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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 /ʹ/). 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 /ʹ/). |
| 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 | |||||
| /¹/ | sz | szafa | /¹afa/ | wardrobe | Between English “sh” in “shame”, but without palatalization, and German “sch”, but lips are less rounded. |
| æ | wróæka | /vru¹ka/ | fairy | ||
| nóæ | /nu¹/ | knife | |||
| rz | gorzki | /go¹ḱi/ | bitter | After a voiceless “rz” (not “æ”) also sounds /¹/. | |
| przerwa | /p¹erva/ | break, pause | |||
| Grzegorz | /gžego¹/ | (my first name) | |||
| s | sczepię | /¹čepię/ | fasten together | The /s/ or /z/ may assimilate to the following alveo-apical. The process does not occur in slow speaking. | |
| strza³ | /¹č¹aw/ | shot | |||
| z | zszarzeę | /¹¹ažeę/ | turn grey | ||
| bezczelny | /be¹čelny/ | insolent, checky | |||
| roztrzźsiony | /ro¹č¹ew̃¶ony/ | trembling | |||
| /ž/ | æ | moæe | /može/ | maybe; it may | A voiced counterpart to /¹/, spelt “rz” or “æ”. Between English “s” in “pleasure”, “r” in “red” and German “g” in “Genie”. |
| rz | morze | /može/ | sea | ||
| sz | Kaszgar | /kažgar/ | Qashqar, Kashi | ||
| z | bezæenny | /bežženny/ | single, unmarried | ||
| rozrzut | /rožžut/ | dispersion | |||
| bezdrzewny | /bežǯževny/ | treeless | |||
| s | marsæagiel | /maržžagel/ | topsail | ||
| Postdental (prepalatal) | |||||
| /¶/ | ¶ | co¶ | /co¶/ | 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 | /¶edem/ | 7 | ||
| s | silny | /¶ilny/ | strong, mighty | ||
| ssiesz | /¶¶e¹/ | you are sucking (sg.) | |||
| ssij | /¶¶ij/ | suck! | |||
| ¼ | bu¼ka | /bu¶ka/ | mouth; lips | ||
| z | roz¶cielaę | /ro¶¶ęelaę/ | spread (a blanket) | ||
| zsiad³y | /¶¶adwy/ | clotted; curdled | |||
| bezsilny | /be¶¶ilny/ | powerless | |||
| rozęwierkaę siź | /ro¶ęfʹerkaę ¶e/ | start twittering | |||
| bezcieniowy | /be¶ęeńovy/ | shadowless | |||
| /¼/ | ¼ | ¼rebiź | /¼rebʹe/ | foal, colt | A voiced counterpart to /¶/. It resembles English “s” in “pleasure”, “usual”. Spelt “z” before “i” and “zi” before other vowels. |
| zi | Józio | /ju¼o/ | Joseph, Josie | ||
| z | zima | /¼ima/ | winter | ||
| zziajany | /¼¼ajany/ | breathless | |||
| bezd¼wiźczny | /be¼ʒ́vʹenčny/ | voiceless | |||
| rozdzia³ | /ro¼ʒ́aw/ | chapter; division | |||
| zdziwię | /¼ʒ́ivię/ | surprise; astonish | |||
| ¶ | pro¶ba | /pro¼ba/ | 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 | /x́i¹pan/ | Spaniard | ||
| hieroglif | /x́eroglif/, /x́jeroglif/ | hieroglyph | |||
| Velar | |||||
| /x/ | ch | kochaę | /koxaę/ | 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 | ||
| he³m | /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
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