The letter K is always pronounced like k, and the letter M […] 21 Languages. Perhaps people's names should be an exception. Repeat step 1 until your pronunciation ceases to be cringe-worthy. If you have no idea how to accent a certain name, first try looking it up in the list of names. If you don’t brighten the day of a random stranger, at least you could avoid darkening it. Remember that the theoretical explanations of pronunciation usually seem more complicated than pronunciation really is. Watch this and impress your friends with how fancy you sound! It too has a search function on the main page and a list of popular names. The other person whose name you just truncated might start out a little annoyed…but in time, they’ll probably agree that you’re trading in one set of problems for a better set of problems. If you want to pronounce Russian words such as Вор (thief) or Рождество (Christmas) correctly, you need to focus on the R sound. The name of your new puppy should match its appearance and personality. [vowels] | Over 360K Names. As âSvetlana Skorobogatova,â I might as well have worn a flashing neon sign that read âSHEâS FOREIGN, Y’ALL.â But as âLana S.â I was much more approachable and somehow managed to make a friend in middle school. The key to developing a good understanding of how Russian should sound is listening to native speakers. More examples can be found in the list of names. The easiest way is to find a Cyrillic letter that corresponds to the pronunciation of your Russian name. Once you get a good grasp on the above, your Russian pronunciation will sound authentic, and you'll have less of an accent. Also, âlearning Russianâ doesn’t necessarily mean âbecoming fluent in Russian.â Acquiring a working knowledge of the language does not require that you become the next Leo Tolstoy (fun fact: his first name is actually âLevâ). Variants of transliteration depend on language you are transliterating to. Authors Mentioned: 1. All Rights Reserved. As in German, Russian voiced stops lose their voicing at ends of syllables, which means primarily that -ov becomes -off (or -ev becomes -eff). A place for students, teachers and native Russian speakers to discuss Russian grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and other aspects of the Russian language. You mightâve heard intimidating stories about how difficult it is to learn Russian, but it’s not as hard as you think. The name-shortening may have reduced the depth of my identity, but it also dialed down my aura of social awkwardness. There's also the distinction between e and ë: these are actually two distinct Russian people use the Cyrillic alphabet to write English names. [consonants] | I don't think anyone at McDonald's is going to have a fit over the pronunciation of "Big Mac," but if you were a sports star hearing your name butchered on the news, you might be offended. how do you pronounce translation in English - Russian Reverso dictionary, see also 'pronounced',pronoun',pronouncement',produce', examples, definition, conjugation For English Yelena would be closest, for other languages J will work perfectly. For German and other transliterations, follow the normal pronunciation rules for the appropriate language, and the hints on stress given below. Thus it's not the end of the world if you get it wrong, though some errors are less acceptable than others. Unfortunately, different record labels sometimes follow different conventions for transliterating Russian. This is why That make the pronunciation from a foreigner a bit difficult. Otherwise consonants are fairly straightforward. Russian Names and Nicknames This page explains Russian naming conventions and lists Russian male and female names with diminutives, short form and familiar form. When speakers of English transliterate Russian names into Latin letters, they usually try to produce the most logical spelling that will tell speakers of their own language how to pronounce the names correctly (or at least, passably). We will investigate Russian names, their origin and usage. [bottom]. Much like Spanish speakers, Russian speakers trill their Rs, which basically changes the sound to a “rrr.” Thank you, good Samaritan, for helping people avoid the indignities of a mispronounced name or an unwiped rear. This is not worth worrying about too much on the radio: attempts at hypercorrection can always backfire. Just visit the comments section of any political news article. If you have no idea how to accent a certain name, first try looking it up in the list of names. Pronounce Nelya in … It’s a simple process: Itâs ideal to use this method for Russian people like co-workers, students, and repeat customers. Pronunciation of the name Nelya (23 language audio files) Pronounce Nelya in Russian view more / help improve pronunciation. The letter I in Russian names actually sounds closer to the EE sound as in seek. There's a system and a logic to Russian names. This is the fastest method of learning how to pronounce a Russian name. This is totally not a self-serving attempt to persuade the world to cater to a special snowflake Millennial. How would other native speakers pronounce Zhanna? Learn to translate Russian names and Khrushchëv. These conventions differ particularly according to the nationality of the people who are intended to read them. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Compared to English pronunciation, which often has more exceptions than rules, Russian rules of pronunciation are fairly clear and consistent. Pronunciation of 'е' depends on the preceding consonant: 'е' "softens" most consonants (б, в, г, д, з, к, л, м, н, п, р, с, т, ф, х, ч. щ), producing the ʲe̞ sound not found in English, as in "нет" (no) or "день" (day). The patronymic is a middle name derived from the name of the person's father by adding. One must learn to recognize certain names in which e means yeh, for instance, Evgeny = yehv-gehn-ee (it's usually yeh at the beginning of a word, and also often if the e is in a stressed syllable). This mini-course will sort it out for you, and it will even teach you how to pronounce names the right way (not like on TV). [stress], feminine surnames: most Russian surnames have alternate masculine and feminine forms; the feminine version is formed by adding an, patronymics: a full Russian name consists of a first name, followed by a patronymic, followed by a surname. Please contact us if you'd like to try our system.. With years of research behind it, E-Speech name pronunciation software is the most accurate system available today for pronouncing names of people in the United States. Search for a word in Russian. English and Russian are both members of the Indo-European language family. How it works. DON'T EVER SAY chi-kow-skee, THAT'S NOT HIS NAME!). For example: Usually you'll see the English spelling, though German spellings are also not uncommon, so don't be confused by them (i.e. But if you have the time, read on. The Name Engine. Always remember that when you read a Russian name on a CD or LP cover (unless it's the Melodiya label and you know how to read the original Cyrillic), you're reading a transliteration: the Latin letters are put together artificially to reproduce the sounds of the name. It’s a simple process: Practice only the Russian names you expect to say. All other combinations are fairly self-explanatory. familiar names like Gorbachev and Khrushchev sound like they have different vowels in their last syllables than they appear to: in fact they should be spelled Gorbachëv Russian Immigration to the USA, Part 2: First Wave, Russian Immigration to the USA, Part 1: Russian Colonies, Russian-Americans: Where They Live (With Interactive Maps! It also features popular celebrity names or names of public figures and a list of sports and cultural areas to choose from. The problem is that speakers of German, French, Polish, Czech and Dutch do the same thing, for speakers of their own languages. We have the most accurate system available today. The intricacies of correct Russian pronunciation are often obscured in the transliteration from Cyrillic to Latin letters, nevertheless there is an accepted standard of "Americanized" Russian that is not at all difficult to grasp. 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