How to pronounce and spell 'Kyiv', and why it matters

[Igel]

10. Close.

Problem is that и in Russian is very like English "ee", but и in Ukrainian is laxer, a bit back, and not "ee." Not quite like the "i" it "it," either.

The two vowels in Київ are not identical. I never nailed the vowel sound transliterated as "y" (keeping in mind that there's also a consonant y, but that Ukrainian has a sound change u / v and "и" / y that affects the word for "and" and preposition or prefix for "in" (a few other words, too).

The в also has a lot of variation in Ukrainian, from more "w" in the west to more "f" in the east (because of Russian-language influence).