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| Phoneme | Spelling | Examples | Pronunciation | Translation | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vowels | |||||
| /a/ | a | matka | /matka/ | mother | Central, like British “o” in “mother”, but opened nearly like “a” in “father”. |
| /e/ | e | ten | /ten/ | this | More opened than “e” in “ten”, like in “red”. We read “ę” like /e/ word-finally, before “l”, “ł” in the Past Tense forms and in a few other words. |
| ę | żyję | /žyje/ | I live | ||
| zaczęli | /začeli/ | they have begun | |||
| zaczęły | /začewy/ | ||||
| piętnaście | /p′etnaśće/ | 15 | |||
| /i/ | i | igła | /igwa/ | needle | Before a consonant or word-finally. Like “ee” in “deep” or “ea” in “beat”, but shorter. It causes the palatalization of the preceding consonant. |
| zaimek | /za#imek/ | pronoun | |||
| pić | /pić/ | to drink | |||
| bić | /bić/ | to beat | |||
| fizyka | /fizyka/ | physics | |||
| wino | /vino/ | wine | |||
| miły | /miwy/ | nice | |||
| weekend | /wikent/ | weekend | We meet the vowel /i/ after “w”, “t”, “d”, “c”, “dz”, “s”, “z”, “r” only in few loanwords and at the beginning of the main part of a word after a prefix. | ||
| tik | /tik/ | tic | |||
| diwa | /diva/ | diva | |||
| przedimek | /pšed#imek/ | article “a”, “the” | |||
| cibalgina | /cibalǵina/ | cibalgine | |||
| sinus | /sinus/ | sinus | |||
| zin | /zin/ | (maga)zine | |||
| ziścić | /z#iśćić/ | realize, carry out | |||
| Rita | /rita/ | Rita | |||
| liść | /liść/ | leaf | Frequent after “l”, never after “ł”. | ||
| Czirokez | /čirokes/ | Cherokee | We meet the vowel /i/ after “cz”, “dż”, “sz”, “ż” only in few loanwords. | ||
| dżin | /ǯin/ | gin | |||
| Chicago | /šikago/ | Chicago | |||
| żigolak | /žigolak/ | gigolo | |||
| cichy | /ćixy/ | silent, calm | When the vowel /i/ follows /ć, ʒ́, ś, ź, ń/, we write “c”, “dz”, “s”, “z”, “n”. | ||
| dziś | /ʒ́iś/ | today | |||
| siny | /śiny/ | livid, glaucous | |||
| zima | /źima/ | winter | |||
| pani | /pańi/ | lady | Before /i/ the changes occur: /n/ > /ń/, /k/ > /ḱ/, /g/ > /ǵ/, /x/ > /x́/. | ||
| jaki | /jaḱi/ | what kind | |||
| nogi | /noǵi/ | legs | |||
| chiński | /x́ij̃sḱi/ | Chinese | |||
| historia | /x́istorja/ | history | |||
| /o/ | o | on | /on/ | he | Between British “o” in “on” and “au” in “caught” (shorter). We read “ą” like /o/ before “ł”. |
| ą | zaczął | /začow/ | he has begun | ||
| /u/ | u | ucho | /uxo/ | ear | Between “oo” in “book” (more closed) and in “moon” (shorter). |
| ó | mój | /muj/ | my, mine | ||
| /y/ | y | my | /my/ | we | Nearly central, like British “ir” in “girl”, but shorter and more closed like “i” in “dip”. This sound is very scarce after vowels, /l, k, g/, impossible after /i, ′, j, ć, ʒ́, ś, ź, ń, ḱ, ǵ, x́/ and word-initially. |
| statuy | /statuy/ | statues | |||
| lystrozaur | /lystrozawr/ | Lystrosaurus | |||
| kynologia | /kynoloǵja/ | cynology | |||
| gynandria | /gynandrja/ | gynandria | |||
| Semivowels | |||||
| /′/ | i | piasek | /p′asek/ | sand | Non-syllabic glide (semivowel), which causes palatalization of the preceding /p, b, f, v, m/. In other contexts it is impossible. |
| robię | /rob′e/ | I‘m doing | |||
| chwiać | /xf’.ać/ | shake, rock | |||
| wiać | /v′ać/ | blow (of wind) | |||
| mieć | /m′eć/ | have, possess | |||
| /j/ | j | ja | /ja/ | I, me | Like “y” in “yet” (not so closed). Unlike /′/, it causes no palatalization. It is spelt “j” only word-initially, after prefixes, after “c”, “s”, “z” (not “cz”, “sz”) and vowels. |
| podjąć | /podjońć/ | pick up, collect | |||
| rozjechać | /rozjexać/ | run over | |||
| racja | /racja/ | right; ration | |||
| misja | /misja/ | mission | |||
| Azja | /azja/ | Asia | |||
| żmija | /žmija/ | viper | |||
| i | rupia | /rupja/ | rupee | The “i” before a vowel denotes palatalization of the preceding consonant plus semivowel /j/, in loanwords only. The “i” is extremally scarce after “cz”, “dż”, “sz”, “ż”. Sometimes this “i” becomes normal non-syllabic “i”: maniak /mańjak/ or /mańak/ “crank; maniac”. | |
| biolog | /bjolok/ | biologist | |||
| mafia | /mafja/ | mafia | |||
| rewia | /revja/ | revue | |||
| mumia | /mumja/ | mummy | |||
| tiara | /tjara/ | tiara | |||
| diabeł | /djabew/ | devil | |||
| unia | /uńja/ | union | |||
| liliowy | /liljovy/ | lilac blue | |||
| Maria | /marja/ | Mary | |||
| glediczia | /gledičja/ | Gleditschia | |||
| lodżia | /loǯja/ | loggia | |||
| Dżanaszia | /ǯanašja/ | Janashya | |||
| ażio | /ažjo/ | aggio | |||
| makia | /maḱja/ | macchia | |||
| magia | /maǵja/ | magic | |||
| marchia | /marx́ja/ | margraviate | |||
| hiena | /x́jena/ | hyena | |||
| /j̃/ | ń | pański | /paj̃sḱi/ | your(s), lord’s | Nasal counterpart of /j/. Spelt “ń” before spirants. Sometimes it may replace /w̃/ before palatalized spirants, especially after /e/. |
| wileński | /vilej̃sḱi/ | from Vilnius | |||
| Jagodziński | /jagoʒ́ij̃sḱi/ | (my surname) | |||
| koński | /koj̃sḱi/ | horse’s | |||
| toruński | /toruj̃sḱi/ | from Toruń | |||
| gdyński | /gdyj̃sḱi/ | from Gdynia | |||
| tańszy | /taj̃šy/ | cheaper | |||
| cieńszy | /ćej̃šy/ | thinner | |||
| stańże | /staj̃že/ | do stand up! | |||
| /w/ | ł | koło | /kowo/ | wheel | Like English “w” in “wow”. It is voiceless (or mute) between voiceless consonants and word-finally. In few loanwords spelt “u”. |
| umysł | /umysw̭/ | mind | |||
| jabłko | /japko/ | apple | |||
| u | auto | /awto/ | car | ||
| /w̃/ | ę /ew̃/ | robię | /rob′ew̃/ | I’m doing | Nasal counterpart to /w/. Word-finally only after /o/ (spelt “ą”) and /e/ (spelt “ę” – when emphatic). Besides, before spirants only. |
| męski | /mew̃sḱi/ | man‘s, virile | |||
| więzy | /v’ew̃zy/ | ties; chains | |||
| ciężki | /ćew̃šḱi/ | heavy; hard | |||
| mężny | /mew̃žny/ | valiant; brave | |||
| pięść | /p′ew̃ść/ | fist | |||
| więzić | /v′ew̃źić/ | keep imprisoned | |||
| węch | /vew̃x/ | sense of smell | |||
| ą /ow̃/ | ją | /jow̃/ | her | ||
| Fąfara | /fow̃fara/ | (surname) | |||
| wąwóz | /vow̃vus/ | ravine | |||
| kąsać | /kow̃sać/ | to bite; to sting | |||
| wiązać | /v′ow̃zać/ | to tie; to bind | |||
| wąż | /vow̃š/ | snake | |||
| pogrążyć | /pogrow̃žyć/ | sink; plunge | |||
| siąść | /śow̃ść/ | sit down | |||
| wiązik | /v′ow̃źik/ | small elm | |||
| obwąchiwać | /obvow̃x́ivać/ | be sniffing | |||
| wąchać | /vow̃xać/ | smell, sniff | |||
| n | żanr | /žaw̃r/ | genre | When “n” is followed by “r”, “l” or a spirant, then the most frequent pronunciation is /w̃/. | |
| naprzemianległy | /napšem′aw̃legwy/ | alternating | |||
| konferencja | /kow̃ferencja/ | conference | |||
| konwój | /kow̃vuj/ | convoy; escort | |||
| szansa | /šaw̃sa/ | chance | |||
| instalacja | /iw̃stalacja/ | installation | |||
| benzyna | /bew̃zyna/ | petrol, gasoline | |||
| kunszt | /kuw̃št/ | masterly skill | |||
| rynsztok | /ryw̃štok/ | gutter | |||
| donżuan | /dow̃žuan/ | lady-killer | |||
| o awansie | /o avaw̃śe/ | about promotion | |||
| koncha | /kow̃xa/ | conch | |||
| m | komfort | /kow̃fort/ | comfort | When “m” is followed by “f” or “w”, then the most frequent pronunciation is /w̃/. | |
| tramwaj | /traw̃vaj/ | tramway | |||
2009-02-04