A1 · Alphabet and pronunciation · about 6 minutes
Voiced and voiceless: chleb sounds like “chlep”
final devoicing and assimilation
At the end of a word a voiced consonant is said voiceless — something English never does.
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“New to me”: the explanation first, then practice. “Test myself”: 3 short questions – get at least two right and you go straight to the harder exercises.
Words you will need13
They appear in this topic’s examples and exercises and are new at this point on the learning path.
- kupowaćto buy
- bratbrother
- trzythree
- krzesłochair
- obiadlunch, dinner (main meal)
- drugisecond; other
- nóżknife
- ostryspicy, hot; sharp
- wtorekTuesday
- dobrygood
- dzieńday
- spacerwalk, stroll
- piesdog
Understand
RememberSay it voiceless at the end, spell it from the longer form.
- Signal words
- -b
- -d
- -g
- -w
- -ż
- tw
- kw
- prz
The form
How it is written and said
Each row gives the rule first, then examples in Polish that show it.
| at the end voiceless: b, d, g, w, z, ż become p, t, k, f, s, sz | chleb, obiad, róg, Kraków, raz, nóż |
| w after a voiceless sound: like f | twój, kwiat, świat |
| rz after p, t, k, ch: like sz | przy, trzy, krzesło |
| voiced before a voiced sound | prośba, liczba |
| preposition and word said together | w Polsce, z kotem |
| the longer form shows the spelling | chleb — chleba, nóż — noże |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
At the end of a word b, d, g, w and z become voiceless.
Kupuję chleb.I am buying bread.
The voiced letter is written all the same.
Nie ma chleba.There is no bread.
After a voiceless sound w sounds like f.
Gdzie jest twój brat?Where is your brother?
After p, t, k and ch, rz sounds like sz.
Mam trzy krzesła.I have three chairs.
A short preposition is said together with the next word.
Mieszkam w Polsce.I live in Poland.
Example sentences
Jem obiad o drugiej.I have lunch at two.
Ten nóż jest ostry.This knife is sharp.
Wtorek to dobry dzień.Tuesday is a good day.
6 more example sentences
Idę na spacer z psem.I am taking the dog for a walk.
Mam do ciebie prośbę.I have a favour to ask you.
Mój ogród jest mały.My garden is small.
Gdzie jest mój kwiat?Where is my flower?
Mam sklep w Gdańsku.I have a shop in Gdańsk.
Przyjdź jutro!Come tomorrow!
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
If you write what you hear, chleb comes out as “chlep” and w Polsce as “f Polsce”. Both are wrong. The way out is the longer form: chleb has a b because it is chleba as soon as an ending follows — the b comes back into the open.
Quick check
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Practise
8 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.
Now write it yourself7 sentences on this topic, typed and checked instantly.
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Next on the path: 7 · Free word order, fixed endingsBack to the learning path
The full explanation
Read it all · about 1 min
In English the end of a word keeps its voice: “bed” and “bet”, “dog” and “dock” are different words. In Polish they would not be. At the end of a word, a consonant written voiced is said voiceless: chlebsounds like “chlep”obiadlike “obyat”róglike “rook”nóżlike “noosh” The voiced letter is still written, and the longer form gives it away: chleba, noże.
Inside a word two consonants side by side adjust to each other. Next to a voiceless sound the other one becomes voiceless too: w after k, t, s or ś sounds like f (twój like “tfooy”, kwiat like “kfyat”), and rz after p, t, k and ch like sz (trzy, przepraszam). Less often it goes the other way: prośba sounds like “proźba”.
The short prepositions w and z are said together with the next word and adjust to it: w Polscesounds like “fpolstse”z kotemlike “skotem” They are always written the same.
Worth knowing1
Worth knowing
The reverse of an English habit
English speakers carry the voice through to the end of a word, and to them a final b or d sounds clearly voiced. In Polish that voiced ending sounds foreign. Say Kraków with an f at the end and nóż with “sh”, and you sound much more natural at once.
Jadę do Krakowa w piątek.I am going to Kraków on Friday.
The verbs on this page, in every form: mieć · być · iść · mieszkać · jeść · kupować