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

Polish Vowels

• /a/ - as in mama, pronounced /ˈmama/ (like "a" in father /ˈfɑːðər/)
• /ɛ/ - as in ser, pronounced /sɛr/ (like "e" in bed /bɛd/)
• /i/ - as in igła, pronounced /ˈiɡwa/ (like "ee" in see /siː/)
• /o/ - as in kot, pronounced /kɔt/ (like "o" in not /nɒt/)
• /u/ - as in but, pronounced /but/ (like "oo" in boot /buːt/)
• [ɔn] - as in kąt, pronounced [kɔnt] (here ą is [ɔ] followed by [n]; French bon /bɔ̃/ instead illustrates a nasal vowel)
• [ɛɲ] - as in pięć, pronounced [pʲɛɲt͡ɕ] (here ę is [ɛ] followed by the palatal nasal [ɲ]; French bien /bjɛ̃/ instead illustrates a nasal vowel)

Polish Diphthongs

• /aj/ - as in maj, pronounced /maj/ (like "ai" in aisle /aɪl/)
• /ɛj/ - as in lej, pronounced /lɛj/ (like "ey" in they /ðeɪ/)

Polish Consonants

• /p/ - as in pies, pronounced /pʲɛs/ (like "p" in pen /pɛn/)
• /b/ - as in być, pronounced /bɨt͡ɕ/ (like "b" in bat /bæt/)
• /t/ - as in tak, pronounced /tak/ (like "t" in top /tɒp/)
• /d/ - as in dom, pronounced /dɔm/ (like "d" in dog /dɒɡ/)
• /k/ - as in kot, pronounced /kɔt/ (like "k" in cat /kæt/)
• /ɡ/ - as in go, pronounced /ɡɔ/ (like "g" in go /ɡoʊ/)
• /f/ - as in fotel, pronounced /ˈfɔtɛl/ (like "f" in fun /fʌn/)
• /v/ - as in woda, pronounced /ˈvɔda/ (like "v" in voice /vɔɪs/)
• /s/ - as in sam, pronounced /sam/ (like "s" in see /siː/)
• /z/ - as in zebra, pronounced /ˈzɛbra/ (like "z" in zebra /ˈzɛbrə/)
• /ʃ/ - as in szkoła, pronounced /ˈʃkɔwa/ (like "sh" in shoe /ʃuː/)
• /ʒ/ - as in żaba, pronounced /ˈʒaba/ (like "s" in measure /ˈmɛʒər/)
• /t͡ʃ/ - as in czek, pronounced /t͡ʃɛk/ (like "ch" in chess /tʃɛs/)
• /d͡ʒ/ - as in dżem, pronounced /d͡ʒɛm/ (like "j" in jam /dʒæm/)
• /ɲ/ - as in nie, pronounced /ɲɛ/ (like "ny" in canyon /ˈkænjən/)
• /l/ - as in las, pronounced /las/ (like "l" in leaf /liːf/)
• /w/ - as in ławka, pronounced /ˈwafka/ (like "w" in water /ˈwɔːtər/)
• /r/ - as in ręka, pronounced /ˈrɛŋka/ (a rolled "r", like in Spanish perro /ˈpero/)
• /m/ - as in mama, pronounced /ˈmama/ (like "m" in man /mæn/)
• /n/ - as in nos, pronounced /nɔs/ (like "n" in net /nɛt/)

Unique Features of Polish Pronunciation

Polish pronunciation has several unique features that distinguish it from other languages.

• Nasal Vowels: The letters ą and ę represent nasal vowels, broadly /ɔ̃/ and /ɛ̃/, but their pronunciation depends on the following sound. Before stops, they are usually an oral vowel followed by a nasal consonant, as in kąt [kɔnt] and pięć [pʲɛɲt͡ɕ]. Word-final ę is often pronounced [ɛ]; the comparison with French nasal vowels therefore does not apply in every position.
• Consonant Clusters: Polish words often contain consonant clusters that can be challenging for non-native speakers. For example, skrzydło (wing) /ˈskʂɨdwɔ/.
• Palatalization: Many consonants in Polish have palatalized versions (like /ɲ/ and /ʑ/) when followed by certain vowels or the letter "i".
• Voiced and Voiceless Consonants: Polish distinguishes between voiced and voiceless consonants, often changing the pronunciation depending on the surrounding sounds. For instance, the word dziadek (grandfather) /ˈd͡ʑadɛk/ has a voiced /d͡ʑ/, whereas ciekawy (curious) /t͡ɕɛˈkavɨ/ has a voiceless /t͡ɕ/.
• Soft and Hard Consonants: Polish distinguishes soft and hard consonants. Compare się /ɕɛ/, a reflexive pronoun used with any grammatical person, with se /sɛ/, a colloquial form of sobie. The examples illustrate /ɕ/ and /s/; the two pronoun forms also differ in grammatical use.