| Capital | Small | Handwriting | Name | IPA | Position on English keyboard | English example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| А | а |  | а [a] | /a/ | A | a in father |
| Б | б |  | бэ [bɛ] | /b/ or /bʲ/ | , (comma) | b in bit |
| В | в |  | вэ [vɛ] | /v/ or /vʲ/ | D | v in vine |
| Г | г |  | гэ [ɡɛ] | /ɡ/ | U | g in go , or h in hot |
| Д | д |  | дэ [dɛ] | /d/ or /dʲ/ | L | d in do |
| Е | е |  | е [je] | /je/ or / ʲe/ | T | ye in yet |
| Ё | ё |  | ё [jo] | /jo/ or / ʲo/ | ~ (tilde) | yo in yolk |
| Ж | ж |  | жэ [ʐɛ] | /ʐ/ | ; (semicolon) | g in genre, s in pleasure, j in Jean-Jacques or zh in Dr Zhivago (voiced retroflex fricative) |
| З | з |  | зэ [zɛ] | /z/ or /zʲ/ | P | z in zoo |
| И | и |  | и [i] | /i/ or / ʲi/ | B | e in me |
| Й | й |  | и краткое [i ˈkra.tkə.ɪ] | /j/ | Q | y in yes |
| К | к |  | ка [ka] | /k/ or /kʲ/ | R | k in kitten |
| Л | л |  | эл or эль [el] or [elʲ] | /l/ or /lʲ/ | K | l in lamp |
| М | м |  | эм [ɛm] | /m/ or /mʲ/ | V | m in map |
| Н | н |  | эн [ɛn] | /n/ or /nʲ/ | Y | n in not |
| О | о |  | o [o] | /o/ | J | o in more |
| П | п |  | пэ [pɛ] | /p/ or /pʲ/ | G | p in pet |
| Р | р |  | эр [ɛr] | /r/ or /rʲ/ | H | rolled r |
| С | с |  | эс [ɛs] | /s/ or /sʲ/ | C | s in see |
| Т | т |  | тэ [tɛ]} | /t/ or /tʲ/ | N | t in tip |
| У | у |  | у [u] | /u/ | E | oo in boot |
| Ф | ф |  | эф [ɛf] | /f/ or /fʲ/ | A | f in face |
| Х | х |  | ха [xa] | /x/ | [ (left bracket) | Bach (German) (voiceless velar fricative) |
| Ц | ц |  | це [t͡sɛ] | /t͡s/ | W | ts in sits |
| Ч | ч |  | че [t͡ɕe] | /t͡ɕ/ | X | ch in chip |
| Ш | ш |  | ша [ʂa] | /ʂ/ | I | similar to the sh in shut (voiceless retroflex fricative) |
| Щ | щ |  | ща [ɕɕa] | /ɕː/ | O | similar to the "sh" in sheer (but with a slightly more "y" sound) (sometimes followed by a sound similar to the "ch" in chip such as the phrase "Welsh cheese") (voiceless alveolo-palatal fricative) |
| Ъ | ъ |  | твёрдый знак [ˈtvʲo.rdɨj znak] | - | ] (right bracket) | a sign which, placed after a consonant, acts as a "silent back vowel"; puts a distinct /j/ sound in front of the following iotified vowels with no palatalisation of the preceding consonant |
| Ы | ы |  | ы [ɨ] | [ɨ] | S | like e in roses or the i in silly (close central unrounded vowel) |
| Ь | ь |  | мягкий знак [ˈmʲæxʲkʲɪj znak] | / ʲ/ | M | a sign which, placed after a consonant, acts as a "silent front vowel", slightly palatalises the preceding consonant |
| Э | э |  | э [ɛ] | /e/ | ' (apostrophe) | e in met |
| Ю | ю |  | ю [ju] | /ju/ or / ʲu/ | . (period) | u in use |
| Я | я |  | я [ja] | /ja/ or / ʲa/ | Z | ya in yard |
