Introduction to the Czech Alphabet and Pronunciation for English Speakers

Overview of the Czech Alphabet

The Czech alphabet is based on the Latin script and consists of 42 letters. It includes all the letters of the English alphabet except for q, w, and x, but adds several letters with diacritics to represent specific sounds unique to Czech.

Letters and Diacritics

Czech uses three main diacritics: the acute accent (ˊ), the caron (ˇ), and the ring (˚). These modify the pronunciation of the base letters. For example, the letter c is pronounced like /ts/, but č with a caron is pronounced like /tʃ/ (similar to English "ch").

Here are some examples of letters with diacritics and their approximate English sounds:

• á – long "a" sound, like in "father"
• č – "ch" sound, like in "chocolate"
• ě – palatalizes the preceding consonant, pronounced like "ye" in "yes"
• š – "sh" sound, like in "shoe"
• ž – "zh" sound, like the "s" in "measure"
• ů – long "u" sound, similar to "oo" in "moon"

Pronunciation Tips for English Speakers

While many Czech letters correspond to English sounds, some are quite different. Here are key points to help English speakers:

• The letter c is always pronounced /ts/, like "ts" in "cats".
• The letter r is rolled or trilled, similar to Spanish or Italian.
• The letter ř is a unique Czech sound, a rolled "r" combined with a "zh" sound.
• Vowels can be short or long; long vowels are marked with an acute accent (e.g., á).
• Stress is almost always on the first syllable of a word.

Common Pronunciation Challenges

English speakers often find the following sounds challenging:

• ř: This sound does not exist in English and requires practice to pronounce correctly.
• Palatalized consonants before ě: The letter ě changes the pronunciation of the preceding consonant, which can be tricky.
• Distinguishing between short and long vowels: Length changes meaning in Czech, so it's important to listen carefully.

Basic Czech Alphabet Chart with Pronunciation