Polish · Difficult words
How to pronounce zły in Polish
zły
Bad
Standard Polish · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
zły is pronounced /ˈzwɘ/ in Polish. In zły: 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 zły
The reference transcription for zły is /ˈzwɘ/. 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 zły: 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.
Hear it in context
To był zły wybór.
That was a bad choice.
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
zły 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 zły
How do you pronounce zły?
zły is pronounced /ˈzwɘ/ in Polish. In zły: 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 zły: 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.
