Part 5/8:
The vowel sounds in Russian can be somewhat complex, including 10 vowels in total. The primary vowels, however, are the critical components, with some creating variations such as "ё" (yo) and "я" (ya). For example, "а" (a) will always sound the same, whereas "о" (o) alternates between “o” and “a” depending on stress. Understanding how stress affects pronunciation is essential, especially since unstressed vowels can alter a word's sound completely, leading to differences in meaning.
Words like "мало" (malo) provide an example where the non-stressed "о" shifts to make an "а" sound in casual speech. As a learner, identifying where the stress falls can greatly assist in achieving correct pronunciation.