LESSON 19: ‘Щ’

The Russian letter ‘щ’ has a sound similar to ‘ш’ from the previous lesson, but there is a difference: ‘ш’ is always hard, while ‘щ’ is soft.

Listen to the audio: 

When pronouncing ‘щ’, the middle part of the tongue is raised more than in ‘ш’, it almost touches the roof of the mouth. Push the air through this narrow space, creating a long, soft hissing sound. It should sound a bit like 'shch' in the English phrase 'fresh cheese,' but smoother and longer. 

Task 1: Listen to the audio & repeat the syllables out loud

ща - щи - щё - щу

ша - ща      ши - щи      шё - щё      шу - щу

Task 2: Listen to the audio & repeat the words out loud

щи         щука      щётка       щепка

ящер     ящик      борщ         плащ