Hungarian Alphabet and Pronunciation Guide for English Speakers

Overview of the Hungarian Alphabet

The Hungarian alphabet consists of 44 letters, including 14 vowels and 30 consonants. It is based on the Latin alphabet but includes several unique letters and digraphs that represent specific sounds. Understanding these letters is essential for correct pronunciation and reading.

Unique Letters and Digraphs

Hungarian uses several letters with diacritics and digraphs (two letters representing one sound). Some examples include á, é, í, ó, ö, ő, ú, ü, ű for vowels, and digraphs like cs, dz, dzs, gy, ly, ny, sz, ty, zs for consonants.

Vowels in Hungarian

Hungarian vowels are categorized into short and long vowels. Long vowels are marked with an acute accent (´) or double acute accent (˝) and are pronounced longer than their short counterparts.

• a (short) – like 'a' in 'car'
• á (long) – longer 'a' sound
• e (short) – like 'e' in 'bed'
• é (long) – like 'ay' in 'say'
• i (short) – like 'i' in 'bit'
• í (long) – like 'ee' in 'see'
• o (short) – like 'o' in 'pot'
• ó (long) – like 'o' in 'more'
• ö (short) – similar to 'i' in 'bird' (rounded)
• ő (long) – longer version of ö
• u (short) – like 'oo' in 'book'
• ú (long) – like 'oo' in 'moon'
• ü (short) – like German 'ü' or French 'u'
• ű (long) – longer version of ü

Consonants and Their Pronunciation

Many Hungarian consonants are pronounced similarly to English, but some have unique sounds or are represented by digraphs.

• c – pronounced like 'ts' in 'cats'
• cs – like 'ch' in 'chocolate'
• dz – like 'ds' in 'kids'
• dzs – like 'j' in 'jungle'
• gy – similar to 'd' in 'due' but softer
• ly – pronounced like 'y' in 'yes'
• ny – like 'ny' in 'canyon'
• sz – like 's' in 'sun'
• ty – similar to 't' in 'Tuesday' but softer
• zs – like 's' in 'measure'

Pronunciation Tips for English Speakers

Hungarian pronunciation is generally phonetic, meaning words are pronounced as they are written. However, vowel length is important and can change the meaning of words. Pay attention to the accents and practice the unique sounds, especially the digraphs and vowels with umlauts and double acute accents.

Common Hungarian Words with Pronunciation Examples