Ъ - it's "hard sign". It's used when one should divide a word without softening the preceding consonant. It works like "y" in the word "canyon". In one science book I have read that one of two letters in Russian - "Ъ" and "Й" would be superfluous. The both make the same work but "Ъ" is used after consonants whereas "Й" - after vowels only. That's it. Ь - it's "soft sign". Its functions are the same but it softens the preceding consonant. If a consonant can't sound "hard" way in common (like "Ч") one would always use "Ь". Furthermore, "Ь" can be placed in the end of a word after a consonant. The consonant sounds "soft" way in that case. For example, "МОЛ" - 'a pier' - Л sounds hard way "МОЛЬ" - 'a moth' - Л sounds soft way. Hope this helps. Good luck!

Здравствуйте! Буквы перед и после буквы Ъ читаются твёрдо и чётко, эта буква как-будто разделяет слово на две части: под ъ езд, под ъ ём, об ъ ём, от ъ ехать (буквы д, б, т читаются твёрдо). Буква Ь смягчает согласные буквы, которые находятся перед ней: соловьи, петь, корень (буквы в, т, н произносятся мягко).

they are 'virtual vowels'. One i-like and one o-like. THat is how they act. If you know how 1) how е-я-ю-ё are prounounced after vowels ( /ye/ /ya/ /yu/ /yo/) . They are pronounced the same way AFTER ь/ъ. "И" after -ь slighly changes as well. 2) how consonats are pronunced BEFORE я-и-е-ё-ю on one hand (become soft) and -о-а-ы-у on the other hand (becoem hard) You know how they are pronoucned before ь and ъ.

When reading both signs just imagine that the word is devided in two by them. Ъ - подъезд = под/езд Ь - семья = сем'/я in this case just soften the letter that stands before "Ь"

watch here) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mPzrEgdA8I