Hard Sign and Special Letters

In this lesson, we will cover the hard sign (Ъ) and the remaining letter Й, and then review all 33 letters together. After this lesson, you will know every letter of the Russian alphabet.

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The Hard Sign: Ъ

The hard sign (твёрдый знак, tvyordyy znak) is the rarest letter in the Russian alphabet. Like the soft sign, it makes no sound of its own. Instead, it acts as a separator.

What Does Ъ Do?

Ъ prevents the consonant before it from merging with the vowel after it. It creates a clear break — a tiny pause or "y" glide.

Without Ъ	With Ъ	Difference
сесть (syest')	съесть (s-yest')	"to sit down" vs "to eat up"
подход (podkhod)	подъём (pod-yom)	"approach" vs "ascent"

Where Ъ Appears

Ъ almost exclusively appears after prefixes that end in a consonant, before the vowels Е, Ё, Ю, Я: