Spelling, stress, and pronunciation compass
Russian spelling preserves morphological distinctions that casual listening may blur.
- Say forms as phrases: Practise э́то окно́, но́вое окно́, здесь окно́. Prepositions and unstressed words join a larger sound group in connected speech.
| Feature | Example | What to notice |
|---|---|---|
| stress | окно́ | the acute mark identifies the prominent syllable |
| ё | ребёнок | ё is always stressed; print it in learning material |
| vowel reduction | окно́ ≈ [акно́] | unstressed о is not pronounced as a full stressed [o] |
| softness | угол / у́голь | ь can distinguish consonant quality and words |
| final devoicing | друг ≈ [друк] | spelling keeps г; related forms reveal it |
Mini-check
1. Why does друк remain spelled друг? 2. Which printed letter already guarantees stress?
Apply this next
- Retrieve the rule without looking, then continue to the next lesson.