Spelling after sibilants and ц
After ж, ш, ч, щ, and ц, stressed and unstressed instrumental endings are written differently.
- The spelling encodes stress and orthographic convention. Do not write *врачём or *товарищом in these standard forms.
- Separate layers: First identify the instrumental and the stem. Then apply the after-sibilant/ц spelling rule according to stress.
| Environment | Written ending | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| stressed after sibilant/ц | -ом | врачо́м, ножо́м, карандашо́м, отцо́м |
| unstressed after sibilant/ц | -ем | то́варищем, пла́щем, па́льцем |
Mini-check
1. Choose: врачо́м / врачём; то́варищом / то́варищем. 2. Form the instrumental of нож.
Apply this next
- Retrieve the rule without looking, then continue to the next lesson.