THE MUSEUM OF FAMILY HISTORY
EDUCATION AND RESEARCH CENTER
 presents

Guide to Pronunciation
AS TOLD BY THE NATIVE SPEAKER

Hungary
Language: Magyar
 

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To the non-native speaker, the proper pronunciation of words in a foreign language may be a daunting task. Many of us can remember traveling to a foreign country and trying unsuccessfully to communicate with others in their native tongue. Here, an effort has been made to aid those interested in learning the correct pronunciation of the Magyar language, using the names of some of Hungary's towns and cities. As in the other lists of this Pronunciation Guide tutorial, the town names spoken here are done so by a native of the country of Hungary. This list, as well as the others, will hopefully be augmented over time.

The list below represents just a few towns and cities located in the Hungary both of today and before World War II. Each name is spoken once, and then is repeated several seconds later.

These pronunciations have been placed within a single sound "clip" (wav file.) You will have to listen to the one-minute clip from the beginning, but may be able to pause or play it again depending on your computer's media player. The main language in Hungary is called "Magyar."

The particular towns and cities listed below have been chosen because, for the most part, their names appear within the Museum's website. Left-click onto the earphones icon to begin the recording. Because the sound clip is a rather large one, it may or may not take a some time to fully download, depending on the speed of  your computer. Good luck!
Hungary:

Balassagyarmat

Budapest

Debrecen

Dunaújváros

Eger

Gyöngyös

Győr

Kecskemét

Kiskomárom

Kiskunlacháza

Kisvárda

Máramarossziget

Miskolc

Mosonmagyaróvár

Munkács

Nagykanizsa

Nyíregyháza

Pápa

Pécs

Salgótarján

Sopron

Székesfehérvár

Szeged

Szombathely

Vác

Zalaegerszeg
 

CONSONANTS
LETTER   PRONUNCIATION    SYMBOL
C like ts in hats ts
CS like ch in chest ch
G like g in goat g
GY like di in tedious dy
J like y in yellow y
LY like y in yellow y
NY like n in onion ń
R rolled r r
S like sh in sheep sh
SZ like s in soft s
TY like ti in tiara ty
ZS like s in treasure zh
B, D, F, H, K, L, M, N, P, T, V, X, Z pronounced as in English
 
VOWELS
LETTER        PRONUNCIATION SYMBOL
A like o in hot o
Á like a in father aa
E like e in set e
É like ay in day ay
I like ee in meet (short) ee
Í like ee in meet (long) ee
O like a in ball aw
Ó like aw in saw aw
U like oo in boot oo
Ö similar to u in burr u
O" similar to u in burr u
U like u in full oo
Ü like French eu in peu ew
U" like French eu in peu (long) ew

consonant and vowel table shown above adapted from:
 
www.cusd.claremont.edu/~tkroll/EastEur/hun-pron.html




 

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