There are 32 letters in the Polish alphabet:
a, ą, b, c, ć, d, e, ę, f, g,
h, i, j, k, l, ł, m, n, ń, o, ó,
p, q, r, s, ś, t, u, v, w,
x, y, z, ź, ż.
Note: Q, v, and x are not Polish letters and appear in foreign words only.
Some consonants are pronounced the same way in both Polish and English: b, d, f, g, k, l, m, n, p, s, t and z.
Consonants
The pronunciation of the following letters differs from the English pronunciation.
C=TS TSUNAMI, examples:
- cela (tse-la) (cell), co (tso) (what), cena (tse-na) (price)
Ć, CI=CH’ CHEESE, examples:
- ciepło (ch’e-pwo) (warm), spać (spach’) (sleep), cisza (ch’ee-sha) (silence)
CZ=CH CHIP, examples:
- cześć (chesh’ch’) (hi), człowiek (chwo-vyek) (human), czekolada (che-co-la-da) (chocolate)
DŹ, DZI=DJ’ JEANS, examples:
- dziecko (dj’e-tsko) (child), godzina (go-dj’ee-na) (time), dźwig (dj’veeg) (crane)
CH, H=H HAT, examples:
- hasło (ha-swo) (password), chudy (hu-dih) (skinny), chory (ho-rih) (ill)
J=Y YETI, examples:
- jak (yak) (how), projekt (pro-yekt) (project), jestem (ye-stem)(I am)
Ł=W WATER, examples:
- szkoła (shko-wa) (school), pływać (pwi-vach) (swim), łatwy (wa-tfih) (easy)
NI, Ń=N’ KNEE, examples:
- nic (n’ts) (nothing), koń (kon’) (horse), niebieski (n’yeh-byeh-ski) (blue)
Ś, SI=SH’ SHEEP, examples:
- śruba (sh’roo-ba) (screw), coś (tsosh’) (something)
siedem (sh’e-dem) (seven)
W=V VAN, examples:
- woda (vo-da) (water), Wrocław (Vro-tswav) (city Wrocław), witaj (vee-tay) (hello)
SZ=SH FISH, examples:
- szafa (sha-fa) (wardrobe), szukać (shoo-kach’) (search), szuflada (shoo-fla-da) (drawer)
Ż, RZ=ZH VISION, examples:
- żart (zhart) (joke), żniwa (zhni-va) (harvest), rzodkiewka (zho-tkief-ka) (horseradish)
Ź, ZI=Z’=ASIA, examples:
- źle (z’le) (wrong), zielony (z’e-lo-nih) (green), luźno (loo-z’no) (loosely)
R=RR – examples:
- rower (ro-ver) (bike), park (park) (park), robić (ro-beech’) (do/make)
Vowels
There are 9 vowels in total in the Polish language. The following differ from English pronunciation.
I=EE NEEDLE, examples:
- impreza (eem-pre-za) (party), imię (ee-myew) (name), ile (eele) (how much)
Ó,U=OO BOOK, examples:
- ósemka (oo-sem-ka) (eight), tu (too)(here), Ulga (ool-ga) (relief)
Y=IH ISABEL, examples:
- stary (sta-rih) (old), młody (mwo-dih) (young)
Nasal vowels
Ą=OW OWN, examples:
- ząb (zowb)(tooth), mąż (mowzh)(husband), sąd (sowd) (court )
Ę=EW, examples:
- zęby (zew-bih) (teeth), ręka (rew-ka) (hand), imię (ee-myew) (name)
Read the following words: