Characters
| Cyrillic letter | Latin look-alike | Actual pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Б | B, G, numeral 6 | /b/ as in "boy" |
| Г | Lowercase R, T, F | /ɡ/ as in "goat" |
| Д | A | /d/ as in "day" |
| Ж | X, K | /ʐ/ similar to "treasure" |
| З | E, numeral 3 | /z/ as in "zoo" |
| И | N | /i/ as in "machine" or /i/ as in "tin" |
| Л | J, JI | /l/ as in "love" |
| П | Lowercase N, H | /p/ as in "pond" |
| У | Y | /u/ as in "rule" |
| Ф | O, numeral 0 | /f/ as in "fox" |
| Ц | U, Y, V | /ts/ as in "cats" |
| Ч | Y, U | /tɕ/ similar to "check" |
| Ш | W | /ʂ/ similar to "shrunk" |
| Щ | W | /ɕɕ/ (Russian; like "sheep", but longer), ʃt͡ʃ (Ukrainian and Rusyn; like "fresh cheese"), /ʃt/ (Bulgarian; like "schtick") |
| Ы | Lowercase BL | /ɨ/ similar to "roses" in some dialects |
| Ь | Lowercase B | indicates the palatalization of the previous consonant as in "union" as opposed to "unite" |
| Э | E, numeral 3 | /ɛ/ as in "echo" |
| Ю | IO | /ju/ as in "you" |
| Я | R | /ja/ as in "yard" |
The letters А, В, Е, Ѕ*, І*, Ј*, К, М, Н, О, Р, С, Т, Ү*, Ғ*, Ѵ*, and Х are strongly homoglyphic to Latin letters, to the point that their substitution may not be noticed, unlike those listed above. If compatibility issues arise that limit mixing of scripts, these can be used with faux Cyrillic letters in lieu of their Latin counterparts. In addition, C may be replaced by Archaic Ҁ. (Letters with a *, however, are not used in the Russian Cyrillic alphabet.)
Read more about this topic: Faux Cyrillic
Famous quotes containing the word characters:
“It is open to question whether the highly individualized characters we find in Shakespeare are perhaps not detrimental to the dramatic effect. The human being disappears to the same degree as the individual emerges.”
—Franz Grillparzer (1791–1872)
“Of all the characters I have known, perhaps Walden wears best, and best preserves its purity. Many men have been likened to it, but few deserve that honor. Though the woodchoppers have laid bare first this shore and then that, and the Irish have built their sties by it, and the railroad has infringed on its border, and the ice-men have skimmed it once, it is itself unchanged, the same water which my youthful eyes fell on; all the change is in me.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Waxed-fleshed out-patients
Still vague from accidents,
And characters in long coats
Deep in the litter-baskets
All dodging the toad work
By being stupid or weak.”
—Philip Larkin (1922–1986)