Czech and Slovak

IPA Examples nearest English
equivalent
Monophthongs
short
a matka father
ɛ let let
ɪ klid kid
o pod pot
u kup coop
long
máma as above, but longer
ɛː létat
klít cleat
móda as above, but longer
úroda, kůlna
Diphthongs
ou louka local
ɛu pneumonie say oo
au auto out
wo jahôd woe (Slovak only)
Syllabic consonants
Vltava little
l̩ː vĺča little left (long. Slovak only)
vrba US: verb (trilled)
r̩ː vŕba US: verb (trilled, long.
Slovak only)
Stress
ˈ Stress falls on the first syllable of a word


IPA Examples nearest English
equivalent
Consonants
b byl bill
c těšit, teď, lať stew (UK), ty-
d délka delta
dz dz heads (Slovak only)
bán jab
f foukat, záchvěv focus
ɡ gag, kdo gag
ɦ hořet ahead
j jenom, spieva yellow
ɟ ďas dew (UK), dy-
k kolo, ping-pong scold
l lak lack
m mouka mocha
n nyní ninny
ɲ koně, laň canyon
ŋ Hanka Hank
p pyl, nabob spill
r robot robot (trilled)
řeka simultaneous [r] and
[ʒ] (Czech only)
r̝̊ chřest simultaneous [r] and
[ʃ] (Czech only)
s stůl stole
ʃ šelest shell
t ten, led stand
ts cena bats
čas chase
v vítr vittle
x chomout, práh Bach
ʎ veľ ly (Slovak only)
z zima zoo
ʒ žár fusion


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