Romanian looks deceptively familiar to English speakers - until you try to say it out loud. Suddenly, letters like 'ș' and 'ț' turn into tongue-twisting nightmares. Here’s the lowdown on the sounds that’ll trip you up, and how to actually pronounce them without sounding like a malfunctioning robot.
1. The Infamous 'Ă' and 'Â/Î'
First up: the schwa-like 'ă' and its more sinister cousins 'â' and 'î'. These aren’t just decorative hats on vowels - they change the sound entirely.
ă
/ə/“schwa”
â/î
/ɨ/“close central unrounded vowel”
2. The Diacritic Duo: 'Ș' and 'Ț'
These aren’t just 's' and 't' with fancy commas underneath. They’re entirely different sounds, and getting them wrong can lead to awkward mix-ups.
ș
/ʃ/“sh”
ț
/t͡s/“ts”
- Wrong: 'sare' (salt) → 'șare' (not a word)
- Wrong: 'tare' (hard) → 'țare' (also not a word)
3. The 'R' That Rolls Too Much
Romanian 'r' is rolled, but not like Spanish or Italian. It’s a single tap, like the 'tt' in 'butter' in American English. Overdo it, and you’ll sound like a cartoon pirate.
r
/r/“alveolar tap”
4. The 'J' That’s Not What You Think
Romanian 'j' is the French 'j' or the 's' in 'measure'. English speakers often default to the hard 'j' in 'jump', which is wrong.
j
/ʒ/“zh”
- Wrong: 'joc' (game) pronounced like 'jock'
- Right: 'joc' sounds like 'zhok'
5. The Vowel Trio: 'EA', 'IA', 'IE'
These vowel combinations aren’t diphthongs - they’re pronounced as separate syllables. English speakers tend to smush them together, which sounds off.
ea
/ja/“eh-ah”
ie
/ˈije/“ee-eh”
Practice Makes Less Awkward
The best way to nail these sounds? Listen to native speakers and mimic them. Check out our guide on creative ways to practice Romanian daily for more tips. And if you’re feeling brave, try faking a Romanian accent for fun - it’s surprisingly effective.
Got a Romanian word that’s been butchering your tongue? Drop it in the comments, and we’ll decode it for you.
