| Capital | Small | Handwriting | Name | IPA | Position on English keyboard | English example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| А | а |  |
а [a] |
/a/ | A | a in father |
| Б | б |  |
бэ [bɛ] |
/b/ or /bʲ/ | , (comma) | b in bit |
| В | в |  |
вэ [vɛ] |
/v/ or /vʲ/ | D | v in vine |
| Г | г |  |
гэ [ɡɛ] |
/ɡ/ | U | g in go , or h in hot |
| Д | д |  |
дэ [dɛ] |
/d/ or /dʲ/ | L | d in do |
| Е | е |  |
е [je] |
/je/ or / ʲe/ | T | ye in yet |
| Ё | ё |  |
ё [jo] |
/jo/ or / ʲo/ | ~ (tilde) | yo in yolk |
| Ж | ж |  |
жэ [ʐɛ] |
/ʐ/ | ; (semicolon) | g in genre, s in pleasure, j in Jean-Jacques or zh in Dr Zhivago (voiced retroflex fricative) |
| З | з |  |
зэ [zɛ] |
/z/ or /zʲ/ | P | z in zoo |
| И | и |  |
и [i] |
/i/ or / ʲi/ | B | e in me |
| Й | й |  |
и краткое [i ˈkra.tkə.ɪ] |
/j/ | Q | y in yes |
| К | к |  |
ка [ka] |
/k/ or /kʲ/ | R | k in kitten |
| Л | л |  |
эл or эль [el] or [elʲ] |
/l/ or /lʲ/ | K | l in lamp |
| М | м |  |
эм [ɛm] |
/m/ or /mʲ/ | V | m in map |
| Н | н |  |
эн [ɛn] |
/n/ or /nʲ/ | Y | n in not |
| О | о |  |
o [o] |
/o/ | J | o in more |
| П | п |  |
пэ [pɛ] |
/p/ or /pʲ/ | G | p in pet |
| Р | р |  |
эр [ɛr] |
/r/ or /rʲ/ | H | rolled r |
| С | с |  |
эс [ɛs] |
/s/ or /sʲ/ | C | s in see |
| Т | т |  |
тэ [tɛ]} |
/t/ or /tʲ/ | N | t in tip |
| У | у |  |
у [u] |
/u/ | E | oo in boot |
| Ф | ф |  |
эф [ɛf] |
/f/ or /fʲ/ | A | f in face |
| Х | х |  |
ха [xa] |
/x/ | [ (left bracket) | Bach (German) (voiceless velar fricative) |
| Ц | ц |  |
це [t͡sɛ] |
/t͡s/ | W | ts in sits |
| Ч | ч |  |
че [t͡ɕe] |
/t͡ɕ/ | X | ch in chip |
| Ш | ш |  |
ша [ʂa] |
/ʂ/ | I | similar to the sh in shut (voiceless retroflex fricative) |
| Щ | щ |  |
ща [ɕɕa] |
/ɕː/ | O | similar to the "sh" in sheer (but with a slightly more "y" sound) (sometimes followed by a sound similar to the "ch" in chip such as the phrase "Welsh cheese") (voiceless alveolo-palatal fricative) |
| Ъ | ъ |  |
твёрдый знак [ˈtvʲo.rdɨj znak] |
- | ] (right bracket) | a sign which, placed after a consonant, acts as a "silent back vowel"; puts a distinct /j/ sound in front of the following iotified vowels with no palatalisation of the preceding consonant |
| Ы | ы |  |
ы [ɨ] |
[ɨ] | S | like e in roses or the i in silly (close central unrounded vowel) |
| Ь | ь |  |
мягкий знак [ˈmʲæxʲkʲɪj znak] |
/ ʲ/ | M | a sign which, placed after a consonant, acts as a "silent front vowel", slightly palatalises the preceding consonant |
| Э | э |  |
э [ɛ] |
/e/ | ' (apostrophe) | e in met |
| Ю | ю |  |
ю [ju] |
/ju/ or / ʲu/ | . (period) | u in use |
| Я | я |  |
я [ja] |
/ja/ or / ʲa/ | Z | ya in yard |
