Polish · Difficult words
How to pronounce niedźwiedź in Polish
niedźwiedź
Bear
Standard Polish · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
niedźwiedź is pronounced /ˈɲɛ.d͡ʑvjɛt͡ɕ/ in Polish. In niedźwiedź: Raise the middle of the tongue close to the hard palate. The symbols /ɕ, ʑ/ and their affricates are the softer Polish hushing sounds. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
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Find the sounds in niedźwiedź
Read niedźwiedź in these IPA segments: ˈɲɛ · d͡ʑvjɛt͡ɕ. 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.Soft hushing consonants
In niedźwiedź: Raise the middle of the tongue close to the hard palate. The symbols /ɕ, ʑ/ and their affricates are the softer Polish hushing sounds.
Watch out: Keep these distinct from the harder sz/ż/cz/dż series.
2.The soft n /ɲ/
In niedźwiedź: Raise the middle of your tongue for a single palatal n, similar to the linked “ny” in “canyon”.
Watch out: Do not read ń as an ordinary n followed by an extra vowel.
3.The open /ɛ/ vowel
In niedźwiedź: Keep the vowel open, like the vowel in many pronunciations of English “bed”, without a final glide.
Watch out: Avoid turning this vowel into English “ay”.
Hear it in context
Niedźwiedź jest daleko od ścieżki.
The bear is far from the path.
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
niedźwiedź 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 niedźwiedź
How do you pronounce niedźwiedź?
niedźwiedź is pronounced /ˈɲɛ.d͡ʑvjɛt͡ɕ/ in Polish. In niedźwiedź: Raise the middle of the tongue close to the hard palate. The symbols /ɕ, ʑ/ and their affricates are the softer Polish hushing sounds. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
What should I listen for first?
In niedźwiedź: Raise the middle of the tongue close to the hard palate. The symbols /ɕ, ʑ/ and their affricates are the softer Polish hushing sounds. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.
