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Created page with "As can be expected in an English-language blog about the history of mostly Polish cuisine, it does mention a fair number of Polish words and names. The Polish language is noto..."
As can be expected in an English-language blog about the history of mostly Polish cuisine, it does mention a fair number of Polish words and names. The Polish language is notoriously tricky for native English speakers to pronounce, which is why I provide pronunciation respelling for some of the Polish words.
The scheme I use is a kind of compromise: it's as close to actual Polish pronunciation as you can get using only those sounds that exist in English. In some cases, two sounds that are distinct to Polish speakers, are approximated by the same English sound. The goal here isn't to make you sound like a native Polish speaker; it's just to help you not butcher Polish words beyond recognition.
The respelling scheme I use is meant to be as intuitive to English speakers as possible, but here's an explanation of the symbols anyway.
=== Vowels ===
All Polish vowels are the same length, with no long vowels, diphthongs or schwas. Some of them have sound like long vowels in English, but are pronounced shorter.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Respelling !! English sound !! How it's written in Polish
|-
| ''ah'' || as in ''p'''a'''lm'', only shorter || ''a''
|-
| ''aw'' || as in ''b'''ough'''t'', only shorter || ''o''
|-
| ''e, eh'' || as in ''b'''e'''t''|| ''e''
|-
| ''ee'' || as in ''b'''ee'''t'', only shorter || ''i''
|-
| ''i, ih'' || as in ''b'''i'''t'' || ''y''
|-
| ''oo'' || as in ''b'''oo'''t'', only shorter || ''ó, u''
|}
=== Consonants ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Respelling !! English sound !! How it's written in Polish
|-
| ''b'' || as in '''''b'''o'''b''''' || b
|-
| ''ch, tch'' || as in '''''ch'''ur'''ch''''' || ''cz; ci, ć''
|-
| ''d'' || as in '''''d'''a'''d''''' || ''d''
|-
| ''dz'' || as in ''da'''ds''''' || ''dz''
|-
| ''f'' || as in '''''f'''oe'' || ''f''
|-
| ''g, gh'' || as in '''''g'''a'''g''''' || ''g''
|-
| ''H'' || as in Scots ''lo'''ch'''''; if you can't pronounce it, then the ''h'' in ''hoe'' is also close || ''ch, h''
|-
| ''j'' || as in '''''j'''u'''dg'''e'' || ''dż; dzi, dź''
|-
| ''k'' || as in ''s'''k'''un'''k''''' || ''k''
|-
| ''l'' || as in '''''l'''o'''ll'''y || ''l''
|-
| ''m'' || as in '''''m'''o'''m''''' || ''m''
|-
| ''n'' || as in '''''n'''u'''n''''' || ''n; ń''
|-
| ''p'' || as in ''s'''p'''y'' || p
|-
| ''R'' || as in ''be'''tt'''er'', especially in American English || ''r''
|-
| ''s, ss'' || as in '''''s'''au'''c'''e'' || ''s''
|-
| ''sh'' || as in '''''sh'''u'''sh''''' || ''sz; si, ś''
|-
| ''t'' || as ''s'''t'''ay'' || ''t''
|-
| ''ts'' || as in ''to'''ts''''' || ''c''
|-
| ''v'' || as in '''''v'''ie'' || ''w''
|-
| ''W'' || as in '''''w'''o'''w''''' || ''ł, u''
|-
| ''y'' || as in '''''y'''eah'' || ''i, j''
|-
| ''z'' || as in '''''z'''oo'' || ''z''
|-
| ''zh'' || as in ''plea'''s'''ure'' || ''rz, ż; zi, ź''
|}
The scheme I use is a kind of compromise: it's as close to actual Polish pronunciation as you can get using only those sounds that exist in English. In some cases, two sounds that are distinct to Polish speakers, are approximated by the same English sound. The goal here isn't to make you sound like a native Polish speaker; it's just to help you not butcher Polish words beyond recognition.
The respelling scheme I use is meant to be as intuitive to English speakers as possible, but here's an explanation of the symbols anyway.
=== Vowels ===
All Polish vowels are the same length, with no long vowels, diphthongs or schwas. Some of them have sound like long vowels in English, but are pronounced shorter.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Respelling !! English sound !! How it's written in Polish
|-
| ''ah'' || as in ''p'''a'''lm'', only shorter || ''a''
|-
| ''aw'' || as in ''b'''ough'''t'', only shorter || ''o''
|-
| ''e, eh'' || as in ''b'''e'''t''|| ''e''
|-
| ''ee'' || as in ''b'''ee'''t'', only shorter || ''i''
|-
| ''i, ih'' || as in ''b'''i'''t'' || ''y''
|-
| ''oo'' || as in ''b'''oo'''t'', only shorter || ''ó, u''
|}
=== Consonants ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Respelling !! English sound !! How it's written in Polish
|-
| ''b'' || as in '''''b'''o'''b''''' || b
|-
| ''ch, tch'' || as in '''''ch'''ur'''ch''''' || ''cz; ci, ć''
|-
| ''d'' || as in '''''d'''a'''d''''' || ''d''
|-
| ''dz'' || as in ''da'''ds''''' || ''dz''
|-
| ''f'' || as in '''''f'''oe'' || ''f''
|-
| ''g, gh'' || as in '''''g'''a'''g''''' || ''g''
|-
| ''H'' || as in Scots ''lo'''ch'''''; if you can't pronounce it, then the ''h'' in ''hoe'' is also close || ''ch, h''
|-
| ''j'' || as in '''''j'''u'''dg'''e'' || ''dż; dzi, dź''
|-
| ''k'' || as in ''s'''k'''un'''k''''' || ''k''
|-
| ''l'' || as in '''''l'''o'''ll'''y || ''l''
|-
| ''m'' || as in '''''m'''o'''m''''' || ''m''
|-
| ''n'' || as in '''''n'''u'''n''''' || ''n; ń''
|-
| ''p'' || as in ''s'''p'''y'' || p
|-
| ''R'' || as in ''be'''tt'''er'', especially in American English || ''r''
|-
| ''s, ss'' || as in '''''s'''au'''c'''e'' || ''s''
|-
| ''sh'' || as in '''''sh'''u'''sh''''' || ''sz; si, ś''
|-
| ''t'' || as ''s'''t'''ay'' || ''t''
|-
| ''ts'' || as in ''to'''ts''''' || ''c''
|-
| ''v'' || as in '''''v'''ie'' || ''w''
|-
| ''W'' || as in '''''w'''o'''w''''' || ''ł, u''
|-
| ''y'' || as in '''''y'''eah'' || ''i, j''
|-
| ''z'' || as in '''''z'''oo'' || ''z''
|-
| ''zh'' || as in ''plea'''s'''ure'' || ''rz, ż; zi, ź''
|}