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| Phoneme | Spelling | Examples | Pronunciation | Translation | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labiodental | |||||
| /f/ | f | fajka | /fajka/ | pipe | As English “f”, “ph”, but palatalized before “i” (/i, j/ or /′/). The “w” after a voiceless also sounds /f/. |
| w | dziewczyna | /ʒ́efčyna/ | girl | ||
| twój | /tfuj/ | your(s) | |||
| krew | /kref/ | blood | |||
| /v/ | w | wy | /vy/ | you (pl.) | As English “v” (not “w”!), but palatalized before “i” (/i, j/ or /′/). |
| f | Afganistan | /avgańistan/ | Afghanistan | ||
| Dental | |||||
| /s/ | s | syn | /syn/ | son | As English “s” in “son”, but dental, not alveolar. Then, it is pronounced between “s” in “sing” and “th” in “thing”. There is no “th” in Polish. |
| z | walizka | /valiska/ | valise, suitcase | ||
| oraz | /oras/ | as well as; and | |||
| /z/ | z | koza | /koza/ | she-goat | A voiced counterpart to /s/. Between English “z” in “breeze” and “th” in “breathe”. |
| s | fosgen | /fozgen/ | phosgene | ||
| Alveolar-apical | |||||
| /š/ | sz | szafa | /šafa/ | wardrobe | Between English “sh” in “shame”, but without palatalization, and German “sch”, but lips are less rounded. |
| ż | wróżka | /vruška/ | fairy | ||
| nóż | /nuš/ | knife | |||
| rz | gorzki | /gošḱi/ | bitter | After a voiceless “rz” (not “ż”) also sounds /š/. | |
| przerwa | /pšerva/ | break, pause | |||
| Grzegorz | /gžegoš/ | (my first name) | |||
| s | sczepić | /ščepić/ | fasten together | The /s/ or /z/ may assimilate to the following alveo-apical. The process does not occur in slow speaking. | |
| strzał | /ščšaw/ | shot | |||
| z | zszarzeć | /ššažeć/ | turn grey | ||
| bezczelny | /beščelny/ | insolent, checky | |||
| roztrzęsiony | /roščšew̃śony/ | trembling | |||
| /ž/ | ż | może | /može/ | maybe; it may | A voiced counterpart to /š/, spelt “rz” or “ż”. Between English “s” in “pleasure”, “r” in “red” and German “g” in “Genie”. |
| rz | morze | /može/ | sea | ||
| sz | Kaszgar | /kažgar/ | Qashqar, Kashi | ||
| z | bezżenny | /bežženny/ | single, unmarried | ||
| rozrzut | /rožžut/ | dispersion | |||
| bezdrzewny | /bežǯževny/ | treeless | |||
| s | marsżagiel | /maržžagel/ | topsail | ||
| Postdental (prepalatal) | |||||
| /ś/ | ś | coś | /coś/ | something | Between English “sh” in “shame”, but more palatalized, and German “ch” in “ich”, but not so palatal. Spelt “s” before “i” and “si” before other vowels. |
| si | siedem | /śedem/ | 7 | ||
| s | silny | /śilny/ | strong, mighty | ||
| ssiesz | /śśeš/ | you are sucking (sg.) | |||
| ssij | /śśij/ | suck! | |||
| ź | buźka | /buśka/ | mouth; lips | ||
| z | rozścielać | /rośśćelać/ | spread (a blanket) | ||
| zsiadły | /śśadwy/ | clotted; curdled | |||
| bezsilny | /beśśilny/ | powerless | |||
| rozćwierkać się | /rośćf′erkać śe/ | start twittering | |||
| bezcieniowy | /beśćeńovy/ | shadowless | |||
| /ź/ | ź | źrebię | /źreb′e/ | foal, colt | A voiced counterpart to /ś/. It resembles English “s” in “pleasure”, “usual”. Spelt “z” before “i” and “zi” before other vowels. |
| zi | Józio | /juźo/ | Joseph, Josie | ||
| z | zima | /źima/ | winter | ||
| zziajany | /źźajany/ | breathless | |||
| bezdźwięczny | /beźʒ́v′enčny/ | voiceless | |||
| rozdział | /roźʒ́aw/ | chapter; division | |||
| zdziwić | /źʒ́ivić/ | surprise; astonish | |||
| ś | prośba | /proźba/ | request | ||
| Prevelar | |||||
| /x́/ | ch, chi | chichot | /x́ixot/ | giggle, chuckle | Prevelar (palatalized) variant of /x/. It may appear only before “i”, which can denote the vowel /i/, the semivowel /j/, or just palatalization. Spelt “ch” or “h”. |
| marchia | /marx́ja/ | margraviate | |||
| h, hi | Hiszpan | /x́išpan/ | Spaniard | ||
| hieroglif | /x́eroglif/, /x́jeroglif/ | hieroglyph | |||
| Velar | |||||
| /x/ | ch | kochać | /koxać/ | to love | It’s a velar spirant, spelt “ch” or “h”, absent in English. It resembles Scottish or German “ch”, but it is not postvelar / uvular. There is no /h/ in Polish. |
| chemia | /xemja/ | chemistry | |||
| h | huta | /xuta/ | smelting works | ||
| hełm | /xewm/ | helmet | |||
| /ɣ/ | ch | klechda | /kleɣda/ | folk story | It’s a voiced variant of the /x/, used before a voiced consonant. |
| h | Bohdan | /boɣdan/ | (first name) | ||
2009-02-04