Czech flashcards
for vocabulary learning

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The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) provides a standardized set of symbols to represent the sounds of spoken language. Below are the IPA symbols for Czech pronunciation, with examples and descriptions, including the pronunciation of these sounds in English.

Czech Vowels

• /a/ - as in matka, pronounced /ˈmatka/ (like "a" in father /ˈfɑːðər/)
• /ɛ/ - as in pes, pronounced /pɛs/ (like "e" in bed /bɛd/)
• /iː/ - as in mít, pronounced /miːt/ (like "ee" in see /siː/)
• /o/ - as in oko, pronounced /ˈoko/ (like "o" in not /nɒt/)
• /u/ - as in ruka, pronounced /ˈruka/ (like "oo" in boot /buːt/)

Czech Diphthongs

• /ou̯/ - as in louka, pronounced /ˈlou̯ka/ (like "ow" in cow /kaʊ/)
• /au̯/ - as in auto, pronounced /ˈau̯to/ (like "ow" in how /haʊ/)
• /ɛu̯/ - as in euro, pronounced /ˈɛu̯ro/ (similar to "eu" in feud /fjuːd/)

Czech Consonants

• /p/ - as in pes, pronounced /pɛs/ (like "p" in pen /pɛn/)
• /b/ - as in být, pronounced /biːt/ (like "b" in bat /bæt/)
• /t/ - as in tabule, pronounced /ˈtabulɛ/ (like "t" in top /tɒp/)
• /d/ - as in dům, pronounced /duːm/ (like "d" in dog /dɒɡ/)
• /k/ - as in kočka, pronounced /ˈkot͡ʃka/ (like "k" in cat /kæt/)
• /ɡ/ - as in gorila, pronounced /ɡorɪla/ (like "g" in go /ɡoʊ/)
• /f/ - as in fakta, pronounced /ˈfakta/ (like "f" in fun /fʌn/)
• /v/ - as in voda, pronounced /ˈvoda/ (like "v" in voice /vɔɪs/)
• /s/ - as in sestra, pronounced /ˈsɛstra/ (like "s" in see /siː/)
• /z/ - as in zima, pronounced /ˈzɪma/ (like "z" in zebra /ˈzɛbrə/)
• /ʃ/ - as in šaty, pronounced /ˈʃatɪ/ (like "sh" in shoe /ʃuː/)
• /ʒ/ - as in žižala, pronounced /ˈʒɪʒala/ (like "s" in measure /ˈmɛʒər/)
• /t͡ʃ/ - as in čaj, pronounced /t͡ʃaj/ (like "ch" in chess /tʃɛs/)
• /d͡ʒ/ - as in džem, pronounced /d͡ʒɛm/ (like "j" in jam /dʒæm/)
• /ɲ/ - as in koně, pronounced /ˈkoɲɛ/ (like "ny" in canyon /ˈkænjən/)
• /l/ - as in les, pronounced /lɛs/ (like "l" in leaf /liːf/)
• /r/ - as in ruka, pronounced /ˈruka/ (like "r" in carrot /ˈkærət/)
• /r̝/ - as in řeka, pronounced /ˈr̝ɛka/ (a unique sound, a trill combined with a fricative, not present in English)
• /m/ - as in mít, pronounced /miːt/ (like "m" in man /mæn/)
• /n/ - as in noha, pronounced /ˈnoɦa/ (like "n" in net /nɛt/)

Unique Features of Czech Pronunciation

While Czech pronunciation shares similarities with other Slavic languages, it also has unique features that are important for learners to understand.

• Vowel Length: Czech has both short and long vowels. The length of the vowel can change the meaning of the word. For example, rada (council) /ˈrada/ vs. ráda (glad) /ˈraːda/.
• Consonant Clusters: Czech often uses consonant clusters that can be challenging for non-native speakers, such as in krk (neck) /kr̩k/.
• Palatalization: Some consonants, like /n/ and /d/, have palatalized versions (like /ɲ/ and /ɟ/) when followed by certain vowels or the letter "i".
• The "ř" Sound: The sound /r̝/ is unique to Czech and is a combination of a trill and a fricative, found in words like řeka (river) /ˈr̝ɛka/.