Polish Phonology: A Complete Guide to Sounds and Pronunciation

Key Highlights

• The polish language has complex consonant clusters, but when it comes to vowel sounds, there are not many types to learn.
• There are unique sounds in polish, like nasal vowels, that you do not see in many other languages.
• The polish alphabet is mostly phonetic. This means each letter is tied to a certain sound, so you can guess how to say words more easily.
• In polish words, you put the stress on the second-to-last syllable every time. This is important for the way the language flows.
• There are some main phonological processes in the polish language, such as palatalization, final devoicing, and assimilation. These change the way sounds are said, depending on other sounds around them.
• Knowing about the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) can help a lot when you want to get good at the small details in polish pronunciation.

Introduction

Have you ever heard the Polish language and found its unique sounds interesting? The way sounds work in Polish, which people call Polish phonology, may look hard at first. But the rules are steady and can make it clear after some time. You will hear consonant clusters and a special way the words flow up and down. If you want to speak like native speakers, it matters to get the Polish pronunciation right. This guide will show you how the sounds in the Polish language work, so you can speak in a way that sounds much closer to what the people there say. You will also get to enjoy the beauty in those unique sounds.

Foundations of Polish Phonology

The study of Polish phonology looks at the sounds in the language. It shows what gives Polish its special sound. Polish belongs to the Slavic languages group. It shares some things with other Slavic languages, but it also has its own unique features. The way Polish words sound is set by certain phonological rules.

If you want to say Polish words the right way, you should first learn these main ideas. We will look at what phonology means and see what makes the Polish sound system different.

Defining Phonology and Its Role in Language

Phonology is the part of linguistics that looks at how sounds are put together and used in a language. You can think of it as the basic plan for a language’s sound system. With phonology, the focus is not on each sound you make with your mouth—that’s the job of phonetics. Phonology is about the imaginary sound units, called phonemes, that change the meaning of words. For example, in English, the difference between “pat” and “bat” is because of the phonemes /p/ and /b/.

In the polish language, phonology helps us find out which sounds are key and how they act. This system comes with phonological rules. These rules tell us how sounds change next to each other, where the stress should be in a word, and what sound mixes are fine to make.

These phonological rules are what give the polish language its own special sound. For polish, you must learn about things like consonant voicing, palatalization, and how nasal vowels work. If you want good and clear speech in polish, you need to learn these rules well.

Key Features That Distinguish Polish Phonology

Polish phonology stands out for a few reasons, mainly when you compare it with English. These things make the language sound the way it does. Knowing them will help you get the correct pronunciation.

Polish has sounds that most other European languages do not have. All these come together to form rules and sound patterns that may seem hard at first but can give a good result if you work at it.

Some main things that make Polish different are:

• Complex Consonant Clusters: Polish is known for using many consonants in a row. An example of this is in the word “chrząszcz” (beetle).
• Nasal Vowels: There are two main nasal vowels in Polish—ą and ę. Not many other Slavic languages have these vowel sounds.
• Fixed Stress Patterns: Stress in Polish words almost always goes on the next-to-last syllable. This makes the rhythm easy to guess once you get used to it.
• Distinction between “hard” and “soft” consonants: Polish has “hard” consonant sounds and “soft” (palatalized) ones. It is important to know which is which because they sound very different from each other.

These features, like consonant clusters, vowel sounds, and stress patterns, make Polish special in the world of Slavic languages. They are what give Polish words their shape and help you know how to say them.

The Polish Alphabet and Its Phonetic System

The Polish alphabet helps you get the sounds in the language right. It uses the Latin script. The alphabet has 32 letters. Some letters use special marks to show a different sound. That makes it easier to know how to say each letter.

One good thing about Polish phonetics is that each letter usually makes the same sound. If you know the rules, you can look at a word and say it the right way. Let’s look at how the letters in the Polish alphabet match their sounds.

Letters vs. Sounds: Understanding the Basics

When you start to learn a new language, it’s important to see the difference between letters and the sounds they make. In English, this often gets tricky. Take the “ou” in words like “though,” “through,” and “tough.” The sound keeps changing. But for the Polish alphabet, things are easier.

The Polish alphabet follows the sounds more closely. One letter or a pair of letters usually makes just one sound. For example, the “a” in Polish is always said like the “a” in “father.” Because of this, learning to say Polish words is much simpler.

Still, in polish phonetics, there are things to look out for. Sometimes, two letters together stand for one sound. Like “sz,” which you say as “sh.” There are also small marks on some letters, called diacritics. You can see these in letters like “ś” or “ń.” They tell you to soften the sound of the letter. Learning these rules helps you say words the right way when you read the Polish alphabet.

How the Polish Alphabet Maps to Speech Sounds

The relationship between the Polish alphabet and its speech sounds is one of the most learner-friendly aspects of the language. Most letters have a one-to-one correspondence with a sound, which simplifies reading and pronunciation. Even the letters with diacritics (like ą, ć, ę, ł, ń, ó, ś, ź, ż) have consistent pronunciations.

For example, the letter ‘c’ is always pronounced like “ts” in “cats,” never like an ‘s’ or ‘k’. Similarly, the digraph ‘cz’ consistently represents the ‘ch’ sound in “child.” This regularity makes decoding Polish words much easier once you have learned the basic rules of Polish phonetics.

Here is a simple table illustrating how some Polish letters and digraphs map to their corresponding speech sounds, with English approximations:

Polish Letter/Digraph	IPA Symbol	English Approximation
a	a	father
c	t͡s	cats
cz	t͡ʂ	child
ł	w	way
j	j	yes
sz	ʂ	shore
w	v	vile

The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) in Polish

Understanding the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is key if you want to master how to say words in the Polish language. The IPA helps students of all ages break down the unique sounds found in Polish, like the complex consonant clusters and the different ways vowels are said. With the IPA, there are special symbols for each sound. These symbols show where in the mouth the sound comes from, and if it is voiced or voiceless. This makes it easier to understand polish phonetics. Using the IPA helps you say words clearly and brings out the small details that make Polish such a beautiful language.

Introduction to IPA Symbols for Polish

Knowing IPA symbols can help you understand the polish language better. The IPA shows the unique sounds found in polish phonetics. This lets you hear the small changes in how words sound. For example, the polish vowel system uses both oral and nasal vowels. There are consonant clusters too, which may seem hard, but they show a lot about how the language works. As you get used to these symbols, you will get better with the stress patterns and vowel quality in polish. This can make your whole learning process easier. With some time and practice, these tools will help you a lot as you work to speak polish well.

Common IPA Notations Used in Polish Pronunciation

Knowing common IPA symbols can help you understand how to say words in the polish language. The symbol /ʃ/ is used for the “sh” sound, like in the word “siostra” which means sister. Another important symbol is /ɔ/, used for the vowel sound in “on” which means he. This shows the vowel quality in polish. Stress in polish is usually put on the penultimate syllable, which is the second-to-last part of a word. These symbols make it easier to talk about the unique sounds of polish. This can help both native speakers and those who want to learn.

Vowels in Polish Phonology

The Polish vowel system is much simpler than its set of consonants. It has a small group of pure vowel sounds. These vowel sounds are steady and do not turn into diphthongs like they do in English. This makes polish vowels much easier for people to learn and use well.

Among Slavic languages, Polish is known for keeping its nasal vowels. Let’s look at the main vowel sounds in Polish and give some quick ideas about how to say them the right way.

Inventory and Classification of Polish Vowels

The polish vowels set has six oral vowels and two nasal vowels. The oral vowels are /a/, /ɛ/, /i/, /ɔ/, /u/, and /ɨ/. These are called “pure” vowels. That means you say them with your tongue in one spot the whole time. They do not change or glide into another sound. This is not like English, because English has many diphthongs. For example, hear the “oi” in “coin.”

The vowel system in Polish sorts vowels by where you put your tongue. Vowels can be front, central, or back. They can also be high, mid, or low. For instance, /i/ is a high front vowel. /u/ is a high back one. The /ɨ/ sound is called a high central vowel. It can be hard for people who speak English. English does not have this sound in its system.

One thing about polish vowels is that the vowel quality stays the same. In English, vowels can change or get weak in parts of words where the stress is not strong. In Polish, even if the vowel ‘a’ is not stressed, it is still said with the same clear sound every time, showing stable vowel quality.

Pronunciation Guidelines with Examples

Getting the pronunciation of Polish vowels right is an important step for clear speech. The key is to keep each sound short and pure. In Polish, there is not a difference between long and short vowels like there is in English. Each vowel in Polish always makes one sound.

When you see a vowel in a Polish word, you can be sure how it will sound. For example, the letter ‘o’ will always be pronounced like the ‘o’ in the English word “off”. It will never sound like the ‘o’ in “go.” This can help people who are learning Polish vowels.

These are some easy rules for how to say Polish vowels, with polish words as examples:

• a as in tam (there) is said like the ‘a’ in “father.”
• e as in krem (cream) is said like the ‘e’ in “bet.”
• i as in piwo (beer) is said like the ‘ee’ in “see.”
• o as in rok (year) is said like the ‘o’ in “off.”
• u/ó as in duży (big) is said like the ‘oo’ in “pool.” The letter

Consonants in the Polish Language

The vowels in the polish language are easy to pick up. But it is the consonants that give the polish language its hard reputation. There are a lot of consonant sounds, and many of these are called fricatives and affricates. It is also well known for having strong consonant clusters. Something else that stands out is how the polish language makes close calls in sounds using voicing, place of articulation, and how the sounds are made.

Don’t let this scare you! The rules in the polish language are steady and clear. We will look at the most usual consonant sounds and talk about the big ideas of voicing and place of articulation that these sounds use.

Most Common Polish Consonant Sounds

The Polish language has a lot of different consonant sounds. These sounds are used to make the consonant clusters you often hear in Polish words. Some will sound the same as what you know from English. These include /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, /k/, /g/, /m/, and /n/. You will find these in many Polish words, so it’s good for new learners to start here.

But the real style of the Polish language comes from its sibilants. These are the hissing and hushing sounds. The language uses three types of these sounds. First, you get the dental sibilants, like /s, z/. Then, there are retroflex sibilants, like /ʂ, ʐ/ (spelled ‘sz’, ‘ż’, or ‘rz’). You also have alveolo-palatal sibilants, like /ɕ, ʑ/ (spelled ‘ś’, ‘si’, ‘ź’, or ‘zi’). If you are not used to them, they may just sound like ‘s’ or ‘sh’, but in the polish language, each one is a little different, and they mean different things.

It is very important to know and use these common consonant sounds. For example, look at prosić which sounds like ‘pro-shich’ with a soft ‘ś’, and means “to ask”. Then proszę is ‘pro-sheh

Voicing, Place, and Manner of Consonant Articulation

To really get Polish consonants, you can try to look at the way a linguist would. There are three main things to notice: voicing, place of articulation, and manner of articulation. Voicing is about if your vocal cords vibrate when you make a sound. For example, /b/ is a voiced consonant, but /p/ is not.

Place of articulation is where in your mouth or throat you make the sound. It could be at your lips (which we call bilabial, like /p/), at the teeth (dental, like /t/), or at the back near your soft palate (velar, like /k/). The range of these places used in Polish speech helps it have so many types of sounds.

Manner of articulation is connected to how you move the air when you say the sound. You might shut off the air and suddenly let it out (as in a stop like /t/), squeeze it through a small space (like a fricative, such as /s/), or mix them (an affricate, like /t͡s/). When you get these ideas, Polish speech and pronunciation can be a lot easier to handle.

• Voicing: Pairs like d (voiced) and t (voiceless) are important.
• Place of Articulation: Sounds can start in many places, from the lips (m, *

Stress, Intonation, and Rhythm in Polish

The way a language sounds is shaped by things like stress, tone, and rhythm. Polish speech stands out because it has a set way of using stress patterns. In English, stress placement changes a lot and can make things hard for people to learn. Polish, though, keeps things easy by using the same rule for where stress goes in words.

This steady pattern makes Polish speech sound unique and smooth. Let’s take a closer look at how this stress pattern works and see how the pitch changes in Polish sentences.

Word Stress Patterns

One thing that makes Polish a bit easier to say is the way stress works in the language. In almost all Polish words, you put the stress on the second-to-last syllable. This is called the penultimate syllable. This stress pattern is very regular in words that are from Polish, so it is something you can rely on when trying to learn.

For example, think about the word uniwersytet (university). It has five parts: u-ni-wer-sy-tet. You stress the second-to-last part, which is sy. The same rule works with another word, Warszawa (Warsaw). This word has three parts. You put the stress on the middle one, which is sza. This set stress placement gives Polish a clear and steady rhythm.

Usually, you just follow this penultimate syllable rule when learning Polish words. There are a few times, like when using borrowed words or certain grammar changes, where it doesn’t work like that. But for most of the time, if you remember to use this rule for polish stress patterns, you will get the stress right. So, if you want to improve how you say Polish words, learning this simple idea about stress patterns is a good start.

Melodic Patterns and Sentence Intonation

Intonation in Polish speech is the way your voice goes up and down as you talk. This rising and falling sound gives each sentence a kind of tune. Word stress in Polish does not change, but how you use sentence intonation is more open. It helps to show meaning, feeling, and even grammar, much like it does in English.

When you make a statement in Polish speech, you will often use a falling intonation at the end. Your voice goes up a little when you say the stressed part of the last word. Then, your voice drops down. This drop in voice shows that your sentence is done. For example, in “Idę do sklepu” (I am going to the store), your voice goes down at sklepu.

If you want to ask a yes or no question, the intonation does not stay the same. Your voice will rise at the end. This higher sound tells the other person that you are asking a question, not making a statement. For example, “Idziesz do sklepu?” (Are you going to the store?) will have your voice go up at the end.

When you get good at using these main kinds of intonation in Polish speech, your Polish will sound more natural and clear.

Notable Phonological Processes in Polish

The sounds you hear in Polish never stand alone. They work with each other in ways you can predict. A set of phonological processes guides them. These changes happen automatically. Because of them, the language flows in a smooth way. Some of the big processes are assimilation, palatalization, and final devoicing.

These phonological processes, together with the special way that nasal vowels and consonant clusters work, help you understand how real Polish sounds. Let’s take a closer look at these interesting and unique facts about the sounds of Polish.

Assimilation, Palatalization, and Final Devoicing

There are a few main phonological processes that change how we say Polish words. These changes happen on their own, and most people do not notice they are doing them. But, they play a big part in natural speech and good pronunciation.

One of the main rules is final devoicing. This means if a voiced consonant is at the end of words, it turns into a voiceless consonant. For example, in the word chleb (bread), there is a ‘b’ at the end. But people say it as a ‘p’—[xlep]. There is also palatalization. Sometimes a consonant is “softened” when it comes before a vowel like ‘i’ or ‘e’. This is how you get the “soft” sounds that you hear in Polish, like ‘ś’, ‘ć’, and ‘ń’.

Assimilation also matters, especially in consonant clusters. Here, a sound changes to be more like one nearby. Very often, you see this if two consonants with different voicing are next to each other.

• Final Devoicing: If you take a voiced consonant like ‘d’ at the end of obiad (dinner), it is spoken as a ‘t’.
• Palatalization: In kiedy (when), the ‘k’ is made softer next to the ‘i’, and you hear a “soft k” [kʲ].
• **Assim

Nasal Vowels and Consonant Clusters

Two of the main parts of Polish sound rules are nasal vowels and complex consonant clusters. The nasal vowels, shown as ‘ą’ and ‘ę’, are special in the language. Their sound changes based on where the vowel is in the word. If they come before a stop or affricate, they are not a single nasal vowel. Instead, you say an oral vowel and then a nasal consonant. For example, in ręka (hand), the sound is [reŋka].

Polish has famous consonant clusters. Words like chrząszcz (beetle) or Szczebrzeszyn (a town name) may look scary, but they follow the same sound rules as simple words. The main thing is to say each consonant in the group clearly.

Nasal vowels and consonant clusters are not just fun facts. They are basic parts of the language. If you learn how nasal vowels change and how to handle complex consonant clusters, you can really start to get Polish sound rules. It takes effort, but it makes sense.

Historical Influences on Modern Polish Pronunciation

The sounds of modern Polish took a long time to develop. They did not happen in a single night. This change came from many events across years. There were changes inside the language and changes from contact with other groups. Polish historical phonology looks at this story. It starts from Proto-Slavic roots. The story moves through old polish times and comes up to modern polish.

Knowing this history helps you see why there are things like nasal vowels and the difference between ‘ó’ and ‘u’. Let’s see how the sounds in the language changed, and also what outside groups changed it with their ways.

Evolution from Old to Contemporary Polish Sounds

The way Polish sounded has changed a lot from Old Polish to modern Polish. The sounds in the language have kept changing slowly over the years. In Old Polish, there was a more detailed vowel system, and vowels could be longer, but this is no longer true in today’s standard Polish.

One big change was that some sounds came together to make one sound. For example, the letter ‘ó’ used to sound different than ‘u’, but now they both say the same thing, /u/. The way we spell ‘ó’ is still here to show how the sound was once a long ‘o’. This gives us a look into the historical evolution of Polish.

Other phonological changes happened with nasal vowels like ‘ą’ and ‘ę’. They started from old Slavic nasal sounds. Certain consonant clusters have also become simpler with time. All these transformations helped create the way modern Polish sounds now, making it special among the Slavic languages.

External Linguistic Influences Affecting Pronunciation

The Polish language did not grow on its own. Over the years, it has come into contact with many other languages. These outside forces have changed the way people say words in Polish. Most of the time, there has been a mix of sounds from other Slavic languages, German, Latin, French, and now, English. All of these have added something new to how the Polish language is spoken.

In the Middle Ages and Renaissance, both Latin and Czech changed the Polish language a lot. Many new words came into Polish from these languages, mostly in religion, culture, and official use. This brought in new sounds and writing styles, which were then used in the Polish system. Later on, when Poland had close ties with Germany and France, Polish people picked up even more new sounds and words.

These days, the biggest influence from outside is English. Many new English words are used in Polish. Some even bring in their own new sounds.

• Latin: Brought in words for religion and science. This changed the way people spoke, especially among educated people.
• German: Because there was contact for many years, especially in the west, many German words made their way into Polish. This changed the sounds, too.
• French: In the 1700s and 1800s, French became popular. Polish leaders and important families started to use some French words and ways of speaking.

The Polish language still gets new things from other languages and is always changing because of

Common Pronunciation Differences: Polish vs. English

For people who speak English and want to learn the Polish language, the hardest part can be saying Polish words the right way. The way words sound in English and Polish is not the same. In English, there are a lot of vowel sounds. Some vowels change a lot, and there are many diphthongs. In Polish, the vowel system is more simple. There is no vowel reduction.

These key differences often cause trouble for learners. Let’s look at some sounds that you’ll find only in Polish language, and talk about the most common problems for people who speak English.

Sounds Unique to Polish

While many sounds in the Polish language are like the ones you hear in English, some are very different and need special focus. These sounds help make Polish sound the way it does. Learning to say them right is important if you want to sound true to the language.

The best known of these are the nasal vowels, ‘ą’ and ‘ę’. English does not have sounds quite like these. You will also find ‘y’, a high middle vowel, is hard to match to an English sound. It is between ‘i’ in ‘kit’ and ‘u’ in ‘put’. You need to practice this sound to get it right.

Another part of what makes the Polish language special is the group of sounds called sibilant consonants. For example, there is a clear difference between ‘sz’ /ʂ/, ‘ś’ /ɕ/, and ‘s’ /s/, and changing the sound can change what a word means.

• Nasal Vowels (ą, ę): Sounds where you let air out through your mouth and nose at the same time.
• The Vowel ‘y’ (/ɨ/): A high vowel that does not have a match in English.
• “Soft” Consonants (ś, ź, ć, dź, ń): These sounds are said with your tongue close to the roof of your mouth, and have a light ‘y’ sound after them.
• **The

Frequent Pitfalls for English Speakers

When you switch from the English language to the Polish language, you might face some common problems with how you say words. One of these is using English vowel sounds when you say Polish words. For example, people who speak English often use two vowel sounds together when saying a simple vowel. So they might say the Polish ‘o’ like the ‘o’ in “go” and not like the shorter and simpler ‘o’ in “off.”

Another thing that happens is when you try to say final consonants. In Polish, you have to say them without your voice at the end, but the English language does not do this. For example, you might say the ‘g’ in targ (market) with your voice, but in Polish, it should sound more like a /k/. The same thing goes with sounds like ‘s’, ‘ś’, and ‘sz’ in polish words — if you do not get these right, people can get mixed up.

If you take time to fix these problems, you will sound much better in the polish language.

• Vowel Purity: Do not make pure Polish vowels sound like English diphthongs. Keep the sound short and clear.
• Final Devoicing: Make sure you do not use your voice at the end of some consonants, like ‘b’, ‘d’, ‘g’, ‘w’, or ‘z’. For example, raz (once) is said like *ras

Challenges and Strategies for Learners

Learning the sounds in the Polish language may be hard, but it can be done by students of all ages. The most important thing is to use good ways to learn and have the right tools. A holistic learning platform can give you what you need to get past common problems with how words sound.

You can work on tough sounds and use focused practice. There are many things you can do to help your Polish accent. Here are some simple tips and helpful exercises to help you get better with Polish sounds.

Difficult Sounds and Practical Pronunciation Tips

Every person learning the Polish language will face some sounds that are hard. Most often, these are the nasal vowels (‘ą’, ‘ę’), the different sibilants (‘s’, ‘ś’, ‘sz’), and the vowel ‘y’. If you work on these early, you will get better faster.

One simple tip for good pronunciation is to listen and repeat. Find audio from native speakers, and try to say the words just it like they do. Record yourself, then listen and compare your voice to the native speakers. This will help you find your mistakes and fix them.

Do not worry about overdoing the sounds at first. To master the consonant clusters in Polish language, say them slowly and make sure you pronounce each consonant. Then, speed up as you get comfortable.

• Isolate and Practice: Work on one tricky sound at a time.
• Use Minimal Pairs: Try practicing with word pairs that only have one sound different, like prosić (to ask) and proszę (please). This will help your ear hear small changes.
• Watch Mouth Movements: Watch native speakers in videos. See how they move their lips and tongues.
• Break Down Clusters: For words with consonant clusters, such as wszystko (everything), practice in steps: w-szy-stko.

Effective Exercises for Mastering Polish Phonology

To get really good at Polish phonology, you have to practice often with the right exercises. Listening helps, but it is better to be active with your learning. One of the best ways to do this is by reading out loud every day. This lets your tongue and lips get used to making Polish sounds. It also helps you feel okay with how the language sounds and flows.

It is also a good idea to make your own learning materials. You can write out lists of words that use sounds that are hard for you. Practice these words again and again. Using interactive flashcards with audio will help too. These let you check how well you hear and say Polish words. There are many apps where you can record your voice and see how it sounds next to the correct way.

Doing these exercises should help the sounds of Polish start to feel normal to you.

• Tongue Twisters: Try Polish tongue twisters such as “W Szczebrzeszynie chrząszcz brzmi w trzcinie.” These are fun and very good for working on consonant clusters.
• Shadowing: Put on headphones and listen to a native speaker. Try to say the words with them at the same time. This can help you with rhythm and intonation.
• Minimal Pair Drills: Work with flashcards or apps on pairs of words that sound a lot alike but have some small differences (like ‘cz’ and ‘ć’).
• Record and Compare:

Conclusion

To sum up, getting good at Polish phonology is key if you want to get better at how you say words and how well you connect with others in the language. When you learn about the unique sounds, the stress patterns, and the small details in how the words are said, you do more than just speak; you start to see how deep and wonderful the language is. If you use the tips and practice ideas in this guide, you can fight the tough spots and feel sure about your pronunciation. If you have questions, or if you want some help, don’t be shy—each step you take to say words better brings you closer to speaking Polish well. For your own help with this, you can book a free trial chat with our experts!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Polish considered a phonetic language?

Yes, the Polish language is seen as a phonetic language. The Polish alphabet has a clear link between each letter and sound. When you know the main phonological rules, you can say almost every word right by just reading it. That is why Polish is easy to sound out for people who want to learn it.

What are some unique pronunciation rules in Polish?

In the polish language, there are some unique things you notice about how words sound. For example, Polish words almost always put the main stress on the next-to-last part of the word. The polish language also uses nasal vowel sounds like ą and ę, which you do not find in most other languages. There are also many complex consonant clusters. This means you find a lot of consonants pushed together in words. In polish, one of the main phonological processes that happens is called final devoicing. In this rule, a voiced consonant turns into a voiceless sound when it comes at the end of a word. These rules make the polish language stand out with its special ways that sounds blend together.

How does learning IPA help with Polish pronunciation?

Learning the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) can be very helpful for Polish pronunciation. It gives you clear symbols for every sound in Polish. This helps you stop guessing and avoids using English sounds that are not the same. You get to know exactly how to say sounds that are only found in Polish.