Learning The Letters and their Sounds

Group II: Familiar letters with different sounds - в, н, р, с, х

Please pay close attention to your pronunciation of these letters, especially the letters р and х . The letter р is a rolling ‘r' and may require some added practise. Words which you may have heard in other languages which contain a rolling ‘r' include the terms ‘arrivederci'(Italian) and ‘au revoir ' (French). The letter х is always pronounced as kh in Ukrainian, as in the word 'epoch'. It is not like the English ‘x' in the words axe or example.

Listen, repeat, listen.

Capital Small Pronunciation

В в [v] as in veil or [w] as in now*

Н н [n] as in noon

Р р [r] as in “Frère Jacques”

С с [s] as in sale or [c] as in city

Х х [kh] as in khan, epoch

* pronounced as ‘w' within a word when it is next to a consonant.

Oral Practise # 3

In this oral exercise, you are asked to blend the consonants and vowels given in the chart in order to create new syllables. Practise reading the syllables out loud.

ва -- ве -- ви -- ві -- во -- ву

ав -- ев -- ив -- ів -- ов -- ув

на -- не -- ни -- ні -- но -- ну

ан -- ен -- ин -- ін -- он -- ун

ра -- ре -- ри -- рі -- ро -- ру

ар -- ер -- ир -- ір -- ор -- ур

са -- се -- си -- сі -- со -- су

ас -- ес -- ис -- іс -- ос -- ус

ха -- хе -- хи -- хі -- хо -- ху

ах -- ех -- их-- іх -- ох -- ух

Oral Practise #4

Listen to the words below in the audio clip provided.

Repeat the Ukrainian words by modeling what you hear in the audio clip. Practise until you can read the words smoothly and fluently.