A0 · Point Zéro Chapitre 1

The Slovak Alphabet and Sounds

5 Règles totales
1 min
Règles dans ce chapitre Pratique rapide

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.

Ce que tu vas apprendre

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.

Conseils et astuces (4)

💡

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)
💡

Practice aloud

Say the soft sounds clearly to train your tongue.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: The Soft Mark (Mäkčeň)
💡

Don't overthink it

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

Vocabulaire clé (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

Erreurs courantes

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

Wrong: Pekny (Nice)
Correct: Pekný (Nice)

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

Wrong: Caj (Tea)
Correct: Čaj (Tea)

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

Wrong: M-li-e-ko (Milk)
Correct: 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

Pratique rapide (10)

Fix the word.

Find and fix the mistake:

mama

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: máma
Length matters.

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

Find the mistake.

Find and fix the mistake:

Pi-atok je dobrý.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: piatok
Piatok is one syllable.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Slovak Diphthongs (Dvojhlásky)

Fill in the correct letter.

m___so

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ä
The word is spelled with ä.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: The Umlaut (Prehláska ä)

Choose the correct word.

Mám ___.

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

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

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)

Fill in the missing letter.

Ďakujem, ___aj prosím.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: b
The word is čaj.

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

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)

Fill in the missing diacritic.

c_j

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: č
The word is čaj.

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

Fix the word.

Find and fix the mistake:

cesta

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

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

Score: /10

Questions fréquentes (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.
Chapitre suivant
First Encounters
Retour à la feuille de route