Slovak accent marks, or diacritics, aren’t just decorative flourishes - they’re crucial for correct pronunciation and meaning. Misplace or omit one, and you might end up saying something entirely different (or nonsensical). This guide covers the rules, the exceptions, and why they matter.
The Basics: Slovak Diacritics
Slovak uses two main types of diacritical marks:
- Dĺžeň (ˇ) – A wedge-shaped mark that lengthens vowels (á, é, í, ó, ú, ý) or softens consonants (ď, ť, ň, ľ).
- Mäkčeň (ˊ) – An acute accent used on vowels (á, é, í, ó, ú, ý) and the consonants ĺ and ŕ to indicate length or palatalisation.
- Vokáň (^) – A circumflex that appears only on ô, representing the diphthong /uo/.
Dĺžeň
/ˈdʎiːʒɛɲ/“Length mark”
Vowel Length Matters
In Slovak, vowel length can change a word’s meaning entirely. For example:
| Short Vowel | Long Vowel | Meaning Difference |
|---|---|---|
| krik | krík | ‘shout’ vs. ‘bush’ |
| pas | pás | ‘passport’ vs. ‘belt’ |
The Quirks of Ď, Ť, Ň, Ľ
The dĺžeň also softens consonants, creating sounds unfamiliar to English speakers:
Ďakujem
/ˈɟakujɛm/“Thank you”
These softened consonants appear before vowels or at the end of words. For example:
- ťava (camel)
- ňový (new)
- ďaleko (far)
The Lone Circumflex: Ô
The letter ô is unique - it’s the only Slovak vowel with a circumflex. It represents a historical diphthong /uo/, now pronounced as /u̯o/. For example:
- kôň (horse)
- stôl (table)
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Confusing ä (which doesn’t exist in Slovak) with a or á
- Omitting the dĺžeň on ĺ and ŕ, which are separate letters, not variants of l and r.
- Misplacing the mäkčeň on ď, ť, ň - they must sit atop the letter, not beside it.
Historical Context
Slovak diacritics were standardised in the 19th century by linguist Ľudovít Štúr, who sought to distinguish Slovak from Hungarian and German influences. The system was designed to reflect pronunciation clearly, avoiding the ambiguities of languages like English.
For more on accent marks in related languages, see our guide on Latvian accent marks.
