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Pronunciation Rules

Czech pronunciation is consistent, but it requires attention to detail, especially regarding vowel length and specific consonant sounds.

The "Write As You Hear" Principle​

Unlike English or French, Czech is largely phonetic. If you see a letter, you pronounce it. There are very few silent letters.

  • Example: knedlík (dumpling) is pronounced with the k audible: /knɛdliːk/.

Voicing Assimilation​

One of the most important rules in fluent Czech speech is voicing assimilation. When voiced and voiceless consonants meet, they often influence each other.

The Rule​

The last consonant in a group determines the voicing for the whole group.

  • Voiced + Voiceless → Voiceless

    • tužka (pencil) → pronounced as tuška (ž becomes š because k is voiceless)
    • včera (yesterday) → pronounced as fčera (v becomes f because č is voiceless)

  • Voiceless + Voiced → Voiced

    • kde (where) → pronounced as gde (k becomes g because d is voiced)
    • prosba (request) → pronounced as prozba (s becomes z because b is voiced)

Final Devoicing​

At the end of a word, voiced consonants are pronounced as their voiceless counterparts.

  • led (ice) → pronounced as let
  • dub (oak) → pronounced as dup
  • lev (lion) → pronounced as lef

Voiced and Voiceless Pairs​

VoicedBDĎGHVZŽ
VoicelessPTŤKChFSŠ

Note: V is unique. It causes assimilation when it follows a voiceless consonant (tvůj -> tfůj is wrong, květ -> květ), but it does not cause a preceding voiceless consonant to become voiced (svět is svět, not zvět).

The Glottal Stop (Ráz)​

In Czech, words beginning with a vowel are often preceded by a "glottal stop" (a slight catch in the throat, like in the English "uh-oh"). This is especially true after prepositions.

  • v okně (in the window) → pronounced as v 'okně (the v does not link to the o, it stays separate).
  • z Ameriky (from America) → pronounced as s 'Ameriky (z becomes s due to the unvoiced glottal stop).