Polish Genealogical Word List: Difference between revisions

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(Added information about pronunciation of Polish letters.)
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The letters q, v and x are also used, but only for foreign names or words.  
The letters q, v and x are also used, but only for foreign names or words.  


While the Latin alphabet is used in Polish, some letters make different sounds than they do in English. Below are a few examples of how some Polish sounds may be represented in English:  
While a Latin-based alphabet is used in both Polish and English, some letters make different sounds in each language. Below are a few examples of how some Polish sounds may be represented in English:  
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|'''Original Spelling'''
|'''Polish Sound'''
|'''Possible Spellings in English'''
|'''Possible English Representation'''
|-
|-
|sz, ś (sch in German)
|ą
|sh (in "shake")
|om, on (in “home” or “prone”)
|-
|-
|w
|c
|v (in "vote")
|ts (in “cats”)
|-
|-
|j
|ch
|y (in "you")
|hard h (like “ch” in “loch”)
|-
|-
|ł
|cz, ć
|l/w (in "life" or "wife")
|ch (in “chew”)
|-
|-
|dż
|dż
|j (in "joke")
|j (in “joke”)
|-
|-
|z, rz, ż
|ę
|zh (like "s" in "treasure")
|em, en (in “them” or “then”)
|-
|-
|ą
|j
|om, on (in "home" or "prone")
|y (in “you”)
|-
|-
|ę
|ł
|em, en (in "them" or "then")
|l/w (in “life” or “wife”)
|-
|-
|oo (in "too")
|oo (in “too”)
|-
|-
|c
|sz, ś (sch in German)
|ts (in "rats")
|sh (in “shake”)
|-
|w
|v (in “vote”)
|-
|z, rz, ż
|zh (like “s” in “treasure”)
|}
|}
Some other letter sounds may be confused with each other, such as b and p, v and f, g and k, d and t, zh and sh, z and s, or j and ch, especially if they were written in a document based only on what someone said. Vowel sounds can vary too, so knowing that an “a” may be used in place of an “o” or an “i” in place of an “e” can help you make sense of spelling errors you find in historical records.
Some other letter sounds may be confused with each other, such as b and p, v and f, g and k, d and t, zh and sh, z and s, or j and ch, especially if they were written in a document based only on what someone said. Vowel sounds can vary too, so knowing that an “a” may be used in place of an “o” or an “i” in place of an “e” can help you make sense of spelling errors you find in historical records.
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