Language/Czech/Grammar/Vowels

Czech Grammar → Alphabet and Pronunciation → Vowels

As a Czech language teacher with 20 years of experience, I know that one of the trickiest parts of learning Czech is mastering the sounds of its vowels. In this lesson, I will teach you the Czech vowel sounds and their pronunciation.

Czech Vowel Sounds

Czech has ten vowel sounds, which can be long or short. Short vowels are indicated by a single letter, while long vowels are indicated by a double letter.

Short Vowels

Here are the short vowel sounds in Czech:

Czech	Pronunciation	English Translation
a	ah	father	e	eh	ten	i	ee	sleet o || oh || motel	u	oo	roots	y	ih	city

Long Vowels

Here are the long vowel sounds in Czech:

Czech	Pronunciation	English Translation
á	ah	father (long)	é	ay	they (long e)	í	ee	sleet (long)	ó	oh	motel (long o)	ú	oo	roots (long)	ů	ooh-uh	soon, food (long u)	ý	ee	city (long)

Pay close attention to the differences between the short and long vowels. This distinction is important, as it can change the meaning of a word.

Tips for Pronouncing Czech Vowels

To correctly pronounce Czech vowels, keep these tips in mind:

• Czech is a phonetic language, which means that every letter is pronounced.
• Vowels are pronounced clearly and distinctly, with very little variation in sound.
• Long vowels are held slightly longer than short vowels.
• Pay attention to accent marks, especially the acute accent (´) and the háček (ˇ). These marks can change the pronunciation of vowels.

With practice, you'll be able to master the sounds of Czech vowels and communicate fluently in the language.

Sources

• Czech Phonology - Vowels
• Czech Orthography

Table of Contents - Czech Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Alphabet and Pronunciation

• Consonants
• Vowels
• Accents and Special Characters

  ---

Nouns and Pronouns

• Introduction to Nouns
• Personal Pronouns
• Demonstrative Pronouns
• Possessive Pronouns

  ---

Verbs

• Introduction to Verbs
• Present Tense
• Past Tense
• Future Tense

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Introduction to Adjectives
• Introduction to Adverbs
• Comparative and Superlative Forms

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Greetings and Farewells
• Asking for and Giving Information
• Small Talk and Expressing Likes and Dislikes

  ---

At the Restaurant

• Ordering Food
• Asking for the Bill and Tipping
• Dining Etiquette

  ---

Daily Life

• Shopping
• Transportation
• Health and Medical Emergencies

  ---

History and Traditions

• History and Czech Lands
• Festivals and Celebrations
• Czech Cuisine

  ---

Art and Heritage

• Czech Literature
• Architecture and Landmark
• Czech Film and Music

Related Lessons

• Dative Case in Czech
• Gender
• Indefinite articles in Czech
• Introduction to Adjectives
• How to Use Be
• Questions
• Ablative Case in Czech
• Possessive Pronouns
• 0 to A1 Course
• Give your Opinion