Your first language
The American accent for Russian speakers
Your English is already good. If Russian is your first language, these are the American patterns worth your time first, and why.
Start with these patterns
A Russian question tune can sound unfriendly in English, and Russian rolls the R and says T and little words in full.
Down to finish, up for yes or no
Do · Can · Is …? → goes up ↗What · Where …? → goes down ↘
In a list or a choice, each item goes up and the last goes down.
If you speak Russian, your yes-or-no questions may go up on one word, then down. In English, keep going up to the end, or it can sound unfriendly.
R is never rolled
R touches nothingD touches once
If your tongue tip touches, even once, hiring sounds like hiding.
If you speak Russian, your р rolls. The English R does not touch at all: right, very.
T becomes a quick D
vowel + T + quick part → quick D
In water, “wa” is the strong part, in bold; “ter” is a quick part. After R, a T changes too: party.
If you speak Russian, don’t say a full T here. Touch once with your tongue, like a very short р.
Little words are quick
to · for · of → tuh · fer · uh
In a sentence, at and from are quick too: “uht” and “fruhm”.
Then, for clear pronunciation
Russian has fewer vowels, a last G can sound like K, and V and W can sound alike.
Ship or sheep?
i shortee long
Your mouth is relaxed for ship, with a little smile for sheep.
If you speak Russian, ship and sheep may sound the same to you. Make sheep long, with a smile, and ship short.
Bed or bad?
e half-opena wide
For bad, drop your jaw low, and make the vowel longer.
If you speak Russian, pet and pat may get the same vowel. Open your mouth wide for pat.
Bag or back?
longer before B · D · G · V · Zshorter before P · T · K · F · S
The longer vowel is often the main clue that it is bag, not back.
If you speak Russian, bag can end like back, as words do in your language. Hold the A a little longer, and the listener still hears bag.
Very or berry?
V teeth on lipB both lipsW round lips
If both lips close, very sounds like berry. If they round, vine sounds like wine.
If you speak Russian, W is not a V. Make your lips round and keep your teeth away: we, west.
What you likely do already
Russian gives you a head start on: Any vowel can become “uh”.