Fleeting vowels and stem repair
Zero endings can create impossible or disfavoured clusters, so о or е appears, disappears, or alternates inside the stem.
- These vowels are not freely predictable from a simple pronunciation rule. They belong to recurring morphological patterns, but the correct vowel and stress must be confirmed lexically.
- Useful diagnostic: The genitive plural is one of the best forms for exposing a noun's hidden stem structure. Record it early.
| Nominative | Genitive plural | Repair |
|---|---|---|
| де́вушка | де́вушек | insert е before final cluster |
| сестра́ | сестёр | insert stressed ё |
| земля́ | земе́ль | insert е |
| дере́вня | дереве́нь | insert е |
| окно́ | о́кон | insert о |
| письмо́ | пи́сем | insert е |
| полоте́нце | полоте́нец | insert е |
Mini-check
1. Form: нет + де́вушки; пять + пи́сьма. 2. Which form requires ё: сестёр or сестер?
Apply this next
- Retrieve the rule without looking, then continue to the next lesson.