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

• The United Nations-recommended romanization system (1987), based on GOST. Used in the Russian Federation and increasingly in international cartographic products.
• GOST 16876-71 (1983), from the Main Administration of Geodesy and Cartography of the former Soviet Union. Russian abbreviation of GOsudarstvenny STandart, "the State Standard".
• ISO 9:1995, from the International Organization for Standardization.
• America Library Association & Library of Congress (ALA-LC) Romanization tables for Slavic alphabets (1997), used in North American libraries.
• BGN/PCGN 1947 transliteration system (United States Board on Geographic Names & Permanent Committee on Geographical Names for British Official Use).

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
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	[''Insert an example'']
ъ (твёрдый знак)	omitted	When followed by е	Под'''ъ'ездной = Podyezdnoy
	y	When followed by a vowel other than е	Под'''ъ'''ярский = Pod'''y'''yarsky
	"	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 е; #at the end of words; #before a consonant	#Усол'''ь'''е = Usolye #Выхухол'''ь''' = Vykhukhol #Дал'''ь'''негорск = Dalnegorsk
	y	When followed by a vowel other than е	Ил'''ь'''инский = Il''y''insky
	'	When it is a commonly accepted convention	[''Insert an example'']
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'''ей = Ale'''x'''ey
	Ks (ks)	In all other cases	Мо'''кс'''инский = Mo'''ks'''insky Ксинск = Ksinsk
-ий and -ый endings	iy, y,	i, for some proper names when it is conventional	Красн'''ый''' = Krasn'''y'''

Related article

• Volapuk encoding

External links

• Summary of romanization systems for Russian (PDF) by Thomas T. Pederson.
• United Nations-recommended romanization system for Russian (PDF)
• American Library Association & Library of Congress Romanization

Category:Romanization

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