The chart shows every one of them.
Why Is Ё Often Written Without Its Dots?
Russian spelling lets you write Е for both sounds, so you'll often see Ё printed without its dots. The chart shows Ё with its dots so you can tell the two letters apart.
Which Russian App Should a Beginner Choose?
If you are serious about learning Russian, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. Its Russian Cyrillic course teaches every letter in this chart first. Our Russian app comparison covers more choices and what each one is good for.
Is Bubblegum Free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
