Quick answer
Я = ya at the start of a word or after a vowel. After a consonant it softens it and sounds like a plain “a”: мя́со = “myaso”.
Яя
Яя
ya
яI
How to say it
Say “yard” and keep the first sound. After a consonant, aim for the “nya” in the English pronunciation of “Sonya”.
яI
я́блокоapple
мя́соmeat
пятьfive
Росси́яRussia
фами́лияsurname
A letter that is a word
Я means “I” — and unlike English, it is not capitalised in the middle of a sentence: Сего́дня я до́ма.
Two jobs, like е and ю
At the start of a word or after a vowel it is “ya”. After a consonant it does not add a y — it softens the consonant instead. Same logic as е, ё and ю.
Typical mistakes
Capitalising я mid-sentence
lower case
Only вы is sometimes capitalised, in formal letters.
мя́со as “mi-ya-so”
“myása”
After a consonant, я is one soft syllable.
Check yourself
Which word contains Я?
я — I.