Pronunciation and the alphabet
the Polish alphabet:
a (a)
ą (ą)
b (be)
c (ce)
ć (ć / cie)
d (de)
e (e)
ę (ę)
f (ef)
g (gie)
h (ha)
i (i)
j (jot)
k (ka)
l (el)
ł (eł)
m (em)
n (en)
ń (ń / eń)
o (o)
ó (u)
p (pe)
r (er)
s (es)
ś (ś / eś)
t (te)
u (u)
w (wu)
x (iks)
y (y / igrek)
z (zet)
ź (ź / ziet)
ż (żet)
In Polish there are also digraphs – combination of two letters which have their own sounds:
ch, ci, cz, dz, dzi, dź, dż, ni, si, sz, rz, zi
vowels:
a, e, i, o, ó=u, y
nasal
ą, ę
consonants:
voiced
b, d, g, w, z, ź = zi, ż = rz, dz, dź = dzi, dż
m, n, r, l, ł, j
unvoiced
p, t, k, f, s, ś = si, sz, c, ć = ci, cz, ch = h
Note:
In Polish the stress on the words is fixed and is generally placed on the penultimate syllable: ko-szu-la. In the case of some nouns of foreign origin, the stress is placed on the third syllable from the end:
fi-zy-ka.
Rules of pronunciation:
- ś, ź, ć, dź, ń are soft consonants, similar to every consonant followed by i (e.g.
bilet – a ticket). To pronounce a soft consonant, you touch the palate with your tongue.
- ą, ę when preceded by consonants w, f, z, s, ż, sz, ź, c, ch, or at the end of a word, are pronounced with a nasal a, e, for example:
wąsy (moustache),
idą (they go),
wąż (a snake),
mięso (meat),
męski (masculine),
język (a language, a tongue)
- ą, ę when preceded by consonants l, ł are pronounced as o, e, for example:
wziął (he took),
objął (he embraced),
zaczął (he began),
wzięli (they took),
objęli (they embraced),
zaczęli (they began)
- a, ę when preceded by consonants p, b are pronounced as om, em, for example:
gołąbki (stuffed cabbage leaves),
ząb (a tooth),
dąb (an oak),
zęby (teeth),
przeziębienie (a cold),
bębenek (a drum)
- ą, ę when preceded by other consonants are pronounced as on, en, for example:
obowiązki (duties),
pączek (a doughnut),
kąt (an angle),
pięć (five),
dziesięć (ten),
okręt (a ship)
- c – is pronounced as ts in tsar, for example:
cebula (an onion),
widelec (a fork),
cytryna (a lemon)
- ć = ci – is pronounced as chee in cheese (a soft c), for example:
ciepły (warm),
pięć (five),
ciocia (an aunt)
- cz is pronounced as chea in cheap, for example:
oczy (eyes),
czekolada (a chocolate),
cześć (hi, hello)
- dz is pronounced as ds in islands, for example:
do widzenia (goodbye),
zwiedzać (to visit),
dzwon (a bell),
pieniądze (money)
- dź = dzi – is pronounced as soft dz, for example:
poniedziałek (Monday),
dzień (a day),
chodzić (to go, to walk)
- dż is pronounced as ge in George, for example:
dżem (jam),
dżungla (a jungle),
dżokej (a jockey)
- g is pronounced as g in give, for example:
gołąbki (stuffed cabbage leaves),
zegar (a clock),
gitara (a guitar),
jogurt (yoghurt)
- h = ch is pronounced as h in history, for example:
hotel (a hotel),
chusteczka (a tissue),
chirurg (a surgeon)
- j is pronounced as y in yes, for example:
jogurt (a yoghurt),
jajko (an egg),
ja (I)
- ł is pronounced as w in watch, for example:
szkoła (a school),
małpa (a monkey),
ławka (a bench)
- ń = ni is pronounced as soft n, for example:
niedziela (Sunday),
pomarańcza (an orange),
koń (a horse)
- ó = u is pronounced as oo in book, for example:
ucho (an ear),
jutro (tomorrow),
truskawka (a strawberry),
ogórek (a cucumber)
- ś = si is pronounced as sh in she (a soft s), for example:
środa (Wednesday),
siedem (seven),
wieś (countryside)
- sz is pronounced as sh in dish, for example:
szkoła (a school),
szynka (ham),
zeszyt (a notebook)
- rz = ż is pronounced as si in vision, for example:
rzeka (a river),
plaża (a beach),
brzuch (a stomach)
- w is pronounced as v in velvet, for example:
winogrona (grapes),
rower (a bike),
woda (water)
- y is pronounced as i in it, for example:
szyja (a neck),
ryba (a fish),
syn (a son),
wysoki (tall)
- ź = zi is pronounced like a soft s, for example:
jezioro (a lake),
źle (wrong),
zimno (cold)
Voiced consonants have their voiceless counterparts (see the table), and these are pronounced as voiceless if they are at the end of a word or next to an unvoiced consonant, for example:
b is pronounced as p (
(
chleb – a bread)
d is pronounced as t (
(
obiad – a dinner)
dz is pronounced as c (
wódz – a leader)
dź is pronounced as ć (
niedźwiedź – a bear)
dż is pronounced as cz (
brydż – bridge)
g is pronounced as k (
dźwig – a crane)
rz, ż is pronounced as sz (
(
cmentarz – a cemetery)
w is pronounced as f (
(
marchew – a carrot)
z is pronounced as s (
(
krajobraz – a landscape)
ź is pronounced as ś (
gałąź – a branch)
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