Surprise! Russian Is Easy When You Start with This

Learning Russian might sound like a big challenge at first but what if the easiest way to start is also the most fun? Before diving into long words or tricky grammar, there’s one secret that makes everything simpler for kids: start with the sounds!

The Sound-First Secret

Unlike English, Russian is a very phonetic language most letters make only one sound. That means once you know the sounds of each letter, you can read almost anything out loud! For example, the Russian letter “м” sounds just like “m”, and “а” sounds like “a” in “car”. Kids can learn to pronounce whole words just by sounding out the letters.

This sound-based approach helps young learners build confidence. And since many Russian words look like puzzles at first, breaking them down by sound gives children a real sense of achievement.

Make It a Game! Fun First Words to Learn

A great way to start is by learning simple, high-frequency words like:

• мама (mama – mom)
• папа (papa – dad)
• кот (kot – cat)
• да (da – yes)
• нет (nyet – no)

These are words kids already use every day so hearing and saying them in Russian feels exciting, not scary!

Creative Activities to Try

Sound Match Hunt

Write out several Russian letters and hide them around the house. Call out a sound like “Buh” for б, and have your child find the matching letter card. This turns letter learning into a treasure hunt!

My First Russian Word Book

Help your child create a mini picture book with words like мама, кот, and молоко (milk). They can draw a picture on one page and write the word in Russian underneath. Add English next to it to reinforce meaning!

Many kids using Dinolingo start with these simple sound-based lessons. By hearing native pronunciation and repeating fun vocabulary, they quickly build a foundation for fluency often before they even realize they’re “studying.”

Source:

• FluentU Blog