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(part 2) Polish Language Pronunciation - Sample Words and Phrases


helpme_please  
30 Nov 2006 /  #1
All I speak is American English. Can you help me phonetically pronounce 'Brzozowski'

Thanks!
FISZ  24 | 2116  
30 Nov 2006 /  #2
Brzz-ozovski

tough to explain the first part. like buzz with an r (clenched teeth)

unless ó (ooo) with accent it's o like olive
belial  - | 8  
1 May 2007 /  #3
Merged: how to pronounce word CINCH properly?

As the title says

Thanks
FISZ  24 | 2116  
1 May 2007 /  #4
In english? Sĭn-ch (ch-chair)

belial,
There is no such Polish word, as far as I know (as a Pole)

But if I were to read it in Polish it would sound something like
cheeenkh
belial  - | 8  
1 May 2007 /  #5
thank you very much
FISZ  24 | 2116  
1 May 2007 /  #6
Anytime :)
The IV  - | 2  
8 Sep 2007 /  #7
Merged: How do i pronounce Majkrzak last name?

How do i pronounce this last name; Majkrzak.
Ronek  1 | 261  
8 Sep 2007 /  #8
MY Kshak
osiol  55 | 3921  
8 Sep 2007 /  #9
Mike Shack
The IV  - | 2  
8 Sep 2007 /  #10
can that be the only way? i was told that most of the letters were silent and that seems how i would have said it.
osiol  55 | 3921  
8 Sep 2007 /  #11
Because there are some difficult consonant clusters in Polish,
some people try to simplify their names for the benefit of speakers of other languages.

Not that this name is difficult for the English speaker.

It does include the 'rz' letter combination that stands for something like the English 'sh'.

The stress should be on the first syllable.
Ronek  1 | 261  
8 Sep 2007 /  #12
It does include the 'rz' letter combination that stands for something like the English 'sh'.

'krz' is pronounced "sh"
osiol  55 | 3921  
8 Sep 2007 /  #13
I've noticed that the k or p in krz, prz can be fairly weakly pronounced,
but you did state in your first post here that the k is pronounced.
Michal  - | 1865  
9 Sep 2007 /  #14
Mike Shack

Yes this is the right way with the 'k' joining the 'mike'! So it is simply the English short name Mike plus shuck (the shuck as in the Polish word luskac).
Krzysztof  2 | 971  
9 Sep 2007 /  #15
btw, Majkrzak is a little incorrect form of Majchrzak, it probably comes from the fact that in many (especially rural) ares the combination of "-chrz-" is prononuced like "-krz-" (in "chrz" both sounds are voiced, in "krz" both voiceless)
shewolf  5 | 1077  
9 Sep 2007 /  #16
I'm confused. Is "krz" pronounced "sh"? Is the "k" silent or is it pronounced? Is it like that with every "krz" including names, like Krzysztof for example?
Krzysztof  2 | 971  
9 Sep 2007 /  #17
krz - is always pronounced as "ksz" (ksh).

a little off topic:
Voiceless (I hope I'm using the correct English term) doesn't mean mute, voiced-voiceless pairs of consonants are for example g-k, b-p, d-t, and by the way, in English sometimes you pronounce k, p, t, in a little different way than in Polish, with more aspiration. Polish has pretty strict rules about voiced/voiceless pronounciation, the voiced consonants (b, d, dz, dź, dż, g, w, z, ź, ż/rz) become voiceless (p, t, c, ć, cz, k, f, s, ś, sz) at the end of the word (Bug, bóg, buk - all pronounced the same in nominative case) and in the proximity of other voicelss consonant (that's why the voiceless "k" changes the "rz" into "sz")

This rule doesn't apply to the voiced consonants that don't have a corresponding voiceless sound in Polish phonetics (j, l, ł, m, n, r), and originally "h" was voiced and "ch" voiceless, but now only few people (with a very "good ear", old-school actors, and some people originating from pre-war Eastern Poland) can pronounce the voiced "h", normally both "h" and "ch" are voiceless

And now I've realised I made a mistake in my post about Majchrzak having a voiced combo of "chrz" :)
I took off my headphones (I was listening to some music), said both words (Majkrzak and Majchrzak) aloud, and it's like I just wrote in the general rules, "-chrz-" is voiceless ("-hsz-"), sorry for a confusion, if someone read it :)
shewolf  5 | 1077  
9 Sep 2007 /  #18
and by the way, in English sometimes you pronounce k, p, t, in a little different way than in Polish, with more aspiration.

Thanks for the explanation. I've noticed that some letters are pronounced alot more softly in Polish than in English. The "k" in ksz is probably not pronounced exactly as it is in English. It's probably alot softer.
tulipan  - | 28  
29 Dec 2007 /  #19
Merged: how to pronounce "szczęśliwego nowego roku", please help

of course for english speaker :)
Polson  5 | 1767  
29 Dec 2007 /  #20
szczęśliwego

[sh-tsh-"en"-shly-veh-go]

nowego roku

[noh-veh-goh] [Roh-koo]

;)
tulipan  - | 28  
29 Dec 2007 /  #21
thank you!!!!!
Mufasa  19 | 357  
29 Dec 2007 /  #22
another possibility:

sh-scheysh-ly-ve-go

no-we-go

ro-koo

(o's not pronounced as in 'so', but as in 'collate')
Michal  - | 1865  
29 Dec 2007 /  #23
You could just say snovym godem-it is Russian but shorter than the Polish version and everybody would understand what you on about. Twenty five years ago, the Polish loved Russian and everybody learnd it.
RJ_cdn  - | 267  
29 Dec 2007 /  #24
the Polish loved Russian and everybody learnd it.

Michal, its time to take your medication again
Lady in red  
29 Dec 2007 /  #25
Twenty five years ago, the Polish loved Russian and everybody learnd it.

Yeah, good old Communism............you will love the Russian Language or you will be SHOT !!

LOL............
paczka  1 | 63  
29 Dec 2007 /  #26
Love it! Now! Now stop and have a rest... Now love again! :D

Hey a question -
Where is the emphasis in szczęśliwego and nowego ?
Eurola  4 | 1898  
29 Dec 2007 /  #27
szczęśliwego and nowego ?

we and we :)
paczka  1 | 63  
29 Dec 2007 /  #28
Thanks LOL i thought so, it differs from Ukrainian and Russian though is spelled nearly the same!
Polson  5 | 1767  
29 Dec 2007 /  #29
Twenty five years ago, the Polish loved Russian and everybody learnd it.

Hum... :/
You mean like "Love or die" ? If you don't love, you don't live...

;)
Eurola  4 | 1898  
29 Dec 2007 /  #30
Twenty five years ago, the Polish loved Russian and everybody learnd it.

If only some "learnd" English since that time it would be nice.

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