The influence of a learner’s native language on second language pronunciation is one of the central issues in phonetic and phonological acquisition research. This study examines how native-language phonetic systems affect the pronunciation of Russian as a foreign language. Drawing on theories of cross-linguistic influence and interlanguage phonology, the paper analyzes typical pronunciation deviations observed among foreign students learning Russian. The research highlights phonetic transfer, prosodic interference, and segmental substitution as the main mechanisms of native-language influence. The findings demonstrate that learners tend to interpret unfamiliar Russian sounds through the phonological categories of their first language, which results in systematic pronunciation patterns rather than random errors. The study emphasizes the pedagogical importance of contrastive phonetic training and targeted pronunciation practice.

Native language transfer, Russian pronunciation, phonetic interference

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