PRONOUNCING LIST OF RUSSIAN PROPER NAMES.

Explanation of signs used: [=a], [=e], [=i], [=o], [=u], long, as in fate, mete, mite, mote, mute.

[)a], [)e], [)i], [)o], short, as in add, met, if, off.

ö like the prolonged sound of e in her.

ä, the Italian a, as in arm.

ï, the Italian i, like [=e].

o, in the syllables of most Russian words, has a sound between [=o] and [)o]. For typographical reasons, however, we give simply the [=o], advising that the vowel sound be not made too long.

u, in most Russian syllables, has a liquid sound like yu.

Consonants, when succeeding one another, unite their sounds rapidly. Thus, in Svi-at´o-slaf, the sounds of s and v follow one another much as s and t unite in the English word step.