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Click a word to hear its pronunciation
| Phoneme | Spelling | Examples | Pronunciation | Translation | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labial | |||||
| /p/ | p | mapa | /mapa/ | map | Like English “p” in “spy”, never aspirated. |
| b | rybka | /rypka/ | small fish | ||
| dąb | /domp/ | oak | |||
| /b/ | b | ryba | /ryba/ | fish | Like English “b”. The voiced counterpart to /p/. |
| p | łapże | /wabže/ | do catch! | ||
| Dental | |||||
| /t/ | t | tata | /tata/ | dad | Like English “t” in “stay”, but dental (not alveolar) and never aspirated. |
| d | kłódka | /kwutka/ | padlock | ||
| miód | /m′ut/ | honey | |||
| /d/ | d | idę | /ide/ | I am walking | Like English “d”, but dental (not alveolar). The voiced counterpart to /t/. |
| t | futbol | /fudbol/ | football (game) | ||
| Prevelar | |||||
| /ḱ/ | ki | kiedy | /ḱedy/ | when | Similar to English “k” in “ski”, never aspirated. Possible before /j, i, e/ and /o/ only. |
| kiosk | /ḱosk/ | news-stand | |||
| k | spartakiada | /spartaḱjada/ | athletic meet | ||
| kino | /ḱino/ | cinema | |||
| /ǵ/ | gi | giez | /ǵes/ | gadfly | Similar to English “g” in “geese”. The voiced counterpart to /ḱ/. Possible before /j, i, e/ and /o/ only. |
| giętki | /ǵentḱi/ | flexible; elastic | |||
| giąć | /ǵońć/ | bend; bow | |||
| g | energia | /enerǵja/ | energy | ||
| gil | /ǵil/ | bullfinch | |||
| Velar | |||||
| /k/ | k | kruk | /kruk/ | raven | Like English “k” in “sky”, never aspirated. |
| g | gangster | /gaŋkster/ | gangster | ||
| bóg | /buk/ | god | |||
| /g/ | g | gad | /gat/ | reptile | Like English “g” in “go” (never like in “gin”). The voiced counterpart to /k/. |
| k | jakby | /jagby/ | if, as if, like | ||
| Laryngeal | |||||
| /ˀ/ | (—) | nie! | /ńeˀ/ | no! | The laryngeal stop, only in few words for emphasis. |
| /#/ | (—) | roziskrzony | /roz#iskšony/ | starlit | A small pause in speaking after a prefix, before a vowel, which prevents any junction of the sounds. Sometimes it sounds like /ˀ/. |
2009-02-04