What is the difference between vowels and consonants and sounds? What rules do they follow? How is the hardness and softness of sounds and letters indicated? You will get answers to all these questions in the presented article.
General information about vowels and consonants
Vowels and consonants are the basis of the entire Russian language. Indeed, with the help of their combinations, syllables are formed that add up to words, expressions, sentences, texts, and so on. That is why quite a lot of hours are devoted to this topic in high school.
and sounds in Russian
A person will learn about what vowels and consonants are in the Russian alphabet from the first grade. And despite all the seeming simplicity of this topic, it is considered one of the most difficult for students.
So, in the Russian language there are ten vowels, namely: o, i, a, s, u, i, e, e, u, e. During their direct pronunciation, you can feel how the air passes freely through the oral cavity. At the same time, we hear our own voice quite clearly. It should also be noted that vowels can be pulled (ah-ah-ah-ah, uh-uh-uh, i-i-i-i-i, u-u-u-u-u and so on ).
Features and letters
Vowels are the basis of the syllable, that is, they organize it. As a rule, there are as many syllables in Russian words as there are vowels themselves. Let's give a good example: u-che-no-ki - 5 syllables, re-bya-ta - 3 syllables, he - 1 syllable, o-no - 2 syllables, and so on. There are even words that consist of only one vowel sound. Usually these are interjections (Ah!, Oh!, Woo!) and unions (and, a, etc.).
Endings, suffixes and prefixes are very important topics in the Russian language discipline. Indeed, without knowing how such letters are written in a particular word, it is rather problematic to compose a competent letter.
Consonants and sounds in Russian
Vowel and consonant letters and sounds differ significantly. And if the former can be easily pulled, then the latter are pronounced as short as possible (except for hissing ones, since they can be pulled).
It should be noted that in the Russian alphabet the number of consonant letters is 21, namely: b, c, d, e, g, h, d, k, l, m, n, p, p, s, t, f, x, c, h, sh, sh. The sounds denoted by them are usually divided into deaf and voiced. What is the difference? The fact is that during the pronunciation of voiced consonants, a person can hear not only the characteristic noise, but also his own voice (b!, z!, p!, etc.). As for the deaf, they cannot be pronounced loudly or, for example, shouted. They create only a kind of noise (sh-sh-sh-sh-sh, s-s-s-s-s, etc.).
Thus, almost everything falls into two different categories:
- voiced - b, c, d, d, f, z, d, l, m, n, r;
- deaf - k, p, s, t, f, x, c, h, w.
Softness and hardness of consonants
Not everyone knows, but vowels and consonants can be hard and soft. This is the second most important feature in the Russian language (after voiced and deaf).
A distinctive feature of soft consonants is that during their pronunciation, the human language takes on a special position. As a rule, it shifts slightly forward, and its entire middle part rises slightly. As for when they are pronounced, the tongue is pulled back. You can compare the position of your speech organ yourself: [n] - [n '], [t] - [t ']. It should also be noted that voiced and soft sounds sound somewhat higher than hard ones.
In Russian, almost all consonants have pairs on the basis of softness and hardness. However, there are those who simply do not have them. These include hard ones - [g], [w] and [c] and soft ones - [th "], [h"] and [w"].
Softness and hardness of vowels
Surely few people have heard that the Russian language has soft vowels. Soft consonants are sounds that are quite familiar to us, which cannot be said about the above. This is partly due to the fact that in high school there is practically no time for this topic. After all, it is already clear with the help of which vowels the consonants become soft. However, we still decided to dedicate you to this topic.
So, soft letters are those letters that are able to soften the consonants that come before them. These include the following: i, e, i, e, u. As for such letters as a, y, s, e, o, they are considered hard, since they do not soften the consonants going in front. To see this, here are a few examples:
The designation of the softness of consonants in the phonetic analysis of the word
The sounds and letters of the Russian language are studied by phonetics. Surely, in high school you were asked more than once to make a certain word. During such an analysis, it is imperative to indicate whether it is separately considered or not. If yes, then it must be denoted as follows: [n '], [t '], [d '], [in '], [m '], [p ']. That is, at the top right, next to the consonant letter in front of the soft vowel, you need to put a kind of dash. The following soft sounds are also marked with a similar icon - [th "], [h"] and [sh"].
Phonetics is a capricious lady, albeit an interesting one. It's no secret that all sounds in Russian are divided into consonants and vowels. The first, in turn, are divided into voiced and deaf, soft and hard. This classification is based on the way of pronouncing sounds and the features of the work of our articulatory apparatus. So how can you tell them all apart?
And what, exactly, is the point?
Soft and hard consonant sounds Grade 1 begins to study at the very beginning of the Russian language course. But in order to distinguish one phoneme from another, you must first understand what is the difference between them and vowels.
Vowel sounds are pronounced only with the help of the voice. They can be sung, extended - this is how teachers explain to kids at school. When the air at the exit from the lungs passes through the trachea, larynx, oral cavity, it does not encounter any obstacles. When we talk about consonants, then to pronounce them, you need to use lips, teeth and tongue - they all participate in the process, so to speak.
Comparing consonants and vowels according to their sound, we notice the following tendency: when vowels, as mentioned above, sound only with one voice, then there is still noise in the consonants created by the interference that the air has to meet when pronouncing them. This is their main difference. Deaf sounds are pronounced only with this very noise, while in voiced sounds, a voice is also added to it. Compare, for example, the pronunciation of the words "grotto" and "mole" or "house" and "tom". In both cases, the first letters are solid consonants, voiced and voiceless, respectively.
"Let's go back to our sheep!"
Now that we already know a little about the differences in consonants, let's move on to our main topic.
The best way to learn is by example, right? And again, let's turn to the comparison: let's say the following pairs of words:
Racket-rake, bun-bureau, mother - ball, vine - ice, tower - view.
There is some difference in how we pronounce consonants. Is not it? It is caused by vowels that come after consonants. The words are specially chosen so that the sounds we need are in the same position in all examples. In this case, they show all their diversity. Say it again, slowly. Do you feel how the language, in those words where the consonants sound softer, does not rest against the palate, but seems to relax, becomes flat? This can be considered the main feature that our hard consonants have during articulation.
Theory
Well, now let's move on to a specific theory. Solid consonants - a table that will consist of two parts. First of all, you need to remember that the hardness or softness of a sound is due to its neighboring vowel. When after the letter is a, o, u, s , then the sound that it denotes will definitely be solid (mittens, trampling, lips, played), and if there are e, yo, yu, i, and , the consonant will sound softer (blizzard, doggie, mint, Kyiv). Thus, we can say that there is no point in memorizing all hard consonants. Almost all of them are paired. This property was shown in the first row of words, where we learned to distinguish between hard and soft sounds. Therefore, everything depends on this very vowel.
Unpaired consonants
Another question is how to deal with unpaired consonants. There are very few of them in Russian: w, w, c . No matter how hard you try, you won't be able to pronounce them softly. Even if they are followed by those vowels that are usually used with soft consonants: ramrod - rustle - chic, creepy - liquid - tin, price - circus - king. Opposed to these consonants are unpaired h, w, y , which in all cases will sound soft: chock - thicket - cleaning, cheeks - squint - crushed stone, iot - yogurt.
Break the system!
In this situation, you need to understand that the rule of the subsequent vowel with them does not apply to unpaired solid consonants. The table that can be compiled for better assimilation of the material will in any case consist of two parts - paired, the equivalent of which can always be found by changing the vowel, and unpaired, living by their own rules.
We remember
Now let's move on to the methods of learning and memorization. Solid consonants grade 1 remembers reluctantly - too boring. But after all, there is always a way to increase efficiency by making the student interested in an unusual form of work, even with such theoretical and unnecessary, at first glance, material. Various pictures, diagrams, drawings and games with the choice of words will come to our aid.
Let's make some cards. You will need two sheets of colored paper or colored cardboard. The main thing is that they are contrasting. We cut out the same clouds, balls, figures - everything that comes to your mind. Then we connect the two figures with glue so that these very contrasting sides are outside. And then, with the participation of your little helper, on one side we write vowels that are friends with soft ones, and on the other - with hard consonants. In order not to forget anything at all, you can also place unpaired and paired ones side by side, respectively. When everything is at hand, it is much easier.
Next, draw something that can help create an association - a brick on a cardboard where hard sounds are written, and a feather with soft phonemes. Or something else like that. Having a concrete example in front of his eyes, the student will surely learn the information better. Later, to consolidate, you can ask your student to highlight hard and soft sounds in different colors in written words - red and blue, for example, so that you can easily check his homework.
improvised material
To prepare the tablets, which were mentioned just above, you still need to have some kind of material. Solid consonants - a table that you can rely on so as not to get confused. For convenience, it contains paired and unpaired sounds in terms of hardness and softness. By the way, if we want to indicate the softness of a sound, in phonetic transcription, for example, an apostrophe is placed after it.
In this table, all phonemes at the top are solid. Below are their soft counterparts. True, we have three cases where the sound does not have a pair. This means it is not soft.
We remember further
Let's keep practicing? Let's give more examples of words where the same consonant sounds in a hard or soft position. One more nuance. In addition to the very vowels that affect the consonant, it can be softened or hardened by a soft and hard sign, respectively. Let's not forget about it in our next task.
Beaver - white, blizzard - goalkeeper, city - helium, entrance - clerk, giraffe, winter - teeth, whale-cat, horse - lemonade, harvest-sea, Neptune-rhinoceros, steamboat - break, decision-novel, owl - family, cake - theme, film-photography, halvah - scheme, chicken, hat.
Identify the words from the presented pair that demonstrate soft or hard consonants. As you can see, the letters for their designation are still used the same. Please note that in some words, hardness and softness are affected not only by vowels, but also by consonants that are next to our sound. In addition, you can also ask the child to come up with examples for unpaired consonants, so that he himself is convinced that they are only hard. Still, own experience is much more vivid confirmation than any memorized theory.
One more game
To study the topic, soft and hard consonants can be offered to the student just such a game. She is very simple. In front of him are a number of words, from which only solid consonants need to be written out. And then, inserting vowels into them, come up with a word. For example, there are a number of words: pickle - footman - knives. Write out the consonants: s, l, n, add vowels. And the first thing that comes to mind is the short but capacious word "elephant". Shall we continue?
- Edit - will - scrap(issued pr, v, l ).
- Tomato - role - swamp(issued t, r, t ).
- Bittern - dormouse - hay(issued in, s, n ).
Conclusion
In conclusion, I would like to remind you that in no case should you say “solid consonants”. These are just the sounds. And for their designations, they are absolutely the same as in the case of soft ones (this was evident from the table above). Now that you have all the material in your hands, it remains only to practice. On the net you can find a huge number of different games and exercises to determine the type of consonants. And, of course, you can re-read the material on the topic “Solid consonant sounds” several more times - the table presented in the article will help to systematize all our knowledge. It will be much easier to repeat with her.
Do not forget to give new examples for each paired and unpaired sound, so that our student himself learns to compare the different sounds of consonant phonemes. It sometimes depends not only on the subsequent vowel or soft and hard sign, but also on neighboring consonants, which, depending on their hardness or softness, can also affect the original sound. Everything is not as difficult as it seems. More games and practice - and everything will definitely work out.
General rule. Paired voiceless consonants p, f, t, s(and corresponding soft), k, w at the end of a word and before voiceless consonants can be transmitted respectively by letters P or b , f or in , t or d , with or h , to or G , sh or well . The same letters can convey paired voiced consonants b, c, e, h(and corresponding soft), g, f before paired voiced consonants (except in). In order to correctly write a consonant letter in these cases, you need to choose a different form of the same word or another word where in the same significant part of the word (the same root, prefix, suffix) the consonant being checked is before the vowel or before the consonants r, l, m, n, v(and corresponding soft), as well as before j(on the letter - before the separating b and b , see § 27–28). Examples:
Consonants in roots and suffixes:
1) at the end of a word: dub (cf. oak, oak), deepP (stupid, stupid), grab (rob), sypi (pour), butwith (noses), inh (carts),thd (of the year), crot (mole), wifet (married), handin (sleeves), crovy (blood, blood), shtraf (fines, penalty, penal), vymoto (get wet, get wet, wet), blueto (bruises), moG (can, could), smallsh (baby, baby),montawell (mounting, mounting), drawzh (tremble, tremble); cf. izmorosz (frost, frost, freeze) and izmorocamping (drizzle, drizzle);
2) before consonants:
a) before the deaf dub ki(cf. oaks, oak), tryaP ka (rag, rag, rag, rag), kuP ca (merchant), aboutin ca (sheep),loin cue (dexterous), handin chik (sleeves), scalef chik (cabinets), neitherh cue (low), miwith ka (bowls), Wacamping ka (Vasya), Kusz ka (Kuzya, Kuzma), kad ka (tub), met cue (marks), toG ti (claw), loto ti (elbow), beG stvo (running, fugitive), lowell ka (spoon, spoon), roomsh ka (small rooms), wingssh to (wings); cf. togetherwell ku (intersperse) and togethersh ku(mix), suP chik (soups) and sub chik (subject);
b) before paired voiced (except in): molobe ba (thresh), swad ba (weddings, wedding; do not check with a word woo), hod ba (walk), aboutcamping ba (ask), resz ba (cut), oxsh ba (magic), bowell ba (swear), vrawell Yes(hostile), well gu (burn, burn), well to give (wait).
| Exceptions: in words holed and open spelled with , although there are verbs open (Xia), open (Xia) and open (Xia), open up (Xia). In words abstraction, reaction, correction spelled to (although abstract, react, correct), in the word transcription spelled P (although transcribe); in these cases, the alternation of consonants in the source language (Latin) is reflected in the letter. About type relations prognosis - prognostic, diagnosis - diagnostics see a.1.3.1.3, paragraph 2, Note 1. |
Consonants in prefixes (before a voiceless or paired voiced consonant, except in): in walk,in beat(cf. enter, enter), on thed prick (cut, tear), aboutb thrash, ohb fry (cut off, cut off, go around), aboutt talk aboutt call, oht advise (wean), ond throw, byd throw, byd send (bring, send), with make,with cunning(be able to, be able to, fail), Pred carpathian (Cis-Urals).
Some of the voiced and voiceless consonants form pairs.
When consonants are formed [p], [l], [m], [n], [j],
Deaf [x], [x "], [c], [h "], [w"] do not have paired pits of voiced consonants.
Notes.
1. The sound [j] in school practice is denoted [th "].
2. The sound [w "] is indicated in writing by the letter u or some combinations of consonants. The horizontal line at the top indicates that the sound is long.
Paired voiced consonants at the end of a word and before deaf consonants, that is, in a weak position, sound like paired deaf consonants. This phenomenon is called stun.
Paired deaf consonants before paired voiced ones, that is, in a weak position, sound like paired voiced consonants. This phenomenon is called voicing.
Strong positions for deafness-voicedness for consonants are positions before vowels, before sonorants and in.
Consonants are divided into hard and soft. When pronouncing hard and soft sounds, the position of the tongue is different. Some of the consonants form pairs of hardness-softness.
When writing, the softness of consonants is indicated:
1) using a soft sign: dove, dictionary:
2) using the letters e, e, u, i, and: remote, linden.
Before soft consonants, the softness of consonants is not always indicated: a bow - ba [n "t"] ik.
More on the topic voiced and voiceless, hard and soft consonants:
- § 3. SPELLING OF CONSONANTS (checked and unchecked, voiced, deaf and unpronounceable consonants; double consonants; combinations of consonants)
Sound is the smallest unit of language, pronounced with the help of the organs of the speech apparatus. Scientists have discovered that at birth, human hearing perceives all the sounds that it hears. All this time, his brain sorts out unnecessary information, and by 8-10 months a person is able to distinguish sounds that are unique to his native language, and all the nuances of pronunciation.
33 letters make up the Russian alphabet, 21 of them are consonants, but letters should be distinguished from sounds. A letter is a sign, a symbol that can be seen or written. The sound can only be heard and pronounced, and in writing it can be designated using transcription - [b], [c], [d]. They carry a certain semantic load, connecting with each other, form words.
36 consonants: [b], [h], [c], [d], [g], [g], [m], [n], [k], [l], [t], [p ], [t], [s], [u], [f], [c], [w], [x], [h], [b "], [h "], [c"], [ d "], [th"], [n"], [k"], [m"], [l"], [t"], [s"], [n"], [r"], [ f "], [g"], [x"].
The consonants are divided into:
- soft and hard;
voiced and deaf;
paired and unpaired.
Soft and hard consonants
The phonetics of the Russian language has a significant difference from many other languages. It contains hard and soft consonants.
At the moment of pronouncing a soft sound, the tongue is pressed against the palate more strongly than when pronouncing a hard consonant sound, preventing the release of air. This is what distinguishes a hard and soft consonant from each other. In order to determine in a letter whether a consonant is soft or hard, you should look at the letter immediately after a particular consonant.
Consonants are classified as solid in such cases:
- if letters a, o, u, uh, s follow after them - [poppy], [rum], [hum], [juice], [bull];
- after them there is another consonant sound - [pile], [hail], [marriage];
- if the sound is at the end of the word - [gloom], [friend], [table].
The softness of the sound is written as an apostrophe: mol - [mol '], chalk - [m'el], gate - [kal'itka], fir - [p'ir].
It should be noted that the sounds [u ’], [d ’], [h ’] are always soft, and hard consonants are only [w], [c], [g].
The consonant sound will become soft if it is followed by "b" and vowels: i, e, u, i, e. For example: gene - [g "en], len - [l" he], disk - [d "isk] , hatch - [l "uk], elm - [v" yaz], trill - [tr "el"].
Voiced and deaf, paired and unpaired sounds
According to the voicedness, consonants are divided into voiced and deaf. Voiced consonants can be sounds created with the participation of the voice: [c], [h], [g], [b], [g], [d], [m], [d], [l], [p] , [n].
Examples: [boron], [ox], [shower], [call], [heat], [head], [catch], [pestilence], [nose], [genus], [swarm].
Examples: [count], [floor], [volume], [dream], [noise], [u "uk], [choir], [king"], [ch "an].
Paired voiced and deaf consonants include: [b] - [n], [g] - [w], [g] - [x], [h] - [s]. [d] - [t], [c] - [f]. Examples: true story - dust, house - volume, year - code, vase - phase, itching - court, live - sew.
Sounds that do not form a pair: [h], [n], [c], [x], [p], [m], [l].
Soft and hard consonants can also have a pair: [p] - [p "], [n] - [n"], [m] - [m"], [c] - [c"], [d] - [ d "], [f] - [f "], [k] - [k"], [h] - [h "], [b] - [b"], [g] - [g"], [ n] - [n "], [s] - [s"], [l] - [l "], [t] - [t"], [x] - [x"]. Examples: true story - white, height - branch, city - cheetah, cottage - business, umbrella - zebra, skin - cedar, moon - summer, monster - place, finger - pen, ore - river, soda - sulfur, pillar - steppe, lantern - farm, mansions - hut.
Table for memorizing consonants
To visually see and compare soft and hard consonants, the table below shows them in pairs.
Solid - before the letters A, O, U, S, E Soft - before the letters I, E, E, Yu, I | Hard and soft consonants | |||
| b | ball | b" | battle | |
| in | howl | in" | eyelid | |
| G | garage | G" | hero | |
| d | hole | d" | tar | |
| h | ash | h" | yawn | |
| to | godfather | to" | sneakers | |
| l | vine | l" | foliage | |
| m | March | m" | month | |
| n | leg | n" | tenderness | |
| P | spider | P" | song | |
| R | growth | R" | rhubarb | |
| with | salt | with" | hay | |
| t | cloud | t" | patience | |
| f | phosphorus | f" | firm | |
| X | thinness | X" | chemistry | |
| Unpaired | well | giraffe | h | miracle |
| sh | screen | sch | hazel | |
| c | goal | th | felt | |
Another table will help memorize consonant sounds.
| Paired | voiced | Deaf |
| B | P | |
| AT | F | |
| G | To | |
| D | T | |
| F | W | |
| W | With | |
| Unpaired | L, M, N, R, Y | X, C, H, W |
Children's poems for better mastering of the material
The letters are exactly 33 in the Russian alphabet,
To find out how many consonants -
Subtract ten vowels
Signs - hard, soft -
It will immediately become clear:
It turns out the number is exactly twenty-one.
Soft and hard consonants are very different,
But not dangerous at all.
If we pronounce with noise, then they are deaf.
Consonant sounds proudly say:
They sound different.
Hard and soft
Actually very light.
One simple rule to remember forever:
W, C, F - always solid,
But H, W, Y - only soft,
Like cat paws.
Let's soften the others like this:
If we add a soft sign,
Then we get spruce, moth, salt,
What a clever sign!
And if we add the vowels I, I, E, E, Yu,
We get a soft consonant.
Signs-brothers, soft, hard,
We don't pronounce
But to change the word
Let's ask for their help.
The rider is riding a horse
Kon - use in the game.
