Polish · Difficult words
How to pronounce mały in Polish
mały
Small
Standard Polish · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
mały is pronounced /ˈma.wɘ/ in Polish. In mały: Round the lips briefly for a w-like glide and connect it to the following sound. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
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Find the sounds in mały
Read mały in these IPA segments: ˈma · wɘ. Dots and stress marks identify the boundaries shown in the reference; these symbols are not English spelling. The mark /ˈ/ comes immediately before the main stressed syllable. Give that syllable a little more prominence without swallowing the others.
1.The ł sound /w/
In mały: Round the lips briefly for a w-like glide and connect it to the following sound.
Watch out: Modern Polish ł is normally not an English l.
2.An open vowel
In mały: Open the jaw for the a-like vowel shown in the IPA. Keep it continuous and follow the recording’s tongue position.
Watch out: Do not substitute the English diphthong in “day”.
Hear it in context
Stolik jest mały.
The table is small.
Listen once, say it aloud, then replay at 1.00×. Keep the word connected to the surrounding sentence rather than giving every syllable equal weight.
Pronunciation and variety
mały is presented using Standard Polish. Regional accents and connected speech can change details. The isolated word and the example let you compare the dictionary form with a short spoken context.
The English-style respelling is approximate. Use the IPA and recording together for vowel quality and consonants that do not have an exact English equivalent.
Meaning and everyday use
Questions about mały
How do you pronounce mały?
mały is pronounced /ˈma.wɘ/ in Polish. In mały: Round the lips briefly for a w-like glide and connect it to the following sound. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
What should I listen for first?
In mały: Round the lips briefly for a w-like glide and connect it to the following sound. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.
