Slovak pronunciation doesn’t have to be scary. In this episode of Slovak Sound Check, Veronika and Sean continue their pronunciation journey by turning their attention to Slovak consonants — the sounds that give Slovak its distinctive rhythm and softness. You’ll learn how hard, soft, and mixed consonants work, what the “mäkčeň” (caron) really does, and why some letters sound soft even without it.
Vocabulary
písmená = letters
spoluhlásky = consonants
tvrdé spoluhlásky = hard consonants
mäkké spoluhlásky = soft consonants
obojaké spoluhlásky = mixed consonants
Recap
píš ako počuješ = write as you hear
latinka = Latin alphabet
dĺžeň = long mark / acute accent (´)
mäkčeň = soft sign / caron (ˇ)
Note 1: Slovak consonants are traditionally divided into three groups: “tvrdé” (hard), “mäkké” (soft), and “obojaké” (mixed). This division is mainly important for spelling — especially when deciding whether to write i or y after a consonant. While i and y sound the same in modern Slovak, the choice between them follows grammatical rules tied to these consonant groups.
Note 2: Hard consonants are h, ch, k, g, d, t, n, l. They are articulated more firmly and are traditionally followed by y in Slovak spelling. Soft consonants include c, dz, j, as well as consonants marked with a “mäkčeň” (caron): č, dž, š, ž, ď, ť, ň, ľ. These sounds are produced with a softer tongue position and are followed by i in writing. Mixed consonants — b, m, p, r, s, v, z, f — can be followed by either i or y, depending on the word. These combinations must usually be learned by heart, which makes them the trickiest group for learners (and native speakers, too).
Hard consonant examples:
kamarát = friend
domov = home
týždeň = week
Soft consonant examples:
ja = I
čau = hi
škola = school
Mixed consonant examples:
brat = brother
mesiac = month
rok = year
zima = winter
Note 3: Some consonants can sound soft even without a written “mäkčeň” (caron). The letters d, t, n, l are automatically pronounced softly when followed by i, e, or the diphthong ie. In these cases, the softness is heard but not written. This rule does not always apply to words of foreign origin, such as “televízia” (television).
Examples of softening with i, e, and ie:
rodina = family
nedeľa = Sunday
dieťa = child
SSCH_Ep32
Máte problém s prehrávaním? Nahláste nám chybu v prehrávači.
