Mute letters — the two Russian letters that do not sound at all

The Russian alphabet includes two letters that signify no sound. Centuries ago they denoted certain sounds, but with the passage of time lost that function and now carry only technical meaning.

ь   This letter is called soft sign; it does not make a sound. It indicates the softness of the preceding consonant in accordance with certain rules that you will learn as you go.

ъ   This letter is called hard sign; it does not make a sound. It indicates the hardness of the preceding consonant in accordance with certain rules that you will learn as you go.

Neither of these signs has a capitalized version, as they are never used at the beginning of words.

Obviously, this lesson does not include audio since there is nothing to sound.