6 Common English Pronunciation Mistakes Russian Speakers Make

Learning English pronunciation can be a tricky journey for Russian speakers. While many are confident reading and writing English, speaking it clearly and naturally often presents unique challenges. The differences between Russian and English—ranging from vowel sounds and consonant clusters to stress patterns and intonation—can lead to persistent pronunciation mistakes.

These mistakes aren’t just about sounding “different”; they can affect clarity, comprehension, and confidence in both social and professional settings. Understanding why these errors occur is the first step towards correcting them. In this post, we explore six of the most common pronunciation mistakes Russian speakers make, explain why they happen, and provide practical guidance on how to overcome them, including how Accentify’s bite-sized lessons, Tify exercises, and professional accent coach feedback can support your improvement journey.

1. Mispronouncing the /æ/ Vowel Sound

The short “a” sound, as in cat, man, or black, doesn’t exist in Russian. Russian speakers often replace it with a sound closer to /ɛ/, like in bed, which can make words like cat sound like ket. This substitution is a direct result of the Russian vowel system, which has fewer distinctions than English. As a result, even advanced speakers may struggle with this sound, affecting intelligibility in casual conversation or professional settings.

This mispronunciation is particularly noticeable in minimal pairs, where vowel differences distinguish words. For example, ship versus sheep or bat versus bet can be confusing to listeners if the vowels aren’t pronounced distinctly. Consistent practice and auditory training are necessary to internalise these subtle differences, as the mouth position and tongue placement differ from Russian norms.

Tip: Focus on opening your mouth slightly wider and lowering your jaw when producing /æ/. Practising minimal pairs repeatedly helps build muscle memory. Accentify’s lessons provide guided examples and exercises to reinforce correct vowel production, making it easier to internalise the sound.

2. Confusing /v/ and /w/ Sounds

Russian has the /v/ sound, but not the /w/ sound found in English. Words like west and vest are often pronounced similarly, which can lead to misunderstandings. This occurs because Russian speakers rely on familiar sounds from their native language, substituting /w/ with /v/, especially in initial positions.

This confusion becomes particularly noticeable in professional or academic contexts where precise pronunciation matters. For instance, saying vest instead of west in a navigation or geography context could change the meaning entirely. Awareness of this distinction is crucial, as English relies heavily on minimal sound differences to convey meaning.

Tip: To master /w/, round your lips and voice the sound gently without vibrating your vocal cords. Practising with words like win, wait, and wonder helps. Accentify allows you to submit recordings for feedback, so you can receive tips on subtle distinctions like this from professional coaches.

3. Dropping the /h/ Sound

English /h/ appears at the beginning of many common words such as hat, home, and happy. Russian speakers often omit this sound, pronouncing words like hat as at. The omission occurs because Russian does not have an aspirated /h/ at the start of words, and speakers unconsciously skip it.

Dropping the /h/ can affect clarity and may confuse listeners. For example, happy pronounced without /h/ could be misheard as appy, which is not a word in English but can cause listeners to pause or ask for clarification. It also gives English speech a noticeably “softened” or muted quality, making it sound less natural.

Tip: Exhale gently without engaging the vocal cords to produce /h/. Practising tongue twisters like “Harry the hungry hippo” or reading aloud while emphasising initial /h/ helps. Accentify’s bite-sized exercises reinforce these sounds with guided practice and feedback.

4. Misplacing Word Stress

English words often have fixed stress patterns that change the meaning of a word. For example, record as a noun (RE-cord) versus a verb (re-CORD). Russian has free stress, meaning stress can fall on any syllable, so speakers may default to their natural rhythm when speaking English.

This can lead to misunderstandings and make speech sound unnatural. Misplaced stress not only alters word recognition but can also impact sentence-level intonation, affecting overall communication. Listeners might struggle to follow if stress patterns deviate consistently from native norms.

Tip: Listen to native speakers carefully and repeat after them, paying attention to which syllables are stressed. Accentify’s lessons provide audio examples and practice exercises that emphasise word stress, helping Russian speakers internalise correct patterns over time.

5. Overpronouncing Unstressed Vowels

English uses the schwa /ə/ in many unstressed syllables, as in about, sofa, or banana. Russian speakers often give every vowel equal weight, pronouncing unstressed vowels fully. This results in speech that sounds rigid and unnatural.

The overpronunciation occurs because Russian is more syllable-timed, where every syllable tends to have equal duration. In English, however, reducing unstressed vowels is essential for natural rhythm and fluency. Overemphasising these vowels can slow speech down and make it sound mechanical or overly formal.

Tip: Practice recognising which syllables are unstressed and reducing them with a light, relaxed vowel sound. Accentify’s exercises guide learners through natural stress patterns, enabling smoother, more fluent English speech.

6. Mispronouncing Diphthongs

English diphthongs, such as /oʊ/ in go or /aɪ/ in my, are often challenging for Russian speakers, as they combine two vowel sounds into one glide. Russian typically uses single, pure vowel sounds, so diphthongs are frequently simplified, leading to mispronunciations like ga for go or ma for my.

This simplification can make speech sound flat and reduce clarity, especially in words where the diphthong distinguishes meaning. Accurate production requires subtle tongue and lip movement that Russian speakers may not instinctively use.

Tip: Break the diphthong into its two vowel components first, then blend them smoothly. Practising with minimal pairs and listening to native pronunciation helps. Accentify’s lessons include examples and voice recording exercises, allowing users to refine diphthongs with professional guidance.

Speak Clearly and Confidently

Russian speakers face specific pronunciation challenges, from vowel distinctions to stress patterns and diphthongs. With targeted practice and structured guidance, these mistakes can be corrected effectively. Accentify offers bite-sized lessons, Tify AI exercises, and professional accent coach feedback, helping learners understand why these mistakes occur and how to overcome them. By practising regularly and receiving expert guidance, Russian speakers can speak English more clearly, naturally, and confidently.

Download Accentify today and start improving your English pronunciation with structured, expert-led support.