Polish · Difficult words
How to pronounce stół in Polish
stół
Table
Standard Polish · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
stół is pronounced /ˈstuw/ in Polish. In stół: 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 stół
The reference transcription for stół is /ˈstuw/. Read adjacent consonants together without inserting extra vowels. 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 stół: 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.Back rounded vowels
In stół: Round your lips and keep the tongue toward the back. Follow the closer /u/ or more relaxed /ʊ/ quality written in the IPA.
Watch out: Avoid inserting a y sound before the vowel unless the IPA includes /j/.
3.A clear /s/
In stół: Let air pass through a narrow groove near the front of the mouth. Keep the sound unvoiced.
Watch out: Do not add voicing and turn /s/ into /z/.
Hear it in context
Stół jest nakryty.
The table is set.
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
stół 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 stół
How do you pronounce stół?
stół is pronounced /ˈstuw/ in Polish. In stół: 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 stół: 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.
