Slovak Alphabet and Pronunciation Guide for English Speakers

Introduction to the Slovak Alphabet

The Slovak alphabet is based on the Latin script and consists of 46 letters, including several with diacritics. It is phonetic, meaning that words are generally pronounced as they are written, which makes learning pronunciation easier for English speakers.

Basic Letters and Sounds

The Slovak alphabet includes all the letters of the English alphabet except for Q, W, X, and Y, which are used only in foreign words. Additionally, Slovak has letters with diacritics that change the pronunciation of the base letter.

• A, a – pronounced like 'a' in 'father'
• B, b – pronounced like 'b' in 'bed'
• C, c – pronounced like 'ts' in 'cats'
• Č, č – pronounced like 'ch' in 'chocolate'
• D, d – pronounced like 'd' in 'dog'
• Ď, ď – a soft 'd' sound, similar to 'd' in 'due'
• E, e – pronounced like 'e' in 'bed'
• F, f – pronounced like 'f' in 'fun'
• G, g – pronounced like 'g' in 'go'
• H, h – pronounced like 'h' in 'hat'
• Ch, ch – pronounced like 'ch' in Scottish 'loch'
• I, i – pronounced like 'ee' in 'see'
• J, j – pronounced like 'y' in 'yes'
• K, k – pronounced like 'k' in 'kite'
• L, l – pronounced like 'l' in 'love'
• Ĺ, ĺ – a long or palatalized 'l' sound
• Ľ, ľ – a soft 'l' sound, similar to 'lli' in 'million'
• M, m – pronounced like 'm' in 'man'
• N, n – pronounced like 'n' in 'no'
• Ň, ň – pronounced like 'ny' in 'canyon'
• O, o – pronounced like 'o' in 'more'
• P, p – pronounced like 'p' in 'pen'
• R, r – rolled 'r' sound
• Ŕ, ŕ – a long rolled 'r'
• S, s – pronounced like 's' in 'see'
• Š, š – pronounced like 'sh' in 'shoe'
• T, t – pronounced like 't' in 'top'
• Ť, ť – a soft 't' sound
• U, u – pronounced like 'oo' in 'boot'
• V, v – pronounced like 'v' in 'voice'
• Z, z – pronounced like 'z' in 'zoo'
• Ž, ž – pronounced like 's' in 'measure'

Pronunciation Tips for English Speakers

Some Slovak sounds may be unfamiliar to English speakers. Here are some tips to help you pronounce Slovak words correctly:

• The letter 'c' is always pronounced as 'ts', like in 'cats'.
• The letter 'ch' is a guttural sound, similar to the 'ch' in Scottish 'loch' or German 'Bach'.
• Soft consonants like 'ď', 'ť', 'ľ', and 'ň' are pronounced with the tongue touching the roof of the mouth, creating a palatalized sound.
• The letter 'r' is rolled or trilled, which may take practice for English speakers.
• Vowels are generally short and clear; avoid diphthongs common in English.

Examples of Slovak Words with Pronunciation