Hungarian 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 Hungarian pronunciation, with examples and descriptions, including the pronunciation of these sounds in English.

Hungarian Vowels

• /a/ - as in apa, pronounced /ˈɒpɒ/ (similar to "o" in cot /kɒt/)
• /ɛ/ - as in egy, pronounced /ɛɟ/ (like "e" in bed /bɛd/)
• /eː/ - as in él, pronounced /eːl/ (like "a" in late /leɪt/)
• /i/ - as in irány, pronounced /ˈirɑːɲ/ (like "ee" in see /siː/)
• /iː/ - as in íz, pronounced /iːz/ (like "ee" in see /siː/ but longer)
• /o/ - as in oda, pronounced /ˈodɒ/ (similar to "o" in cot /kɒt/ but with rounded lips)
• /oː/ - as in hó, pronounced /hoː/ (like "o" in go /ɡoʊ/)
• /u/ - as in ujj, pronounced /ujː/ (like "oo" in boot /buːt/)
• /uː/ - as in bú, pronounced /buː/ (like "oo" in boot /buːt/ but longer)
• /ø/ - as in öl, pronounced /øl/ (similar to "i" in bird /bɜːd/ in some dialects)
• /øː/ - as in ő, pronounced /øː/ (like "i" in bird /bɜːd/ in some dialects but longer)
• /y/ - as in ügy, pronounced /yɟ/ (like "u" in mule /mjuːl/)
• /yː/ - as in űr, pronounced /yːr/ (like "u" in mule /mjuːl/ but longer)

Hungarian Diphthongs

• Hungarian normally pronounces adjacent vowels in separate syllables rather than as diphthongs. The sequence /ɒ.u/ in autó /ˈɒ.u.toː/ spans two syllables, so the word has three syllables in total. Contrast this with English cow /kaʊ/, whose two vowel sounds form a single syllable.

Hungarian Consonants

• /p/ - as in pap, pronounced /pɒp/ (like "p" in pen /pɛn/)
• /b/ - as in bal, pronounced /bɒl/ (like "b" in bat /bæt/)
• /t/ - as in tenni, pronounced /ˈtɛnːi/ (like "t" in top /tɒp/)
• /d/ - as in dél, pronounced /deːl/ (like "d" in dog /dɒɡ/)
• /k/ - as in kettő, pronounced /ˈkɛttøː/ (like "k" in cat /kæt/)
• /ɡ/ - as in gép, pronounced /ɡeːp/ (like "g" in go /ɡoʊ/)
• /f/ - as in fa, pronounced /fɒ/ (like "f" in fun /fʌn/)
• /v/ - as in víz, pronounced /viːz/ (like "v" in voice /vɔɪs/)
• /s/ - as in szó, pronounced /soː/ (like "s" in see /siː/)
• /z/ - as in zebra, pronounced /zɛbrɒ/ (like "z" in zebra /ˈzɛbrə/)
• /ʃ/ - as in sok, pronounced /ʃok/ (like "sh" in shoe /ʃuː/)
• /ʒ/ - as in zseb, pronounced /ʒɛb/ (like "s" in measure /ˈmɛʒər/)
• /t͡ʃ/ - as in csak, pronounced /t͡ʃɒk/ (like "ch" in chess /tʃɛs/)
• /d͡ʒ/ - as in dzsip, pronounced /d͡ʒip/ (like "j" in jam /dʒæm/)
• /ɲ/ - as in nyár, pronounced /ɲaːr/ (like "ny" in canyon /ˈkænjən/)
• /l/ - as in ló, pronounced /loː/ (like "l" in leaf /liːf/)
• /r/ - as in rózsa, pronounced /ˈroːʒɒ/ (trilled "r" similar to the Spanish "r" in perro /ˈpero/)
• /m/ - as in még, pronounced /meːɡ/ (like "m" in man /mæn/)
• /n/ - as in nép, pronounced /neːp/ (like "n" in net /nɛt/)
• /h/ - as in ház, pronounced /haːz/ (like "h" in hat /hæt/)

Unique Features of Hungarian Pronunciation

Hungarian pronunciation has unique features that are important for learners to understand.

• Vowel Harmony: Hungarian vowels are divided into front (e.g., /e/, /i/) and back (e.g., /a/, /u/) vowels. This affects the suffixes added to words.
• Long and Short Vowels: Similar to Czech, Hungarian has both long and short vowels, and the length can change the meaning of the word. For example, kór (disease) /koːr/ vs. kor (age) /kor/.
• Consonant Gemination: Double consonants (e.g., /kk/, /tt/) are pronounced longer than their single counterparts.
• Trilled "r": The /r/ in Hungarian is trilled, similar to the "r" in Spanish.
• Distinctive Use of /ʃ/ and /ʒ/: Hungarian makes a clear distinction between these sounds, represented by the letters "s" and "zs" respectively.