#39 Akanye and Okanye in Russian

In Russian, the spelling of a word and its actual pronunciation do not always match. One of the most typical examples is the pronunciation of unstressed о.

For example, in вода́ (water), the stress in standard Russian falls on the final а́, so the first о is pronounced with a sound close to “a.”

Two important pronunciation features related to this unstressed о are о́канье (okanye) and а́канье (akanye). Both are important for understanding Russian pronunciation and dialects, and modern standard Russian is primarily characterized by akanye.

In this article, I will explain the differences between akanye and okanye and their relationship with standard Russian.

1. What Are Akanye and Okanye?

Akanye and okanye are pronunciation features related to unstressed о and а in Russian.

In Russian, vowel pronunciation changes depending on whether a vowel is stressed. The vowel о is particularly affected and, in an unstressed position, may be pronounced differently from the “o” sound suggested by its spelling.

Akanye refers to the loss of the pronunciation distinction between unstressed о and а, with both being pronounced identically or similarly to an “a” sound. Okanye, by contrast, preserves the distinction between unstressed о and а, with о remaining closer to an “o” sound and а closer to an “a” sound.

The difference can be summarized as follows.

• Akanye（А́канье）
  — In unstressed positions, the pronunciation distinction between о and а is lost, and о is pronounced identically or similarly to а.
• Okanye（О́канье）
  — Even in unstressed positions, the distinction between о and а is preserved, and о is pronounced with a sound closer to “o.”

For example, in вода́ (water), the first о is unstressed. Under akanye, it is therefore pronounced with a sound close to “a,” whereas under okanye, it remains closer to “o.”

This difference is not simply an individual pronunciation habit. It is one of the important features used to classify Russian dialects. Akanye is found in Southern Russian dialects and in some Central Russian dialects, including those around Moscow, whereas okanye is known as a characteristic feature of Northern Russian dialects.

The standard Russian pronunciation generally taught to foreign learners is based on akanye. For this reason, if you are learning Russian, it is important to become familiar with akanye first.

2. Characteristics of Akanye

Akanye refers to the loss of the pronunciation distinction between unstressed о and а. In standard Russian, unstressed о is pronounced with a sound close to “a.”

For example, in вода́ (water), the stress falls on the final а́, which is pronounced as a normal stressed “a” sound. The first о, however, is unstressed and is therefore pronounced not as a clear “o,” but with a sound closer to “a” in standard Russian.

The same applies to unstressed о in words such as:

• окно́ — window
• Москва́ — Moscow
• хорошо́ — well
• молоко́ — milk

For example, in Москва́, the stress falls on the final а́, so the first о is not pronounced as a clear “o.” Instead, it becomes closer to “a.” As a result, the actual Russian pronunciation is closer to “Maskvá” than “Moskva.”

An important point in akanye is vowel reduction, in which unstressed vowels are pronounced more weakly.

However, akanye does not mean that every unstressed о is simply replaced by an “a” sound. Actual Russian pronunciation is somewhat more complex.

The pronunciation of unstressed о and а changes depending on how far the syllable is from the stressed syllable.

For example, unstressed о or а immediately before a stressed syllable is generally pronounced with a sound close to [ɐ]. In other unstressed positions, the vowel may be reduced even further and may approach [ə].

As a result, the two unstressed instances of о in молоко́ are not pronounced in exactly the same way.

At the beginner level, this is often simplified as “a sound close to ‘a,’” but in actual pronunciation, the degree of reduction changes depending on the position of the stress.

3. Characteristics of Okanye

Okanye refers to the pronunciation feature in which unstressed о is still pronounced with a sound close to the written “o.”

Let us once again consider вода́ (water).

In this word, the stress falls on the final а́, while the first о is unstressed. In standard Russian, which has akanye, this о is pronounced with a sound close to “a.”

In dialects with okanye, however, the first о is also pronounced with a sound close to “o.” As a result, вода́ is pronounced more like “vodá,” with the о clearly preserved.

Okanye is not a phenomenon limited to particular words. It has traditionally been found in various dialects of northern Russia. For example, Northern Russian dialects spoken in areas including Vologda and Arkhangelsk are well known for okanye as one of their characteristic features.

4. The Geographic Distribution of Akanye and Okanye

Akanye and okanye have different regional distributions.

Russian dialects are often broadly divided into Northern Russian, Central Russian, and Southern Russian dialects. The pronunciation of unstressed о and а is one of the major features used to distinguish these dialect groups.

Okanye is primarily associated with Northern Russian dialects. In traditional dialects of northern Russia, unstressed о is pronounced closer to “o,” while а remains closer to “a.”

Akanye, by contrast, is found in Southern Russian dialects and in some Central Russian dialects.

In areas characterized by akanye, unstressed о is pronounced similarly to а. Dialects around Moscow also display akanye, and this pronunciation later became incorporated into standard Russian.

Central Russian dialects, however, contain a mixture of northern and southern features. Not all Central Russian dialects have the same pronunciation, and some areas have okanye while others have akanye.

Broadly speaking, the distribution can therefore be summarized as follows.

• Northern Russian dialects — okanye is characteristic.
• Central Russian dialects — both okanye and akanye occur depending on the region.
• Southern Russian dialects — akanye is characteristic.

Modern standard Russian pronunciation is primarily based on akanye. This is closely related to the strong influence that the speech of Moscow had on the formation of standard Russian.

Today, however, standard Russian has spread widely throughout Russia through education, television, the internet, and other forms of mass communication. Therefore, it does not necessarily follow that someone living in the north speaks with okanye or that someone living in the south speaks with akanye. The regional differences described here should be understood mainly as tendencies of traditional Russian dialects.

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5. Summary

Akanye and okanye are pronunciation features concerning unstressed о and а in Russian.

Their main characteristics can be summarized as follows.

In standard Russian, vowel pronunciation changes considerably depending on whether a vowel is stressed.

Therefore, when you study Russian as a foreign language, I recommend paying particular attention to akanye, since it is a fundamental feature of standard Russian pronunciation.

Yuri Miyajima

Writer

I’m a Japanese writer with a deep interest in Russia. Through my articles, I explore a wide range of topics related to the country, including its culture, history, traditions, food, everyday life, and language.