English Pronunciation for Polish Speakers
Your strengths first, then the fixes that change how clearly you are understood.
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First language
If your first language is Polish
These are the patterns Polish speakers bring most often. Nothing here is a mistake — it is your first language doing exactly what it always does. Each row says where the fix lives.
| The challenge | What often happens | Go to |
|---|---|---|
| W vs V | 'west' → 'vest', 'wine' → 'vine' | W vs V |
| The TH sounds | 'think' → 'sink' or 'tink', 'this' → 'dis' or 'zis' | The TH Sound |
| Final devoicing | 'bad' → 'bat', 'dog' → 'dok' | The -S Ending |
| Ship vs sheep | one Polish 'i' quality serves for both | Long vs Short Vowels |
| Cat vs bet | 'cat' → 'ket', 'bad' → 'bed' | Short Vowels |
| The NG sound | 'sing' → 'sing-g' | The NG Sound |
| The English R | a tap or trill stands in for the floating tongue | The English R |
| Stress and the weak vowel | stress sits second-to-last and vowels stay full | Word Stress |
A note on sources. These rows come from the Polish guide. Speak Clearly carries first-language sections for six languages and Polish is not one of them — the book still covers every sound above, just not in a section written for Polish speakers.
Free
The Polish guide
The full guide: what you already do well, the fixes that matter most, and minimal pairs to practise out loud. Free, and yours without giving us anything.
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