Learning how to spell in a new language can be frustrating. Luckily, Russian has something to make you feel more at ease. They’re called spelling rules. Now these rules won’t help you in every situation, but in many of them, trust me, they will!
There are 3 essential spelling rules that exist in Russian. These must always be followed in order to have correct orthography [how words are spelled] in the language. These rules are followed in every instance, regardless of case or gender.
| Don’t write ы after: velars [г, к, х] or hushers [ж, ч, ш, щ]. Instead write и. |
| ы becomes и |
| Я второй раз потерял ключи. I lost the keys for the second time. |
| Какой у вас маленький холодильник! What a small fridge you have! |
| Мухи летают по комнате. Flies are flying around the room. |
| Don’t write ю or я after: г, к, х [velars] or ж, ч, ш, щ [hushers] and ц. Instead write а for я and у for ю. |
| а becomes я у becomes ю |
| Я сижу на диване. I sit on the couch. |
| Я учу русский язык. I study/learn Russian. |
| Трудно видеть из-за солнца. It’s hard to see because of the sun. |
| Don’t write an unstressed o after ж, ц, ч, ш, щ. Instead write e. |
| o becomes e |
| У девушек модная одежда. The girls have stylish clothing. |
| На столе лежит несколько ложек. There are some forks on the table. |
| Хорошего дня! Have a good day! |
And there you have it! The 3 essential spelling rules necessary to take your Russian further to complete accuracy.
| Last Edit: 12/07/2025. |
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