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

Slovak Vowels

• /a/ - as in mama, pronounced /ˈmama/ (like "a" in father /ˈfɑːðər/)
• /ɛ/ - as in pes, pronounced /pɛs/ (like "e" in bed /bɛd/)
• /i/ - as in kino, pronounced /ˈkino/ (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/)
• /æ/ - as in päť, pronounced /pæc/ (like "a" in cat /kæt/)
• /ɪ/ - as in byť, pronounced /bɪc/ (like "i" in bit /bɪt/)

Slovak Diphthongs

• /i̯ɛ/ - as in kvietok, pronounced /ˈkvi̯ɛtɔk/ (roughly like "ye" in yes /jɛs/)
• /i̯a/ - as in piatok, pronounced /ˈpi̯atɔk/ (roughly like "ya" in yard /jɑːd/)
• /i̯u/ - as in menšiu, pronounced /ˈmɛnʃi̯u/ (roughly like "u" in use /juːz/)
• /u̯ɔ/ - as in vôňa, pronounced /ˈvu̯ɔɲa/ (roughly like "wa" in war /wɔː/)

Slovak Consonants

• /p/ - as in pes, pronounced /pɛs/ (like "p" in pen /pɛn/)
• /b/ - as in byť, pronounced /bɪtʲ/ (like "b" in bat /bæt/)
• /t/ - as in tabuľa, pronounced /ˈtabuʎa/ (like "t" in top /tɒp/)
• /d/ - as in dom, pronounced /dom/ (like "d" in dog /dɒɡ/)
• /k/ - as in mačka, pronounced /ˈmat͡ʃka/ (like "k" in cat /kæt/)
• /ɡ/ - as in gorila, pronounced /ɡorɪla/ (like "g" in go /ɡoʊ/)
• /f/ - as in fakt, pronounced /fakt/ (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 /ˈʃaty/ (like "sh" in shoe /ʃuː/)
• /ʒ/ - as in žaba, pronounced /ˈʒaba/ (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 kone, pronounced /ˈkɔɲɛ/ (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/)
• /r̩/ - as in krk, pronounced /kr̩k/
• /m/ - as in môj, pronounced /mu̯ɔj/ (like "m" in man /mæn/)
• /n/ - as in noha, pronounced /ˈnoɦa/ (like "n" in net /nɛt/)
• /x/ - as in chata, pronounced /ˈxata/ (like "ch" in loch /lɒx/ in Scottish English)
• /ʦ/ - as in cesta, pronounced /ˈʦɛsta/ (like "ts" in cats /kæts/)

Unique Features of Slovak Pronunciation

Slovak pronunciation has unique features that are important for learners to understand, some of which are shared with other Slavic languages.

• Vowel Length: Slovak has both short and long vowels. The length of the vowel can change the meaning of the word. For example, súd (court) /suːt/ vs. sud (barrel) /sut/.
• Consonant Clusters: Slovak frequently uses consonant clusters, which can be challenging for non-native speakers. For instance, the word štvrť (quarter) / ʃtvr̩c/.
• Palatalization: Consonants like /t/, /d/, and /n/ can become palatalized when followed by certain vowels or the letter "i". For example, ďalší (another) is pronounced /ˈɟalʃiː/.
• Syllabic r: In Slovak, r can form a syllable, as in krk /kr̩k/.
• Stress: In Slovak, word stress usually falls on the first syllable.
• Vowel Reduction: Unlike Russian, Slovak does not reduce vowels in unstressed positions; all vowels are pronounced clearly.