Long Vowels and the Accent Mark (Dĺžeň)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
The dĺžeň (´) is a small mark placed above a vowel to make it sound twice as long as a normal vowel.
- Rule 1: A vowel with a dĺžeň (á, é, í, ó, ú, ý) is held for double the duration of a short vowel.
- Rule 2: The dĺžeň does not change the quality of the sound, only the length.
- Rule 3: Consonants can also have a dĺžeň (ĺ, ŕ) to act as syllables, though this is rarer.
Vowel Length Examples
| Short Vowel | Long Vowel (with Dĺžeň) | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
a
|
á
|
Mama / Máma
|
|
e
|
é
|
Ten / Tén (rare)
|
|
i
|
í
|
Pán / Páni
|
|
o
|
ó
|
Dóm / Dómy
|
|
u
|
ú
|
Sud / Súd
|
|
y
|
ý
|
Sýty / Sytý (incorrect)
|
Meanings
The dĺžeň is a diacritic mark in the Slovak alphabet used to indicate vowel length.
Vowel Length
Indicates a long vowel sound.
“Pán (Mr./gentleman)”
“Dóm (cathedral)”
Syllabic Consonants
Indicates a long syllabic liquid consonant.
“Vĺk (wolf - archaic/poetic)”
“Kŕmiť (to feed)”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Vowel + Dĺžeň
|
Mám (I have)
|
|
Negative
|
Vowel + Dĺžeň
|
Nemám (I don't have)
|
|
Question
|
Vowel + Dĺžeň
|
Máš? (Do you have?)
|
|
Syllabic
|
Consonant + Dĺžeň
|
Vĺk (Wolf)
|
|
Adjective
|
Vowel + Dĺžeň
|
Drahý (Expensive)
|
|
Verb
|
Vowel + Dĺžeň
|
Pýtať (To ask)
|
طيف الرسمية
Vlastním automobil. (Talking about possessions)
Mám auto. (Talking about possessions)
Mám fáro. (Talking about possessions)
Mám káru. (Talking about possessions)
Dĺžeň Usage Map
Vowels
- á, é, í, ó, ú, ý Long vowels
Consonants
- ĺ, ŕ Long liquids
أمثلة حسب المستوى
Mama má auto.
Mom has a car.
To je pán.
That is a gentleman.
Mám rád kávu.
I like coffee.
Dóm je veľký.
The cathedral is big.
Súd rozhodol dnes.
The court decided today.
Pijem studenú vodu.
I am drinking cold water.
Múdry človek vie.
A wise person knows.
Pýtam sa na cestu.
I am asking for the way.
Vĺk beží cez les.
The wolf runs through the forest.
Kŕmim vtáky v zime.
I feed birds in winter.
Táto kniha je drahá.
This book is expensive.
Musíme ísť domov.
We must go home.
Jeho názor je dôležitý.
His opinion is important.
Pravidlá sú jasné.
The rules are clear.
Cítim sa veľmi dobre.
I feel very well.
Záhrada je plná kvetov.
The garden is full of flowers.
Vysvetlenie bolo veľmi zložité.
The explanation was very complex.
Pôvod slova je nejasný.
The origin of the word is unclear.
Zákon bol schválený včera.
The law was passed yesterday.
Úspech vyžaduje veľa práce.
Success requires a lot of work.
Táto báseň je majstrovské dielo.
This poem is a masterpiece.
Pravda je často skrytá.
The truth is often hidden.
Úvaha o živote je hlboká.
The reflection on life is deep.
Zámer bol jasne definovaný.
The intention was clearly defined.
سهل الخلط
Learners often mix up the accent mark (´) and the hook (ˇ).
Learners often ignore the length, changing the word meaning.
Learners don't expect consonants to have a dĺžeň.
أخطاء شائعة
Mama (for Máma)
Máma
Sud (for Súd)
Súd
Pani (for Páni)
Páni
Sity (for Sýty)
Sýty
Pijem studenu vodu
Pijem studenú vodu
Mudra zena
Múdra žena
Pytam sa
Pýtam sa
Vlk (for Vĺk)
Vĺk
Krmit (for Kŕmiť)
Kŕmiť
Draha kniha (for Drahá)
Drahá kniha
Vysvetlenie bolo zlozite
Vysvetlenie bolo zložité
Povôd (for Pôvod)
Pôvod
Zakon (for Zákon)
Zákon
Uspech (for Úspech)
Úspech
أنماط الجُمل
Mám ___.
On je ___.
Pýtam sa na ___.
Úspech vyžaduje ___.
Real World Usage
Mám čas.
Môj úspech je...
Prosím kávu.
Kde je dóm?
Dnes je krásny deň.
Vážený pán.
Read Aloud
Don't Ignore It
Use a Dictionary
Native Usage
Smart Tips
Always check for the dĺžeň in the dictionary.
Hold the vowel for two beats.
Don't skip the dĺžeň.
Distinguish between dĺžeň and mäkčeň.
النطق
Dĺžeň
Hold the vowel for twice the duration.
Statement
Mám auto. ↘
Falling intonation at the end.
احفظها
وسيلة تذكّر
Think of the dĺžeň as a 'stretching' pole that pulls the vowel sound out longer.
ربط بصري
Imagine a rubber band being pulled long whenever you see the accent mark.
Rhyme
When you see the line on top, don't let the vowel quickly stop!
Story
Once there was a short 'a' who wanted to be tall. He found a magic stick (the dĺžeň) and placed it on his head. Now he is an 'á' and stands twice as tall as his friends.
Word Web
تحدٍّ
Find 5 words with a dĺžeň in a Slovak book and read them aloud, holding the long vowel for 2 seconds.
ملاحظات ثقافية
The dĺžeň is a point of national pride in orthography.
The dĺžeň was introduced to Slovak orthography to represent the phonemic length of vowels.
بدايات محادثة
Máš auto?
Pýtaš sa na cestu?
Je tento dóm starý?
Aký je tvoj názor na úspech?
مواضيع للكتابة اليومية
أخطاء شائعة
Test Yourself
M___ma (mother)
Which word means 'court'?
Find and fix the mistake:
Vlk (wolf)
Pijem studenu vodu.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Drahý (expensive)
M___dry (wise)
Find and fix the mistake:
On je mudry.
Score: /8
تمارين تطبيقية
8 exercisesM___ma (mother)
Which word means 'court'?
Find and fix the mistake:
Vlk (wolf)
Pijem studenu vodu.
Match 'Súd' and 'Sud'.
Drahý (expensive)
M___dry (wise)
Find and fix the mistake:
On je mudry.
Score: /8
الأسئلة الشائعة (8)
It is an accent mark (´) used to indicate a long vowel.
Yes, it makes the vowel sound longer.
No, it can change the meaning of words.
No, only in words that have long vowels.
Use your keyboard's language settings or a special character map.
No, they are different marks for different purposes.
Yes, all vowels (a, e, i, o, u, y) can have one.
It is essential for correct spelling and pronunciation.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Tilde (´)
Slovak dĺžeň is for length, Spanish accent is for stress.
Accent aigu (´)
Slovak dĺžeň is for length, French accent is for quality.
None
German uses spelling conventions, Slovak uses diacritics.
Chōonpu (ー)
Japanese uses a separate symbol, Slovak uses a diacritic.
Madda (~)
Arabic script is fundamentally different.
Tones
Chinese is tonal, Slovak is length-based.
