Thread: Proper Pronuncition or Joke?

Nice explanation for the Russian accents variety. But I have one question to ask now

Originally Posted by Боб Уайтман

its most prominent feature is the fricative "г", which is pronounced as [ɣ] in IPA (technically, it is a voiced counterpart of the Russian "х").

I don't quite understand that, well I understand the thought, but I thought that the Russian "х" is voiced as well. So how can be the Ukrainian like "г" can be a voiced counterpart of "х". I mean they're both voiced.

And I don't claim that what I said is true. I may be deluded anyway. I'm just interested in that now.

Originally Posted by iCake

Nice explanation for the Russian accents variety. But I have one question to ask now



I don't quite understand that, well I understand the thought, but I thought that the Russian "х" is voiced as well. So how can be the Ukrainian like "г" can be a voiced counterpart of "х". I mean they're both voiced.

And I don't claim that what I said is true. I may be deluded anyway. I'm just interested in that now.

How did you come to the conculsion the Russian "х" is voiced? You are a native speaker, aren't you It is a voiceless consonant. This is that sound: Voiceless velar fricative - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
It can only become voiced when followed by a voiced consonant immediately (i.e. without a pause), any of "б, д, г, ж, з". Compare (sorry for the rude example, but it is only for the pronunciation sake): Он сдох (voiceless final "х"), but Он сдох бы (assimilative voicing takes place). Although Russians do not usually notice this voicing.

Moreover, the southern Russian "г" and the Ukrainian "г" are not the same! It's a mistake when some people think they are the same.
Souhern Russian "г" is exactly the voiced counterpart of "х": Voiced velar fricative - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The Ukrainian "г" is the voiced counterpart of English "h" in "hot": Voiced glottal fricative - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
And the English "h" in "hot" itself: Voiceless glottal fricative - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.