Akcento
Polish pronunciation
Polish pronunciation coach in your pocketSay it. See which words sound Polish.
Listen to a native speaker, repeat into the mic and get word-by-word feedback in a second. Tips for the sounds that trip everyone up: sz, cz, rz, ł, ą and ę.
iPhone and iPad · iOS 18.6 or later
Free download. Optional Akcento Pro. No account needed.
- Native audio
- Voice never recorded
- Free to start
Step by step
How to practise Polish pronunciation with Akcento
Play the phrase
A native speaker says it at normal speed. Tap slow mode or tap a single word.
Read the breakdown
Each word has a phonetic spelling in your language and a note on the hard sound.
Say it into the mic
Speak the whole phrase. Akcento stops listening when you finish.
Fix the red words
Replay just those words, try again and watch them turn green.
Speech recognition runs on your iPhone where Polish is supported offline. Otherwise Akcento asks once before using Apple's speech service.
The Polish sounds that trip learners up
Polish spelling is consistent: once you know how a letter combination sounds, it always sounds that way. The hard part is a handful of sounds English doesn't have.
- sz and rz/ż: like the "sh" in "shop" and the "s" in "measure". Przepraszam (sorry) has both.
- cz: like the "ch" in "church", said with the tongue further back than ć.
- ł: sounds like an English "w". Miło mi (nice to meet you) is "MEE-woh mee".
- ą and ę: nasal vowels, roughly "on" and "en" said through the nose.
- Stress: almost always on the second-to-last syllable. Dziękuję is "jen-KOO-yeh".
Reading the rules helps. Saying the sound out loud and hearing that you got it right helps more. That's what the coach is for.
Hear it first
Native audio, slow mode, single words
Every one of the 800+ phrases is recorded by native speakers. Pick a female or male voice, slow it down or play one word at a time.
- Normal and slow speed for every phrase
- Tap any word to hear it on its own
- Phonetic spelling written for English speakers
Pronunciation questions
Is my voice recorded?
No. Akcento listens only while you speak, turns your speech into text to score it and discards the text. Only the score is kept on your iPhone. Audio is never saved or uploaded.
Does the pronunciation coach work offline?
On iPhones that support Polish speech recognition offline, yes. On other devices Akcento asks once before using Apple's online speech service. If you decline, you can rate yourself instead.
Is the pronunciation coach free?
Yes, it works on every free phrase. Akcento Pro unlocks it on all 800+ phrases and in all 20 scenes.
Can I practise without speaking out loud?
Yes. Listen to the phrase and rate yourself. It still counts towards your daily goal and review schedule.
Guides
Polish phrase guides
Useful Polish for travel, work and everyday life in Poland.
Say your first Polish phrase today
Listen to a native speaker, say it out loud and see which words already sound Polish. Free to start, no account.
Akcento is available for iPhone and iPad.
iPhone and iPad · iOS 18.6 or later
Free download. Optional Akcento Pro. No account needed.
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