# Polish pronounciation

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polish-pronounciation/579077>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 20, 2011, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polish-pronounciation/579077 "2011-04-20T14:18:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\
**Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polish-pronounciation/579077/21 "2011-04-21T14:14:03Z")

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> [@Quercus](#):
>
> “w” is like English ‘v’ (sometimes tightening up to almost an ‘f’)

It’s not even “almost,” it does become completely devoiced (an “f” sound) in certain situations, most often at the end of a word. “Cows” is _krów_, pronounced “kroof.”

> [@](#):
>
> the slashed l is English ‘w’

Except when at the end of a word preceded by a consonant, in which it becomes silent and serves to devoice the previous letter. This is most often seen in the past tense in Polish. “He came” is _on przyszedł_, and the final _dł_ is pronounced as “t.” The terminal _łł_ seen in the OP’s example is a rarity and not a normal Polish spelling. I believe it’s only ever seen in proper nouns. It’s just pronounced as a normal _ł_ in that case.

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