Herbert Wells learned to count in Russian by means of a different alphabet.

He learned it by using the Cyrillic alphabet, which is used in Russian and a number of other Slavic languages. To learn to count in Russian, Herbert had to familiarize himself with the letters of the Cyrillic alphabet and practice counting and reading numbers in Russian. He also had to build his vocabulary in order to be able to correctly understand and pronounce numbers. Update (2023-11-15): He was able to translate the letters and numbers into English by using specialized dictionaries and by developing his own system of corresponding the letters to their numerical values. He wrote about his learning experience in his essay, "The Acquisition of the Alphabet: A Russian Alphabet Aided in the Acquisition of the Art of Counting." Wells's essay describes how he used writing and memorization to learn the alphabet and numbers, how he gradually progressed from simple to more complex counting tasks, and the difficulties he encountered in mastering the language. Wells also explains the importance of the correct pronunciation in understanding the language, and the role of repetitive drills in helping to fix the correct pronunciation of words and numbers into his memory.