Flashcards

Learn Romanian vocabulary by typing words and phrases from flashcards. The flashcard summary allows you to check your progress and select flashcards to learn.

 
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People

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Flashcards settings

The flashcards have their specific settings. You can make the following changes to customize your vocabulary learning experience:
  • Choosing the number of flashcards per exercise

    You can choose how many flashcards you want to practice during a typing session. The default number is ten. Selecting a smaller amount of vocabulary may be a good idea if you are a beginner.

  • Choosing a variant of the English language

    You can choose which variant of English the flashcards will use: British or American English. Since there are differences between the two, you can select the variant you prefer.

  • Changing non-supported keyboard characters

    If your keyboard layout does not support certain special characters or diacritics of the language you practice with flashcards, the system can ignore some of these characters. Special characters will be accepted as their closest Latin alphabet equivalents when possible. For example, if the word to type is único and you type unico because your layout doesn't support accents, it won't be considered an error.

Phonetic Symbols in Romanian Pronunciation

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

Romanian Vowels

  • /a/ - as in mamă, pronounced /ˈmamə/ (like "a" in father /ˈfɑːðər/)
  • /e/ - as in mere, pronounced /ˈmere/ (like "e" in bed /bɛd/)
  • /i/ - as in mic, pronounced /mik/ (like "ee" in see /siː/)
  • /o/ - as in om, pronounced /om/ (like "o" in not /nɒt/)
  • /u/ - as in lup, pronounced /lup/ (like "oo" in boot /buːt/)
  • /ɨ/ - as in vânt, pronounced /vɨnt/ (like "i" in roses /ˈroʊzɪz/)
  • /ə/ - as in pădure, pronounced /pəˈdure/ (like "a" in sofa /ˈsoʊfə/)

Romanian Diphthongs

  • /e̯a/ - as in seară, pronounced /ˈse̯arə/ (like "ea" in bear /bɛər/)
  • /o̯a/ - as in boală, pronounced /ˈbo̯alə/ (like "oa" in broad /brɔːd/)
  • /i̯e/ - as in fier, pronounced /fi̯er/ (like "ye" in yes /jɛs/)

Romanian Consonants

  • /p/ - as in pat, pronounced /pat/ (like "p" in pen /pɛn/)
  • /b/ - as in bat, pronounced /bat/ (like "b" in bat /bæt/)
  • /t/ - as in tata, pronounced /ˈtata/ (like "t" in top /tɒp/)
  • /d/ - as in da, pronounced /da/ (like "d" in dog /dɒɡ/)
  • /k/ - as in car, pronounced /kar/ (like "k" in cat /kæt/)
  • /ɡ/ - as in gară, pronounced /ˈɡarə/ (like "g" in go /ɡoʊ/)
  • /f/ - as in fată, pronounced /ˈfatə/ (like "f" in fun /fʌn/)
  • /v/ - as in vacă, pronounced /ˈvakə/ (like "v" in voice /vɔɪs/)
  • /s/ - as in soare, pronounced /ˈso̯are/ (like "s" in see /siː/)
  • /z/ - as in zebra, pronounced /ˈzebra/ (like "z" in zebra /ˈzɛbrə/)
  • /ʃ/ - as in șarpe, pronounced /ˈʃarpe/ (like "sh" in shoe /ʃuː/)
  • /ʒ/ - as in je, pronounced /ʒe/ (like "s" in measure /ˈmɛʒər/)
  • /t͡ʃ/ - as in ceai, pronounced /t͡ʃaj/ (like "ch" in chess /tʃɛs/)
  • /d͡ʒ/ - as in geam, pronounced /d͡ʒam/ (like "j" in jam /dʒæm/)
  • /ɲ/ - as in chitară, pronounced /kiˈtɨrə/ (like "ny" in canyon /ˈkænjən/)
  • /l/ - as in lup, pronounced /lup/ (like "l" in leaf /liːf/)
  • /r/ - as in râu, pronounced /rɨw/ (a trilled "r", like in Italian or Spanish)
  • /m/ - as in mama, pronounced /ˈmamə/ (like "m" in man /mæn/)
  • /n/ - as in noapte, pronounced /ˈno̯apte/ (like "n" in net /nɛt/)

Unique Features of Romanian Pronunciation

Romanian pronunciation shares similarities with other Romance languages, but it also has unique features that are important for learners to understand.

  • Vowel Reduction: In unstressed syllables, some vowels can reduce to a schwa /ə/, especially in rapid speech. For example, pădure is pronounced /pəˈdure/.
  • Trilled R: The /r/ sound in Romanian is a trilled "r", similar to the "r" in Italian or Spanish.
  • Palatalization: Some consonants can be palatalized when followed by "i" or "e", producing a softer sound.
  • Diphthongs and Triphthongs: Romanian makes extensive use of diphthongs and triphthongs, combining vowels within a single syllable, such as in eu /e̯u/ and ouă /ˈo̯u̯ə/.
  • Consonant Clusters: Romanian allows for a variety of consonant clusters, which can be challenging for non-native speakers. For example, stradă /ˈstradə/ (street).
  • Stress: Word stress in Romanian is generally placed on the penultimate (second-to-last) syllable, but there are exceptions. Incorrect stress placement can change the meaning of words.