Polish pronunciation made easier

The article was written in cooperation with Akademia PFF - Polish Language Courses

The Polish language is a challenge but for sure it's not too hard for anyone to learn on the planet Earth. I remember one student told me that Polish is just one big exception - all these cases, conjugations, variety of endings... But it's just grammar and in language it's all about communication - to understand and to be understood. That's why the most important thing in learning Polish is pronunciation.

Does the Polish language have something in common with Chinese?

You may have noticed that Polish sounds like Chinese? Don't believe us? Try saying Jako Tako (pr. 'Yako Tako'). It could easily be an Asian name for a pretty girl rather than the way to say 'so-so'. Mam Tam (pr. 'Mom Tom'), means 'I have it there' but fits perfectly as a name for her boyfriend. If we haven't convinced you yet, try to say the word for train, 'pociąg' (pr. 'po-chong'). It really sounds like a shout from a Jackie Chan karate movie, doesn't it?

Give it a try, yourself

If in the beginning Polish sounds similar to Chinese, in reality each Polish letter has an equivalent to a sound of a similar letter in English, French, and similar languages. No matter if you have already started your journey through the Polish language or are just planning to cover the basics, you will find some good tips here that will make the pronunciation of Polish words less challenging.

Ą & Ę - These are nasal sounds; you can find them in many French words. Even if you don't speak French, certainly you've heard 'bon ton' (ą) or 'bien'(ę). However, they are not always pronounced with a strong nasal sound so don't worry if you find them difficult.

Ł - You will find this sound similar to the way the 'w' is spoken in the word 'weekend.' In this example, the pronunciation of 'w' is equal to the Polish 'ł' (a letter sometimes referred to as 'woo' or 'whey' by foreign speakers). Another great example is found in the name of Poland's capital city: 'Warsaw.'

I & Y - It's really important to distinguish between 'i' and 'y' - poor pronunciation can change the meaning of words. For example, ładny (pr. like 'wad-neh') is singular and ładni (pr. like 'wad-nee') is plural. The 'i' should be pronounced as 'e' (like 'feedback'), and 'y' is a deeper sound spoken from the throat and similar to sound in the word 'mister.'

J - it's spoken softly and sounds exactly like 'y' in the word 'yesterday' or 'yet'.

R - English native speakers have a tendency to pronounce the 'r' sound in a soft and mild manner when speaking Polish. In Polish, the 'r' sound is harsh and the sound is rolling and vibrating, you can find similar sounds in Spanish.

S, Z, C, Dz - these may come across as hissing and buzzing sounds. Typically, the Polish 'dz' is pronounced like the '-ds' in the word 'Islands'.

Ś, Ć, Ń, Ź, DŹ - these are soft variants of s, c, n, z, dz. 'Ś' is a bit softer than 'sh-' as in 'sheep', 'ć' softer than 'ch-' in cheek, 'dź' softer than 'ge-' in 'genius', 'ń' it's life the soft 'n' in the French word 'baigner.' English speakers will just have to play with it a bit to master that sound.

Ż, DŻ, SZ, CZ - these sounds appear rustling and whirring. 'Ż' should be pronounced like '-s-' in the word 'vision' or the 'j' in many French words - 'jolie', 'joue', 'Je suis'. 'Dż' is exactly the same sound as the English 'j' - 'jam', 'joke'. 'Cz' is the same as 'ch' in 'chocolate' and 'choose', and 'sz' is similar to 'ship' and 'sure.' Piece of cake, no?

U/, Ż/RZ, CH/H - three sounds in Polish have similar sounds but different spellings. It's complicated even for Polish native speakers to remember the rules when to write 'ż' or 'rz'. So, in the beginning don't focus on perfect spelling, just memorize the sounds.

Tongue twisters

Now, if you are brave enough to try something really hard, twist your tongue with these Polish phrases. These are the most popular and challenging samples:

1. W Szczebrzeszynie chrząszcz brzmi w trzcinie

2. Krl Karol kupił krlowej Karolinie korale koloru koralowego

3. Stł z powyłamywanymi nogami

4. W czasie suszy szosa sucha

In case of any injuries, tutors are waiting to help untie your tongue at the Akademia PFF emergency hotline: +48 (0)501 299 338.