Common English mistakes Russian speakers make, and how to fix them

If your first language is Russian, many of your English mistakes follow Russian grammar and sounds. Russian has no articles, leaves out "is" and "are" in the present tense, can ask a question with intonation alone, and has far fewer vowel sounds than English. Linguists call the result transfer: first-language habits carried into a new language. Speakers of every language do it, and a mistake is easier to catch once you know which Russian pattern is behind it.

The big ones. 1) Missing articles: "I am doctor", "I bought car" → "I'm a doctor", "I bought a car". 2) Dropped "is/are": "She teacher", "I busy" → "She's a teacher", "I'm busy". 3) "I feel myself good" (чувствую себя) → "I feel good". 4) "I can to go", "I must to work" → no "to" after can, must or should. 5) "How do you think?" (как ты думаешь) → "What do you think?". 6) "I am agree" (я согласен) → "I agree"; "explain me" → "explain it to me". 7) Plurals English does not have: "advices", "knowledges", "researches" → advice, knowledge, research. 8) Prepositions translated directly: "on the picture" (на картинке), "in Monday" (в понедельник) → "in the picture", "on Monday". 9) "Learn" for "teach" (учить covers both): "he learned me" → "he taught me". 10) Questions without "do": "Where you live?" → "Where do you live?"; double negatives: "I didn't see nobody" → "I didn't see anybody". 11) Sounds: "w" as "v" ("vest" for "west"), "th" as s or z ("sink" for "think"), "h" as a harsh "kh", and voiced endings that lose their voice ("bag" sounds like "back", "dogs" like "docks").

Knowing the list is the easy part; the habits come back the moment you start talking. Airi is a voice AI partner for that moment: you speak, she answers out loud and shows one small fix at a time, and the conversation keeps moving. You can start free, with no credit card.

A quick example with Airi

Hi Airi. I am engineer, and my wife is teacher.

Nice to meet you! Small fix: "I'm an engineer, and my wife is a teacher." What kind of engineering do you do?

I'm an engineer, and my wife is a teacher. I design bridges. How do you think, is it an interesting job?

I think it is! Small fix: in English we ask "What do you think?" Which bridge are you most proud of?

Try a conversation like this, free600 free credits, about 8 minutes of speaking. No card.

Literal translations from Russian that English listeners notice

Each sentence in the left column is correct Russian translated one word at a time. People usually understand it, but the preposition, verb or word order is not the one English uses. Learn the middle column as ready-made phrases.

Russian speakers often say	Natural English	What Russian does
It depends from the weather.	It depends on the weather.	"Зависит от": "от" usually means "from".
I very like this city.	I really like this city.	"Мне очень нравится": "очень" can strengthen a verb. English "very" cannot, so use "really", or "a lot" at the end.
We with my sister went to Spain.	My sister and I went to Spain.	"Мы с сестрой" is literally "we with sister" and means just the two of you.
Can you make a photo of us?	Can you take a photo of us?	"Сделать фото": "сделать" is "make" or "do".
I was on a meeting all morning.	I was in a meeting all morning.	"На встрече", "на уроке", "на концерте": Russian uses "на" (on) for events. English says "in a meeting", "in class", "at a concert".
I listen music when I run.	I listen to music when I run.	"Слушать музыку" has no preposition.
He said me that he was busy.	He told me that he was busy.	"Сказал мне": English "say" is not followed directly by the person. Use "tell me" or "say to me".
I have a question to you.	I have a question for you.	"Вопрос к вам": "к" usually means "to".
We rested in Turkey last summer.	We went to Turkey on vacation last summer.	"Отдыхать" covers both "rest" and "be on vacation".
"How are you?" "Normal."	"How are you?" "I'm fine, thanks."	"Нормально" is an everyday answer to "как дела?". English "normal" is not used that way; "fine", "good" or "not bad" is.
Is this time comfortable for you?	Is this time convenient for you?	"Удобный" covers both "comfortable" and "convenient". A time is convenient; a chair is comfortable. "Does this time work for you?" is also common.

Russian tense and sentence habits that English handles differently

Russian shows whether an action is finished with pairs of verbs (aspect), such as "делать" and "сделать". It has no perfect or continuous forms, so the choice between "I live", "I'm living" and "I've lived" has no Russian model.

Present tense for "up to now". "Я живу здесь пять лет" is present tense, which gives "I live here five years." English needs the present perfect and "for": "I've lived here for five years."
Future after "if" and "when". "Если я его увижу, я ему скажу" has the future in both halves, hence "If I will see him, I will tell him." After "if" and "when", English uses the present: "If I see him, I'll tell him." "When I finish, I'll text you."
"Would" twice. "Если бы я знал, я бы сказал" has "бы" in both halves, which becomes "If I would know, I would tell you." English puts "would" only in the result: "If I knew, I would tell you."
No shift after a past verb. "Я думал, что ты дома" keeps the present in the second half and turns into "I thought you are at home." English moves the second verb back: "I thought you were at home." "She said she was tired."
Nouns that are plural in Russian but not in English. "Деньги" exists only in the plural and "волосы" is a plural form, so "the money are" and "her hair are" slip out. Say "The money is on the table" and "Her hair is really long."

English vowel and consonant contrasts that Russian does not make

Russian has five or six vowel sounds, far fewer than English, and vowel length never separates one Russian word from another. So two English vowels often land on a single Russian one. Russian also has no "ng" sound. Each row below is a contrast that can change the word a listener hears. A rolled r rarely does, so it can wait.

Contrast	Say both	How to make the difference
The vowels in "ship" and "sheep"	ship / sheep, live / leave	Both tend to come out as Russian "и". For "sheep", spread the lips and hold the vowel. For "ship", relax the lips and tongue, lower the jaw slightly and keep the vowel short.
The vowels in "bed" and "bad"	men / man, said / sad	Both tend to come out as Russian "э". For "bad", "man" and "sad", open the jaw wide and spread the lips. For "bed", "men" and "said", keep the mouth half open.
The vowels in "pull" and "pool"	pull / pool, full / fool	Both tend to come out as Russian "у". For "pool", round the lips tightly and hold the vowel. For "pull", relax the lips and keep it short.
n and "ng"	thin / thing, sin / sing	"Ng" often becomes "n", or a "g" or "k" is added and "thing" turns into "think". Keep the tongue tip down, lift the back of the tongue as for "k", let the air out through the nose and stop there.

Russian-English false friends that change your meaning

Russian word	It does not mean	In English, say
магазин	magazine ("журнал")	store or shop: "I got it at a store downtown."
фамилия	family ("семья")	last name: "How do you spell your last name?"
симпатичный	sympathetic ("сочувствующий")	good-looking, cute or nice: "He's really good-looking."
интеллигентный	intelligent ("умный")	cultured or well-mannered: "Her parents are very cultured people."
актуальный	actual ("настоящий")	relevant, current or up to date: "Is this schedule still up to date?"
рецепт	receipt ("чек")	recipe for cooking, prescription from a doctor: "Can I have the recipe?"
декада	decade ("десятилетие")	ten days: "the first ten days of May". A decade is ten years.
ангина	angina (chest pain from the heart)	tonsillitis or a bad sore throat: "I have tonsillitis."

Watch "sympathetic" and "actual" most closely, because the wrong word still makes a correct English sentence and nobody stops you. "She's very sympathetic" says she understands other people's troubles, not that she is pretty. "The actual price" is the real price, not the latest one.

An eight-minute Airi drill for Russian speakers

Airi answers out loud and shows one small fix at a time. She does not score pronunciation, so use her as a listener. The 600 free credits from signing up with Google last about eight minutes, which is enough for a short run through these steps.

Tell her what to listen for: "My first language is Russian. Please point out when I say 'if I will', 'depends from' or 'I very like'."
Ask her to ask about your plans for next weekend, and put "if" or "when" in every answer: "If it rains, I'll stay home." "When I finish work, I'll go to the gym."
Tell her how long two things have been true: "I've lived in this apartment for two years." "I've known my best friend since school."
Test one sound pair. Ask her "What do you think of when you hear the word 'sheep'?" If her answer is about boats, she heard "ship": hold the vowel longer and ask again.
Each time a small fix appears, repeat her version aloud before you answer the next question.
Next session, choose different rows from the tables. She remembers your name and your last topic.

How to get the most from it

A singular countable noun needs a word in front

"A doctor", "the car", "my idea": use a, an, the, or a word like "my" or "this". When "car" or "doctor" stands alone, check what is missing.

No "to" after can, must or should

"I can go." "You should try it." "We must leave now." The next verb follows directly.

Keep the voice on at the end

"Bag" is not "back", and "dogs" is not "docks". Hold the vowel a little longer before a voiced ending: listeners use that extra length as well as the consonant.

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Frequently asked questions

Why are articles so hard for Russian speakers?

Russian has no articles, so nothing in your first language tells you when one is needed. English asks you to choose for almost every noun: "a" for one of many ("I bought a car"), "the" when the listener knows which one ("The car is outside"), and nothing for things in general ("I like cars"). The rule is short; using it at speaking speed takes practice out loud.

Is 'I feel myself good' wrong?

Yes. Russian "чувствую себя" needs "себя", but English "feel" takes no "myself" when you describe how you are. To an English ear, "I feel myself" suggests touching your own body. Say "I feel good", "I feel tired" or "I don't feel well."

Which of these mistakes should I fix first?

Start with the ones that change your meaning: false friends such as "sympathetic" and "actual", sound pairs such as "ship" and "sheep", and endings that turn "bag" into "back". A missing article or "depends from" is usually still understood, so it can come next. Airi shows one small fix at a time, so you work on one thing per reply.

Is a Russian accent a problem in English?

No. An accent is not a mistake, and a rolled r rarely stops anyone from understanding you. What is worth practicing is the short list of contrasts that turn one word into another, such as "ship" and "sheep", "bed" and "bad", "thin" and "thing", and voiced endings like the "g" in "bag".

Can I practice with Airi in Russian?

No. Airi speaks English only, and her small fixes are in English too. You can tell her in English that Russian is your first language and name the patterns you want her to watch for, such as "if I will" or a missing "a".

Is it free to try?

Yes. Airi runs in the web browser, so there is nothing to install. Signing up with Google gives you 600 free credits, about eight minutes of speaking, with no credit card. After that there are one-off packs of 2,600, 7,200 or 17,000 credits for USD 5, 10 or 20, and no subscription.

Last updated: 2026-10-03