| Russian letter | Approximate English sound and phonetic transcription |
| a | like the English ɑ in calm, but slightly shorter, as in French lɑ or German Mɑnn, e.g. рáдио, мать; transcribed /a/ |
| б | like an English b, but with the expulsion of less breath, e.g. бáбушка, буты´ лка; transcribed /b/ |
| в | like an English v, e.g. винó, вот; transcribed /v/ |
| г | like the English g in go, but with the expulsion of less breath, e.g. газéта, гарáж; transcribed /g/ |
| д | like an English d, but with the expulsion of less breath, e.g. да, дом; transcribed /d/ |
| е | like the English ye in yes, e.g. éсли, обéд; transcribed /je/ |
| ё | like the English yo in yonder, e.g. её, ёлка; transcribed /jo/ |
| ж | like the English s in measure, e.g. ждать, женá; transcribed /zh/ |
| з | like an English z, e.g. зáпад, зóнтик; transcribed /z/ |
| и | like the English ee in see, e.g. игрáть, и́ли; transcribed /i/ |
| й | like the English y in boy, e.g. мой, трамвáй; transcribed /j/ |
| к | like an English k, but with the expulsion of less breath, e.g. кто, мáрка; transcribed /k/ |
| л | like an English l, but harder, pronounced with the tongue behind the front teeth, e.g. лáмпа, лунá; transcribed /l/ |
| м | like an English mm, e.g. мáма, молокó; transcribed /m/ |
| н | like an English n, but harder, pronounced with the tongue behind the front teeth, e.g. нáдо, ногá; transcribed /n/ |
| о | like the English o in for, but pronounced with more rounded lips, e.g. óчень, мóре; transcribed /o/ |
| п | like an English p, but with the expulsion of less breath, e.g. пáпа, пóсле; transcribed /p/ |
| р | like an English r, but rolled at the front of the mouth, e.g. ры́ба, порá; transcribed /r/ |
| с | like an English s, e.g. салáт, собáка; transcribed /s/ |
| т | like an English t, but with the expulsion of less breath, e.g. тарéлка, тóлькo; transcribed /t/ |
| у | like the English oo in pool, but pronounced with more rounded lips, e.g. муж, у́лица; transcribed /u/ |
| ф | like an English f, e.g. футбóл, флéйта; transcribed /f/ |
| х | like the Scottish ch in loch, e.g. хлеб, хóлодно; transcribed /kh/ |
| ц | like the English ts in nuts, e.g. центр, цирк; transcribed /ts/ |
| ч | like the English ch in church, e.g. чай, час; transcribed /ch/ |
| ш | like the English sh in shop, but harder, pronounced with the tongue lower, e.g. шкóла, наш; transcribed /sh/ |
| щ | either like a long soft English sh, similar to the sh in should, or like an English shch, as in fresh cheese, e.g. щи, ещё; transcribed /shch/ |
| ъ | hard sign (hardens the preceding consonant), e.g. объясня´ть; transcribed /"/ |
| ы | like the English i in bit, but with the tongue further back in the mouth, e.g. вы, ты; transcribed /y/ |
| ь | soft sign (softens the preceding consonant), e.g. мать, говори́ть; transcribed /'/ |
| э | like the English e in there, e.g. э́то, этáж; transcribed /e/ |
| ю | like the English u in unit, but pronounced with more rounded lips, e.g. ю́бка, юг; transcribed /juː/ |
| я | like the English ya in yard, but slightly shorter, e.g. я́блоко, моя́; transcribed /ja/ |