Polish · Difficult words
How to pronounce poważny in Polish
poważny
Serious
Standard Polish · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
poważny is pronounced /pɔˈvaʐ.nɘ/ in Polish. In poważny: Keep the tongue tip slightly farther back for the sounds /ʂ, ʐ/ and their affricates. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
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Find the sounds in poważny
Read poważny in these IPA segments: pɔ · ˈvaʐ · nɘ. 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.Hard hushing consonants
In poważny: Keep the tongue tip slightly farther back for the sounds /ʂ, ʐ/ and their affricates.
Watch out: Do not collapse the hard and soft Polish consonant series into one English sh sound.
2.The open /ɔ/ vowel
In poważny: Round the lips and keep a relatively open jaw. Sustain one vowel rather than moving toward a w sound.
Watch out: English “oh” often moves during the vowel; follow the steadier sound in the recording.
3.An open vowel
In poważny: 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
Problem jest poważny.
The problem is serious.
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
poważny 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 poważny
How do you pronounce poważny?
poważny is pronounced /pɔˈvaʐ.nɘ/ in Polish. In poważny: Keep the tongue tip slightly farther back for the sounds /ʂ, ʐ/ and their affricates. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
What should I listen for first?
In poważny: Keep the tongue tip slightly farther back for the sounds /ʂ, ʐ/ and their affricates. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.
