Polish · Difficult words
How to pronounce przyjaciel in Polish
przyjaciel
Friend
Standard Polish · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
przyjaciel is pronounced /pʂɘˈja.t͡ɕɛl/ in Polish. In przyjaciel: 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.
Explore the app’s available speaking languages
Find the sounds in przyjaciel
Read przyjaciel in these IPA segments: pʂɘ · ˈja · t͡ɕɛl. 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 przyjaciel: 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.Hard hushing consonants
In przyjaciel: 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.
3.The open /ɛ/ vowel
In przyjaciel: 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
To mój przyjaciel.
This is my friend.
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
przyjaciel 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 przyjaciel
How do you pronounce przyjaciel?
przyjaciel is pronounced /pʂɘˈja.t͡ɕɛl/ in Polish. In przyjaciel: 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 przyjaciel: 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.
