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== Pronunciation==
== Pronunciation==
Here are the letters with approximate pronunciations in English:
Here's a table of the letters with approximate pronunciations in English:
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Cyrillic
!Latin
!English equivalent pronunciation
|-
|'''Аа'''
|Aa
|A (simply ''''ah'''<nowiki/>')
|-
|'''Бб'''
|Bb
|B
|-
|'''Вв'''
|Vv
|V
|-
|'''Гг'''
|Gg
|G (like in ''''G'''raph')
|-
|'''Дд'''
|Dd
|D
|-
|'''Ђђ'''
|Đđ
|J (like in "'''J'''ay")
|-
|'''Ее'''
|Ee
|E (similar to ''''eh'''<nowiki/>', or the French '''é''')
|-
|'''Жж'''
|Žž
|Zh (like the '''G''' in 'Delu'''g'''e')
|-
|'''Зз'''
|Zz
|Z
|-
|'''Ии'''
|Ii
|EE (like in 'Sp'''ee'''d')
|-
|'''Јј'''
|Jj
|Y (like in 'Yellow')
|-
|'''Кк'''
|Kk
|K
|-
|'''Лл'''
|Ll
|L
|-
|'''Љљ'''
|Lj lj
|Compound of '''L''' and '''J'''
|-
|'''Мм'''
|Mm
|M
|-
|'''Нн'''
|Nn
|N
|-
|'''Њњ'''
|Nj nj
|Compound of '''N''' and '''J''' (sounding like the Spanish '''Ñ''')
|-
|'''Оо'''
|Oo
|O (simply ''''oh'''<nowiki/>')
|-
|'''Пп'''
|Pp
|P
|-
|'''Рр'''
|Rr
|R (rolled the same way in Russian)
|-
|'''Сс'''
|Ss
|S
|-
|'''Тт'''
|Tt
|T
|-
|'''Ћћ'''
|Ćć
|Tch (like in 'Swi'''tch'''<nowiki/>' sometimes mistaken for '''Č''')
|-
|'''Уу'''
|Uu
|Oo (like in 'F'''oo'''d')
|-
|'''Фф'''
|Ff
|F
|-
|'''Хх'''
|Hh
|H
|-
|'''Цц'''
|Cc
|Ts (like in 'Ca'''ts'''<nowiki/>')
|-
|'''Чч'''
|Čč
|Ch (like in ''''Ch'''ildren')
|-
|'''Џџ'''
|Dž dž
|Compound of '''D''' and '''Ž''' (sometimes sounds like '''Đ''')
|-
|'''Шш'''
|Šš
|Sh (like in ''''Sh'''ush')
|}
Perhaps the most striking difference between Latin and Cyrillic is the appearance of "Compound letters". "Љ", "Њ", and "Џ" are just two letters put together, much the same compound ''words'' in English. These can be tricky, because you technically don't need them, and if you hear the sound for "Љ" in a word, you might forget to write its dedicated letter. While writing "Љ" as separate letters 'Л' and 'Ј' wouldn't change the pronunciation of the word, it's proper to write the compound letter. In addition, be warned that "Џ" and "Ђ" can sound very similar, and may take time to properly distinguish them in Serbian speech. "Ч" and "Ћ" will also sound similar at first.


<big>'''Aa''' - A ('ah')</big>
If you take the time to study these letters, and consult this page when reading your first few sentences in Cyrillic, it's quite easy to memorize the alphabet.


<big>'''Бб''' - B (Same as English)</big>
For getting the proper pronunciation, and keeping with the theme of this site, a way to learn is by listening to Serbian music. You can find the lyrics for some songs online quite easily, and some YouTube videos may even have them in closed captions (CC), along with translations. If you ever need to search for them, the Serbian word for "Lyrics" is "Текст" or "Tekst". If you search for the lyrics using the Cyrillic "Текст" you're more likely to get Cyrillic results, as opposed to searching with Serbian Latin letters. Be aware that it's extremely rare for Bosnian songs to have Cyrillic text because Bosnians exclusively use the Serbian Latin alphabet, except for their Bosnian-Serb population.  
 
<big>'''Вв''' - V (Same as English)</big>
 
<big>'''Гг'''  - G (Same as English)</big>
 
<big>'''Дд -''' D (Same as English)</big>
 
<big>'''Ђђ''' - J (like the '''J''' in "'''J'''ay")</big>
 
<big>'''Ее''' - E (Pronounced "Eh")</big>
 
<big>'''Жж''' - 'Zh' (Pronounced like the G in "Delu'''g'''e")</big>
 
<big>'''Зз''' - Z (Just like '''Z'''ebra)</big>
 
<big>'''Ии''' - 'EE' (like the '''E'''<nowiki/>'s in N'''ee'''d)</big>
 
<big>'''Jj'''  - Y (Like the 'Y' in "'''Y'''es")</big>
 
<big>'''Кк''' - K (Same as English)</big>
 
<big>'''Лл''' - L (Same as English)</big>
 
<big>'''Љљ''' - LY (Compound letter of L and Y "Lj")</big>
 
<big>'''Мм''' - M (Same)</big>
 
<big>'''Нн''' - N (Same)</big>
 
<big>'''Њњ''' - NY (Like Љ but N and Y "Nj")</big>
 
<big>'''Oo''' - O (Pronounced like "oh")</big>
 
<big>'''Пп''' - P (Like the '''P''' in '''P'''ronounced)</big>
 
<big>'''Рр''' - R (Except the R "Rolls" like the Russian language)</big>
 
<big>'''Cc''' - S (Same)</big>
 
<big>'''Тт''' -  T (Exactly the same)</big>
 
<big>'''Ћћ''' - 'Tch' (Like the "'''tch'''" at the end of "Swi'''tch'''")</big>
 
<big>'''Уу''' - 'OO' (like the "'''oo'''" in "Sh'''oo'''t" and the "'''u'''" in "Ch'''u'''te")</big>
 
<big>'''Фф''' - F (Same)</big>
 
<big>'''Хх''' - H (Same)</big>
 
<big>'''Цц''' - 'Ts' (like the "'''ts'''" on the end of "Ca'''ts'''")</big>
 
<big>'''Чч''' - 'Ch' (Like the "'''Ch'''" in "'''Ch'''ild")</big>
 
<big>'''Џџ''' - None (The letters Д and Ж put together)</big>
 
<big>'''Шш''' - 'Sh' (Just like the "'''Sh'''" in "'''Sh'''u'''sh'''")</big>
 
Nearly all the sounds of the Serbian alphabet are found in English.
 
Perhaps the most striking difference between Latin and Cyrillic is the appearance of "Compound letters". "Љ", "Њ", and "Џ" are just two letters put together, much the same compound ''words'' in English. These can be tricky, because you technically don't need them. If you hear the "Љ" sound in a word, you might forget to write its letter, and instead put "Лј" because it would sound the exact same. But if you're writing in Serbian Cyrillic, and you hear these letters put together, you need to write their compound letters. In addition, be warned that "Џ" and "Ђ" sound very similar, and it will take you a while to properly distinguish them in Serbian speech. "Ч" and "Ћ" will also sound similar at first.
 
If you take the time to study these letters, and consult this page when you're reading your first few sentences in Cyrillic, you'll pick it up in no time.
 
For getting the proper pronunciation, and keeping with the theme of this site, a way to learn is by listening to Serbian music. You can find the lyrics for some songs online quite easily, and some YouTube videos may even have them in closed captions (CC), along with translations. If you ever need to search for them, the Serbian word for "Lyrics" is "Текст" or "Tekst". If you search for the lyrics using the Cyrillic "Текст" will get Cyrillic results, as opposed to searching with Serbian Latin. Be aware that it's extremely rare for Bosnian songs to have Cyrillic text because Bosnians exclusively use the Serbian Latin alphabet, except for their Bosnian-Serb population.  


Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian have slight differences but they can understand each other perfectly fine, they're nearly identical. It would take some time before a new speaker could understand the differences.
Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian have slight differences but they can understand each other perfectly fine, they're nearly identical. It would take some time before a new speaker could understand the differences.


When you start saying words in Serbian, try and stay away from warping your mouth into an obvious or stereotypical Russian accent, it's really not needed. English has every sound a Serbian letter can make, with the exception of the "rolling R". The rest can just be spoken like you're speaking Serbian words with your normal accent for English. It might seem small, but it's really wasted effort when you actually start speaking.
It may be tempting to use an obvious or stereotypical Russian accent when first speaking, but it's really not needed. English has nearly every sound a Serbian letter can make, with the exception of the "rolling R". The rest can just be spoken like you're speaking Serbian words with your normal accent for English. It might seem small, but it's really wasted effort when you actually start speaking.


Good luck learning Serbian.
Good luck learning Serbian.
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