Pronunciation
dz, dź, dż — Polish affricates
dz, dź, dż are affricates: one sound that starts like “d” and immediately slides into “z/dz”. Not two separate sounds.
dz · dź · dż
Typical mistake
People read “d-z” with a pause: dziękuję → “d-ziękuje”. Or they confuse soft dź with hard dz.
How to make the sound
- 01dz is hard — like a quick, fused “dz”.
- 02dź is soft, next to dzi (dzień, dziękuję).
- 03dż is hard “j” as in “jam” — same place as in dżem.
Practice words
dziękuję
thank you
dzień
day
dżem
jam
godzina
hour
Questions
- How do I remember dź vs dż?
- dź is soft (as in dziękuję). dż is hard (as in dżem). Softness = tongue at the lower teeth.
See also
Next — topical phrases: Phrases
Check dz · dź · dż out loud
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