In Russian, is the 'ЯЯ' in синяя pronounced 'yaya' or 'aya'?

Question

This question addresses a common point of confusion among students of Russian. The ending '-яя' looks like it might represent two 'я' sounds, but this isn’t the case. Instead, each 'я' serves a different purpose in the word’s structure. Understanding how soft vowels interact with consonants is key to mastering Russian pronunciation.

Answer 1

Technically, the ending '-яя' in синяя is pronounced '-aya' (or '-aja' in some transliterations). However, there are important phonological nuances worth understanding:

1. Palatalization in Russian:
2. Soft vowels like 'я' are not inherently 'soft'; instead, they signal that the preceding consonant is palatalized (soft). In words like синяя, the 'я' does not introduce a full 'y' sound (й or yod) but instead modifies the preceding 'н,' making it soft ('нь').
3. Adjectival Endings:
4. In the case of синий, the stem ends with the soft consonant 'нь.' This soft consonant requires specific adjectival endings like '-ий,' '-ее,' or '-яя,' as in синяя. The '-яя' spelling does not represent two separate 'я' sounds but rather one vowel functioning to complete the adjective's feminine form.
5. Vowel Reduction:
6. In fast, natural speech, the vowels in '-яя' are often reduced to schwa sounds ([ə]). This can make the feminine form синяя sound almost identical to the neuter form синее in connected speech.