Appendix:Hungarian pronunciation

Shortcut:
AP:pron:hu

The charts below show how the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is used to represent Hungarian pronunciations in Wiktionary entries.

Consonants

IPA

Letter

Example

Audio

English approx.

b

baj [ˈbɒj] (trouble)

Audio:

(file)

bean

t͡s ^[1]

c

cím [ˈt͡siːm] (address)

Audio:

(file)

cats

t͡ʃ

cs

csap [ˈt͡ʃɒp] (faucet; to strike)

Audio:

(file)

church

ds

zöldség [ˈzølt͡ʃeːɡ] (vegetable)

Audio:

(file)

d

dob [ˈdob] (drum; to throw)

Audio:

(file)

dog

d͡z

dz

brindza [ˈbrind͡zɒ] (bryndza)

Audio:

(file)

kids

d͡ʒ

dzs

dzsessz [ˈd͡ʒɛsː] (jazz)

Audio:

(file)

jazz

f

fa [ˈfɒ] (tree)

Audio:

(file)

fall

ɡ

g

gép [ˈɡeːp] (machine)

Audio:

(file)

get

ɟ

gy

gyár [ˈɟaːr] (factory)

Audio:

(file)

duty (UK)

dj

mindjárt [ˈmiɲɟaːrt] (right away)

Audio:

(file)

h

haj [ˈhɒj] (hair)

Audio:

(file)

hair

ɦ^[2]

soha [ˈʃoɦɒ] (never)

Audio:

(file)

x

potroh [ˈpotrox] (abdomen)

Audio:

(file)

j

jól [ˈjoːl] (well)

Audio:

(file)

yes

ç^[3]

rakj [ˈrɒkç] (put)

Audio:

(file)

ʝ^[4]

férj [ˈfeːrʝ] (husband)

Audio:

(file)

j^[5]

óriási [ˈoːrijaːʃi] (huge)

Audio:

(file)

yes

k

kis [ˈkiʃ] (small)

Audio:

(file)

skip

l

lap [ˈlɒp] (sheet)

Audio:

(file)

lab

j

ly

hely [ˈhɛj] (place)

Audio:

(file)

yes

m

már [ˈmaːr] (already)

Audio:

(file)

mint

ɱ

szemfog [ˈsɛɱfoɡ] (eye tooth)

Audio:

(file)

tromf

n

nép [ˈneːp] (people)

Audio:

(file)

neat

ɱ ^[6]

tanfolyam [ˈtɒɱfojɒm] (course)

Audio:

(file)

ŋ ^[7]

hang [ˈhɒŋg] (voice)

Audio:

(file)

ɲ

ny

nyugat [ˈɲugɒt] (west)

Audio:

(file)

new (UK)

p

pénz [ˈpeːnz] (money)

Audio:

(file)

speak

kv

q

Aquincum [ˈɒkviŋkum] (Aquincum)

Audio:

(file)

r

rész [ˈreːs] (part; piece)

Audio:

(file)

ʃ

s

sem [ˈʃɛm] (neither)

Audio:

(file)

show

s

sz

szól [ˈsoːl] (to say)

Audio:

(file)

sit

t

több [ˈtøbː] (more)

Audio:

(file)

stop

c

ty

tyúk [ˈcuːk] (hen)

Audio:

(file)

tube (UK)

tj

kertje [ˈkɛrcɛ] (his/her/its garden)

Audio:

(file)

v

vés [ˈveːʃ] (to carve)

Audio:

(file)

veal

w

watt [ˈvɒtː] (watt)

Audio:

(file)

ks

x

xenon [ˈksɛnon] (xenon)

Audio:

(file)

j

y

York [ˈjork] (York)

Audio:

(file)

z

zöld [ˈzøld] (green)

Audio:

(file)

zeal

ʒ

zs

zseb [ˈʒɛb] (pocket)

Audio:

(file)

pleasure

^ [t͡s] and [ts] are not the same. The latter represents two phonemes, t and sz.
^ [ɦ]: Voiced glottal fricative: 1. Between two non-identical vowels 2. Between a sonorant (m, n, ny, l, j, r) and a vowel (in this order).
^ [ç]: At the end of the word after f, k, p. Examples: döfj, rakj, kapj.
^ [ʝ]: At the end of the word after b, v, g, r, m. Examples: dobj, óvj, égj, férj, szomj.
^ [j]: A weak glide pronounced within a word (or a compound element) between two adjacent vowels (where one of them is i or í) to fill the hiatus. Since there is only a minor difference between the regular [j] and the weaker glide [j], the same IPA symbol is used for both.
^ [ɱ]: n and m in the nf, nv, mf, mv consonant combinations.
^ [ŋ]: n in the ng and nk consonant combinations.

Long consonants

IPA

Letters

Example

Audio

English approx.

bː

bb

szebb [ˈsɛbː] (more beautiful)

Audio:

(file)

pb

alapbér [ˈɒlɒbːeːr] (basic salary)

Audio:

(file)

t͡sː

cc

vicc [ˈvit͡sː] (joke)

Audio:

(file)

dsz

tudsz [ˈtut͡sː] (you can)

Audio:

(file)

dc

nádcukor [ˈnaːt͡sːukor] (cane sugar)

Audio:

(file)

tsz

játszik [ˈjaːt͡sːik] (he/she plays)

Audio:

(file)

tssz

látssz [ˈlaːt͡sː] (you should be visible)

Audio:

(file)

t͡ʃː

ccs

meccs [ˈmɛt͡ʃː] (match)

Audio:

(file)

ts

szövetség [ˈsøvɛt͡ʃːeːɡ] (alliance)

Audio:

(file)

ds

fáradság [ˈfaːrɒt͡ʃːaːɡ] (effort)

Audio:

(file)

dː

dd

addig [ˈɒdːiɡ] (until)

Audio:

(file)

td

tiszteletdíj [ˈtistɛlɛdːiːj] (royalty payment)

Audio:

(file)

d͡zː

dz

edző [ˈɛd͡zːøː] (coach)

Audio:

(file)

d͡ʒː

dzs

menedzser [ˈmɛnɛd͡ʒːɛr] (manager)

Audio:

(file)

ddzs

briddzsel [ˈbrid͡ʒːɛl] (with bridge)

Audio:

(file)

fː

ff

blöff [ˈbløfː] (bluff)

Audio:

(file)

vf

évfolyam [ˈeːfːojɒm] (class)

Audio:

(file)

ɡː

gg

agg [ˈɒɡː] (aged)

Audio:

(file)

kg

mákgubó [ˈmaːɡːuboː] (poppy head)

Audio:

(file)

ɟː

ggy

poggyász [ˈpoɟːaːs] (luggage)

Audio:

(file)

gyj

nagyjából [ˈnɒɟːaːboːl] (roughly)

Audio:

(file)

dj

adjál [ˈɒɟːaːl] (give me)

Audio:

(file)

d+gy

hadgyakorlat [ˈhɒɟːɒkorlɒt] (military exercise)

Audio:

(file)

xː

hh

ch

pech [ˈpɛxː] (bad luck)

Audio:

(file)

jː

jj

éjjel [ˈeːjːɛl] (at night)

Audio:

(file)

lj

teljesen [ˈtɛjːɛʃɛn] (totally)

Audio:

(file)

llj

állj [ˈaːjː] (stop)

Audio:

(file)

lly

süllyed [ˈʃyjːɛd] (to sink)

Audio:

(file)

ly+j

folyjon [ˈfojːon] (let it flow)

Audio:

(file)

kː

kk

mekkora [ˈmɛkːorɒ] (what size)

Audio:

(file)

gk

megkap [ˈmɛkːɒp] (to receive)

Audio:

(file)

lː

ll

hallott [ˈhɒlːotː] (he/she heard)

Audio:

(file)

mː

mm

semmi [ˈʃɛmːi] (nothing)

Audio:

(file)

nm

önmaga [ˈømːɒɡɒ] (himself)

Audio:

(file)

nː

nn

tenni [ˈtɛnːi] (to do)

Audio:

(file)

ɲː

nny

amennyi [ˈɒmɛɲːi] (as much as)

Audio:

(file)

ny+j

anyja [ˈɒɲːɒ] (his/her mother)

Audio:

(file)

nj

menj [ˈmɛɲː] (go)

Audio:

(file)

pː

pp

nappali [ˈnɒpːɒli] (daytime)

Audio:

(file)

bp

zabpehely [ˈzɒpːɛhɛj] (rolled oats)

Audio:

(file)

rː

rr

erre [ˈɛrːɛ] (this way)

Audio:

(file)

lr

balra [ˈbɒrːɒ] (to the left)

Audio:

(file)

ʃː

ss

kissé [ˈkiʃːeː] (slightly)

Audio:

(file)

sz+s

egészség [ˈɛɡeːʃːeːɡ] (health)

Audio:

(file)

z+s

igazság [ˈiɡɒʃːaːɡ] (truth)

Audio:

(file)

sː

ssz

messze [ˈmɛsːɛ] (far)

Audio:

(file)

z+sz

vízszintes [ˈviːsːintɛʃ] (horizontal)

Audio:

(file)

tː

tt

láttam [ˈlaːtːɒm] (I saw it)

Audio:

(file)

dt

maradt [ˈmɒrɒtː] (stayed)

Audio:

(file)

cː

tty

petty [ˈpɛcː] (dot)

Audio:

(file)

ty+j

atyja [ˈɒcːɒ] (his/her father)

Audio:

(file)

tj

látja [ˈlaːcːɒ] (he/she sees it)

Audio:

(file)

vː

vv

évvel [ˈeːvːɛl] (with year)

Audio:

(file)

zː

zz

azzal [ˈɒzːɒl] (with that)

Audio:

(file)

sz+z

gyászzene [ˈɟaːzːɛnɛ] (funeral music)

Audio:

(file)

ʒː

zzs

garázzsal [ˈɡɒraːʒːɒl] (with garage)

Audio:

(file)

s+zs

sertészsír [ˈʃɛrteːʒːiːr] (lard)

Audio:

(file)

Vowels

IPA

Letter

Example

Audio

English approx.

ɒ

a

agy [ˈɒɟ] (brain)

Audio:

(file)

awe (but short)

aː

á

ágy [ˈaːɟ] (bed)

Audio:

(file)

father

ɛ

e

eke [ˈɛkɛ] (plow)

Audio:

(file)

less

eː

é

ép [ˈeːp] (intact)

Audio:

(file)

café

i

irt [ˈirt] (to eradicate)

Audio:

(file)

bit

iː

í

írt [ˈiːrt] (he/she wrote)

Audio:

(file)

bee

o

ok [ˈok] (cause, reason)

Audio:

(file)

force

oː

ó

ó [ˈoː] (old)

Audio:

(file)

hole

ø

ö

öt [ˈøt] (five)

Audio:

(file)

øː

ő

őt [ˈøːt] (him/her)

Audio:

(file)

early

u

un [ˈun] (to be bored of)

Audio:

(file)

bull

uː

ú

út [ˈuːt] (road)

Audio:

(file)

tool

y

ü

ül [ˈyl] (to sit)

Audio:

(file)

yː

ű

űr [ˈyːr] (space)

Audio:

(file)

Vowel variants

IPA

Letter

Example

Audio

English approx.

ɒː^[1]

a

arra [ˈɒːrɒ] (that way)

Audio:

(file)

a^[2]

a

halló? [ˈhaloː] (hello?)

Audio:

(file)

ɛː

e

erre [ˈɛːrɛ] (this way)^[3]

Audio:

(file)

u̯^[4]

au

autó [ˈɒu̯toː] (car)

Audio:

(file)

^ A double length [ɒ].
^ A short vowel between a and á. Mostly used in foreign words.
^ A double length [ɛ].
^ A semivowel usually paired with another vowel such as au (augusztus), eu (euró).

Other symbols

A stress mark is placed before the syllable that is stressed.

IPA	indicates
ˈ (ˈa)	primary stress
ˌ (ˌa)	secondary stress
/ /	phonemes, as in /ˈinformɒtikɒ/
[ ]	speech sounds, as in [ˈiɱformɒtikɒ]

References

Hungarian phonology
Appendix:Hungarian pronunciation assimilation
Forró Orsolya: Hangtan II (in Hungarian)
Gósy Mária: A palatális közelítőhang kétféle funkcióban
Page 59 (65 in the PDF) and page 66–67 (72–73 in the PDF) in Optimális esszék a magyar fonológiáról by Siptár, Péter and Szilárd Szentgyörgyi

[1] [t͡s] and [ts] are not the same. The latter represents two phonemes, t and sz.

[2] [ɦ]: Voiced glottal fricative: 1. Between two non-identical vowels 2. Between a sonorant (m, n, ny, l, j, r) and a vowel (in this order).

[3] [ç]: At the end of the word after f, k, p. Examples: döfj, rakj, kapj.

[4] [ʝ]: At the end of the word after b, v, g, r, m. Examples: dobj, óvj, égj, férj, szomj.

[5] [j]: A weak glide pronounced within a word (or a compound element) between two adjacent vowels (where one of them is i or í) to fill the hiatus. Since there is only a minor difference between the regular [j] and the weaker glide [j], the same IPA symbol is used for both.

[6] [ɱ]: n and m in the nf, nv, mf, mv consonant combinations.

[7] [ŋ]: n in the ng and nk consonant combinations.

[8] A double length [ɒ].

[9] A short vowel between a and á. Mostly used in foreign words.

[10] A double length [ɛ].

[11] A semivowel usually paired with another vowel such as au (augusztus), eu (euró).

[1]