Transliteration of Russian into English

There exist many possible systems for transliterating the Cyrillic alphabet of the Russian language to English or the Latin alphabet. Such transliteration is necessary for writing Russian names and other words in English text. It is also essential for the input of Russian text into computer by users who either do not have the keyboard or word processor set up for input of Cyrillic, or else they are not capable of typing rapidly on the distinct Cyrillic keyboard. In the latter case, they would type using a system of transliteration on the QWERTY keyboard and then use an automated tool to convert the text into Cyrillic. Standard Cyrillic-to-English transliteration systems include: Note that the transliteration to other languages can be different (for instance: Russian "Воронин" = English "Voronin" = French "Voronine", Горбачёв = Gorbachev = Gorbatchev, etc.).

Conventional transcription of Russian names

The following table describes a method to derive the most common informal transcriptions of Russian names into the Latin alphabet, suitable for English-speakers. It is similar to BGN/PCGN transliteration, with several exceptions.
Russian letter or letter combination English transliteration Special provisions Examples
А (а) A (a) None Аник = Anik
Пог'''а'''нкино = Pog'''a'''nkino
Б (б) B (b) None Болотин = Bolotin
Кол'''б'''асин = Kol'''b'''asin
В (в) V (v) None Воронин = Voronin
При'''в'''алин = Pri'''v'''alin
Г (г) G (g) None Галкин = Galkin
Лу'''г'''овой = Lu'''g'''ovoy
H (h) When it is a commonly accepted convention [Insert an example]
Д (д) D (d) None Дровяное = Drovyanoye
По'''д'''горск = Po'''d'''gorsk
Е (е) Ye (ye) #In the beginning of words; #after vowels; #after ь; #after ъ. #'''Е'''льцин = Yeltsin #Раздольное = Razdolnoye #Юрьев = Yur'''ye'''v (''ь'' omitted—see ь line below); #Подъездной = Pod'''ye'''zdnoy
E (e) All other cases Б'''е'''лкин = B'''e'''lkin
Ё (ё) Yo (yo) None Ёлкино = Yolkino
Оз'''ё'''рск = Oz'''yo'''rsk
E (e) When it is a commonly accepted convention Горбач'''ё'''в = Gorbach'''e'''v
Ж (ж) Zh (zh) None Жиров = Zhirov
Привол'''ж'''ское = Privol'''zh'''skoye
З (з) Z (z) None Зорин = Zorin
Обо'''з'''ов = Obo'''z'''ov
И (и) I (i) Except in an -ий ending (see below) Иркутск = Irkutsk
Влад'''и'''восток = Vlad'''i'''vostok
Й (й) Y (y) Except in -ый and -ий endings (see below) Йошкар-Ола = Yoshkar-Ola
Бу'''й'''ск = Bu'''y'''sk
I (i) When it is a commonly accepted convention Кра'''й''' = Kra'''i'''
J (j) When it is a commonly accepted convention [Insert an example]
К (к) K (k) None Киров = Kirov
Гал'''к'''ин = Gal'''k'''in
Л (л) L (l) None Лапинск = Lapinsk
Комсомо'''л'''ьск = Komsomo'''l'''sk
М (м) M (m) None Мичурин = Michurin
Колы'''м'''а = Koly'''m'''a
Н (н) N (n) None Нальчик = Nalchik
Сави'''н'''о = Savi'''n'''o
О (о) O (o) None Одесса = Odessa
Гр'''о'''зный = Gr'''o'''zny
П (п) P (p) None Петроград = Petrograd
Ставро'''п'''оль = Stavro'''p'''ol
Р (р) R (r) None Родниковое = Rodnikovoye
Высокого'''р'''ск = Vysokogo'''r'''sk
С (с) S (s) None Ступино = Stupino
Бир'''с'''к = Bir'''s'''k
Т (т) T (t) None Тавричанка = Tavrichanka
Рос'''т'''ов = Ros'''t'''ov
У (у) U (u) None Улетайск = Uletaysk
Ш'''у'''шенское = Sh'''u'''shenskoye
Ф (ф) F (f) None Фёдоровка = Fyodorovka
Кор'''ф'''у = Kor'''f'''u
Ph (ph) When it is a commonly accepted convention [Иоси'''ф''' Сталин = Jose'''ph''' Stalin]
Х (х) Kh (kh) None Хабаровск = Khabarovsk
О'''х'''а = O'''kh'''a
Ц (ц) Ts (ts) None Царское = Tsarskoye
Заре'''ц'''кий = Zare'''ts'''ky
Ч (ч) Ch (ch) None Черемшаны = Cheremshany
Заре'''ч'''енск = Zare'''ch'''ensk
Tch (tch) When it is a commonly accepted convention Чайковский = Tchaikovsky
Ш (ш) Sh (sh) None Шадрин = Shadrin
Мор'''ш'''анск = Mor'''sh'''ansk
Щ (щ) Shch (shch) None Щукино = Shchukino
Ро'''щ'''инский = Ro'''shch'''insky
Sch (sch) When it is a commonly accepted convention Хру'''щ'''ёв = Khru'''sch'''ev
ъ (твёрдый знак) omitted When followed by a vowel Под'''ъ'''ярский = Podyarsky
" When it is a commonly accepted convention [''Insert an example'']
Ы (ы) Y (y) Except in an -ый ending (see below) Ыттык-Кёль = Yttyk-Kyol
Дав'''ы'''дов = Dav'''y'''dov
ь (мягкий знак) omitted #When followed by an iotated vowel; #at the end of words; #before a consonant #Усол'''ь'''е = Usolye #Выхухол'''ь''' = Vykhukhol #Дал'''ь'''негорск = Dalnegorsk
y When followed by a non-iotated vowel Ил'''ь'''инский = Il''y''insky
' When it is a commonly accepted convention Рус'''ь''' = Rus'
Э (э) E (e) None Элиста = Elista
Тетра'''э'''дральный = Tetra'''e'''dralny
Ю (ю) Yu (yu) None Юрмала = Yurmala
Коз'''ю'''чинск = Koz'''yu'''chinsk
Я (я) Ya (ya) None Ярославль = Yaroslavl
Бур'''я'''нск = Bur'''ya'''nsk
Кс (кс) x In names like Alexander and Alexey Але'''кс'''андр = Ale'''x'''ander
Але'''кс'''ей = Ale'''x'''ey
Ks (ks) In all other cases Мо'''кс'''инский = Mo'''ks'''insky
Ксинск = Ksinsk
-ый endings y None Красн'''ый''' = Krasn'''y'''
iy When it is a commonly accepted convention [''Insert an example'']
-ий endings y "-iy" is also acceptable Син'''ий''' = Sin'''y''' (Sin'''iy''')
iy "-y" is also acceptable Велик'''ий''' = Velik'''iy''' (Velik'''y''')
i When it is a commonly accepted convention Юр'''ий''' = Yur'''i'''

Related article

Category:Romanization Category:Russian language ru:Транслит

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