The Russian alphabet consists of 33 letters (10 vowels, 21 consonants and 2 signs (ь, ъ). Capital letters are written at the beginning of sentences or proper names, small letters are used in all other cases.

All Russian sounds fall into vowels and consonants. Unlike English vowels, Russian vowels do not fall into short and long.

Consonants fall into voiced and voiceless, on the one hand, and into hard and soft, on the other.