A0 · Nullpunkt Kapitel 1

The Slovak Alphabet and Sounds

5 Gesamtregeln
1 Min.
Regeln in diesem Kapitel Schnelle Übung

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Unlock the phonetic logic of Slovak and start reading every word exactly as it is written.

  • Navigate the 46 letters of the longest Slavic alphabet.
  • Distinguish between short and long vowel durations.
  • Master the unique softening marks that give Slovak its melody.
Speak Slovak exactly how it looks.

Was du lernen wirst

Introduction to the Slovak Latin script and unique diacritics. Learn how to pronounce vowels, consonants, and diphthongs correctly.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: Recite the Slovak alphabet and identify the unique characters not found in English.
  2. 2
    By the end you will be able to: Correctly pronounce words with length marks (dĺžeň) and softening marks (mäkčeň).
  3. 3
    By the end you will be able to: Produce the specific 'uo' sound of the Slovak 'ô' and other diphthongs.

Tipps & Tricks (4)

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Practice Daily

Read aloud every day.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: The Slovak Alphabet (Abeceda)
💡

Read Aloud

Read texts aloud and exaggerate the long vowels to train your ear.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Long Vowels and the Accent Mark (Dĺžeň)
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Practice aloud

Say the soft sounds clearly to train your tongue.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: The Soft Mark (Mäkčeň)
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Don't overthink it

Just say 'e'.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: The Umlaut (Prehláska ä)

Wichtige Vokabeln (7)

Mama Mother Pán Mr. / Gentleman Čaj Tea Päť Five Kôň Horse Mlieko Milk Ulica Street

Real-World Preview

coffee

Ordering a Drink

Review Summary

  • 46 letters
  • Vowel + ´
  • Consonant + ˇ
  • ä
  • Vowel + Vowel

Häufige Fehler

Ignoring the dĺžeň (length mark) changes the rhythm and can sometimes change the meaning of the word.

Wrong: Pekny (Nice)
Richtig: Pekný (Nice)

Confusing 'c' (ts) with 'č' (ch). In Slovak, these are two completely different letters.

Wrong: Caj (Tea)
Richtig: Čaj (Tea)

Pronouncing diphthongs as two separate syllables. 'ie' should be one fluid 'ye' sound.

Wrong: M-li-e-ko (Milk)
Richtig: Mlie-ko (Milk)

Next Steps

You've just conquered one of the most complex alphabets in Europe. You have a fantastic foundation for everything to come!

Read a Slovak news headline aloud

Write out the alphabet from memory including diacritics

Continue to: First Encounters

Schnelle Übung (10)

Select the correct form.

Daj to ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: cudzímu
Dative case uses 'iu'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Slovak Diphthongs (Dvojhlásky)

Choose the correct word.

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: čaj
Correct spelling.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: The Slovak Alphabet (Abeceda)

Correct the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

On je mudry.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: On je múdry.
Múdry needs dĺžeň.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Long Vowels and the Accent Mark (Dĺžeň)

Fill in the correct vowel.

M___ma (mother)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: á
It is 'máma' in some contexts.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Long Vowels and the Accent Mark (Dĺžeň)

Which is correct?

Drahý (expensive)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Drahý
Adjective needs dĺžeň.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Long Vowels and the Accent Mark (Dĺžeň)

Correct the spelling.

Find and fix the mistake:

Vlk (wolf)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Vĺk
Vĺk is the correct form.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Long Vowels and the Accent Mark (Dĺžeň)

Which is the correct diphthong?

How do you spell 'horse'?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: kôň
Ô is the correct diphthong for horse.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Slovak Diphthongs (Dvojhlásky)

Fill in the blank.

M___dry (wise)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ú
Múdry is correct.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Long Vowels and the Accent Mark (Dĺžeň)

Fill in the missing diphthong.

P___seň

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ie
Pieseň uses the 'ie' diphthong.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Slovak Diphthongs (Dvojhlásky)

Choose the correct word.

Mám ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
The word is školu.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: The Soft Mark (Mäkčeň)

Score: /10

Häufige Fragen (6)

Slovak needs them for precise sounds.
No, they are mandatory.
It is an accent mark (´) used to indicate a long vowel.
Yes, it makes the vowel sound longer.
It is a hook diacritic used in Slovak.
Use a Slovak keyboard layout.
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