# Forum Learning Russian Language Getting Started with Russian  Щ!

## Daveyb

OK, I give up!  My beautiful Russian g/f tells me that the subject symbol is a 'shya' as do about half of the websites and books I can find. No problems-until I read the others which proudly tell me that in fact it's a 'shch'-is it just me or is that COMPLETELY different?! 
Can anybody cast any further light on this please?! 
TIA

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## Dogboy182

Yes. 
It is just a slightly heavier "sh". the reason they say (lie) shch, is beyond me ! i think they are stupid if they write this and should be forced to eat 10,000 bowls of borsh.  
also ...   http://masterrussian.net/mforum/view...&highlight=lie

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## Daveyb

> Yes.  
> It is just a slightly heavier "sh". the reason they say (lie) shch, is beyond me ! i think they are stupid if they write this and should be forced to eat 10,000 bowls of borsh.

 Thanks Dogboy, the hyperlink was very useful-obviously a lot of controversy on th subject! I think I can see the difference between щ and ш now-tend to agree with you tho'!  
DaveyB

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## ronnoc37

While I was learning the alphabet, this same thing confused me also, but even more. At first, I thought that the hard 'sh' was to be pronounced with a combination sound of sh and ch. In other words, with two different sounds.  I will blame the insufficient and incompetent pronounciation guides rather than my own thick skull.
When I visited Russia I was quickly and very humorously corrected. 
 My fiance explained to me that the soft 'sh' sound is made the same as the harder one, only longer and more forcefully. 
  I don't even want to talk about the trouble I had with the 'bl' pronounciation.

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## Bratan_usa

*i still dont get it.. so is щ a "shya" sound or "sch" ??? please tell me*  ::

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## chaika

Включайте спикеры (или как бишь их) —  http://www.gwu.edu/%7Eslavic/golosa/aud ... etters.mp3 
Ш и Щ по-моему произносятся очень близко но не идентично. Согласны?

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## Линдзи

OMFG, not another thread on this letter. 
Now it's only a matter of time before some sub-literate self-styled linguist fool comes in and insists that it's a schwa sound or something.  Way to go, Davey.   ::

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## Dogboy182

Well if his beautiful russian girlfriend insists... it must be true. 
what are gf's good for. Silly gfs.

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