The Polish Alphabet

The Polish alphabet

(click the links to listen to the recordings)

#

Letter

Name of the letter / sound when voiced separately

Approximate pronunciation

/IPA/

English sound (*= approx.) equivalent as voiced in

Polish word with the letter

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

1

A , a

a

/a/

luck, shut

mama

(mum)

2

Ą , ą

ą

/ouɳ/

strong*, gong*

kąt
(an angle)

3

B , b

be / b

/be/ - /b/

best, bad

beczka
(a barrel)

4

C , c

ce / c

/tse/ - /ts/

tsar, tzatziki

cel
(a target)

5

Ć , ć

cie / ć

/tʃɪe/ - /tʃɪ/

cheek, cheese

ćma
(a moth)

6

D , d

de / d

/d/

dance, do

duży
(big)

7

E , e

e

/e/

best, less

lek
(a drug)

8

Ę , ę

ę

/eɳ/

French*,

lęk
(fear)

9

F , f

ef / f

/f/

fast, feed

fala
(a wave)

10

G , g

gie / g

/ghɪe/ - /g/

ghost, go

gol
(a goal)

11

H , h

ha / h

/kha/ - /k/

host, ham

hamak
(a hummock)

12

I , i

i

/ɪ/

beer, feel

kit
(putty)

13

J , j

jot / j

/ɪot/ - /ɪɪ/

yes, you

jasny
(bright)

14

L , l

el / l

/el/ - /l/

lung, lead

lok

(a lock)

15

Ł , ł

/ ł

/eou/ - /w/

which, water

łysy
(bald)

16

M , m

em / m

/em/ - /m/

mother, must

mama

(mum)

17

N , n

en / n

/en/ - /n/

Ben, nest

noc

(a night)

18

Ń , ń

/ ń

/eñ/ - /ñ/

El Niño, mini

dzień

(a day)

19

O , o

o

/o/

pot, lot

koc

(a blanket)

20

Ó , ó

u kreskowane (accented), u zamknięte (closed) / u

/u/

look, cool

ból
(pain)

21

P , p

pe / p

/pe/ - /p/

park, put

park

(a park)

22

R , r

er / r

/er/ - /r/

rank, Kirk

rosa

(dew)

23

S , s

es / s

/es/ - /s/

song, last

sosna

(a pine tree)

24

Ś , ś

/ ś

/eʃɪ/ - /ʃɪ/

sheer, sheet

świeca

(a candle)

25

T, t

te / t

/te/ - /t/

tango, ten

ten

(this)

26

U , u

u otwarte (open) / u

/u/

put

cud

(a miracle)

27

V , v * (only in words of foreign origin)

fau / -

as in the words of foreign origin

as in the words of foreign origin

volkswagen
(a German car make)

28

W , w

wu / w

/vu/ - /v/

vest, love

warta

(a watch)

29

X , x* (only in words of foreign origin)

iks / ks

/ɪks/ - /ks/

Luxembourg

Xero (ksero)

(a xerox copy)

30

Y , y

igrek / y

/ɪgrek/ - /ɪ/

ship, fit

byk

(a bull)

31

Z , z

zet / z

/zet/ - /z/

zulu, zany

zamek

(a castle)

32

Ź , ź (note a small comma over the letter)

ziet / ź

/ʒɪet/ - /ʒɪ/

Georgia*

źrebak

(a colt, a young horse)

33

Ż , ż (note a small dot over the letter)

żet / ż

/ʒet/ - /ʒ/

pleasure,

żaba
(a frog)