Published: May 18 2023
Hungarian, a Uralic language, is the official language of Hungary and is spoken by millions of people in Central Europe. While it uses the Latin alphabet like English, Hungarian has a unique set of accented letters to represent special sounds that are not found in the English language. In this blog post, we will dive into the Hungarian accented letters and their pronunciation to give you a better understanding of the language.
The Accented Letters and their Pronunciation
In Hungarian, there are a total of 18 accented letters, and they come in the form of vowels and consonants. The accented vowels are more prevalent and commonly used compared to accented consonants. Here is the list of Hungarian accented letters with their pronunciation:
Accented Vowels
- Á, á - Pronounced like the English "a" in "father" but slightly longer.
- É, é - Pronounced like the English "e" in "red" but slightly longer.
- Í, í - Pronounced like the English "ee" in "see".
- Ó, ó - Pronounced like the English "o" in "gold" but slightly longer.
- Ö, ö - Pronounced like the German "ö" or the French "eu" in "peur". It is similar to the English "i" in "bird" if pronounced quickly.
- Ő, ő - A long version of the Ö sound. It is also pronounced like the German "ö" or the French "eu" in "peur", but the sound is held longer.
- Ú, ú - Pronounced like the English "oo" in "school".
- Ü, ü - Pronounced like the German "ü" or the French "u" in "tu". It is similar to the English "ew" in "new" if pronounced quickly.
- Ű, ű - A long version of the Ü sound. It is also pronounced like the German "ü" or the French "u" in "tu", but the sound is held longer.
Accented Consonants
- Cs, cs - Pronounced like the English "ch" in "church".
- Dz, dz - Pronounced as one sound, a "d" followed quickly by a "z", like the English "ds" in "heads".
- Dzs, dzs - Pronounced like the English "j" in "jump".
- Gy, gy - Pronounced like the English "d" in "due" or the "j" in "jury".
- Ly, ly - Pronounced like the English "y" in "yes".
- Ny, ny - Pronounced like the Spanish "ñ" in "piñata" or the English "ny" in "canyon".
- Sz, sz - Pronounced like the English "s" in "sink".
- Ty, ty - Pronounced like >>> 17. Ty, ty - Pronounced like the English combination "ti" in "question" or "t" followed quickly by "y", similar to "tuna" or "tube".
- Zs, zs - Pronounced like the English "s" in "measure" or "treasure".
Understanding Hungarian Accents: The Importance of Length
In Hungarian, the length of a vowel sound is significant – altering a vowel's length can change the meaning of a word. This is why the language has both short and long vowels, and the accented vowels indicate their long forms. For instance, compare these pairs of words: `kút` (well) vs. `köt` (binds), and `tök` (pumpkin) vs. `tők` (vine).
Tips for Typing Hungarian Accented Letters
When typing in Hungarian, using a standard QWERTY keyboard might be challenging due to the presence of accented letters. Here are some tips to help you type Hungarian accented letters more efficiently:
- Hungarian Keyboard Layout: Switch your keyboard to a Hungarian layout in your computer's settings. This allows you to access the accented letters directly on your keyboard.
- Keyboard Shortcuts: Learn the keyboard shortcuts for typing Hungarian accents. For instance, on a Mac, you can type á by holding down the Option key and pressing E, followed by the letter A.
- Online Tools: Utilize online tools like TypeIt to access Hungarian characters and accents easily. You can type or copy-paste the accented letters from these tools to your document.
Conclusion
The Hungarian language, rich in accented letters, is a unique and interesting field of study. Understanding these accented letters and their pronunciation will not only help facilitate better communication with native Hungarian speakers but also add nuance to your knowledge of this beautiful language. Keep practicing, and soon you'll be able to read and pronounce Hungarian with ease!
