Free Polish pronunciation checker
Free Polish Pronunciation Test: check every word you say
Read five short Polish sentences aloud or type any word you want to check. You get a score for every word, an overall score with accuracy, fluency and completeness, and a list of words to practise first.
Read this aloud:
Mój syn był w kinie, a potem pił mleko.
Listen for: y and i (syn, był, pił)
Tap to record
Your recording is sent securely for scoring and is not stored by Flalingo.
Scores come from a standard native-speaker model for this language, so regional accents may score a little lower.
How to check your Polish pronunciation
Each sentence in this Polish pronunciation test is built around something learners find hard: y and i, the nasal vowels ą and ę, sz, cz and rz, the soft ś, ć and ź, and long consonant clusters. Read it aloud and a speech model trained on native Polish speakers compares every word you say with the text.
You get an overall score from 0 to 100, plus accuracy, fluency and completeness. Every word gets its own score, so you can see which ones sound off and start there. You can also type your own Polish text, up to 160 characters, and check it the same way.
How the test works
Read five sentences aloud
Each sentence is short and built around sounds that learners of this language find hard. You can also type your own text, up to 160 characters, or tap one of the hard words to try.
AI scores every word
A speech-assessment model trained on native speakers compares what you say with the text. It scores accuracy, fluency and completeness from 0 to 100, and gives every word its own score.
Get your report
Each word is coloured by how close it was, and you see a short list of words to practise first. Record a sentence again to check your progress, then share your score with a friend.
The hardest Polish sounds for learners
Y and I
Polish i is like 'ee' in 'see' and softens the consonant before it (pił, kino). Polish y is a different vowel, said further back, close to the i in 'bit' with the tongue pulled back. Mixing them changes words: był (he was) and bił (he was hitting), my (we) and mi (to me).
Nasal ą and ę
Ą sounds roughly like 'on' and ę like 'en', with the nasal sound blending into the vowel instead of ending in a full n (wąs, mięso). Before p and b they turn into om and em (ząb, dęby), and before t and d into on and en (kąt, będę). At the end of a word, ę is usually said as a plain e: idę sounds like 'ide'.
sz, cz, rz and ż
These are hard, hushing sounds made with the tongue tip raised and pulled back: sz as in szafa (a darker English sh), cz as in czas (a darker ch), and rz and ż, which sound the same, like the s in 'pleasure' (rzeka, żaba). Keep your lips relaxed and your tongue tip up.
ś, ć, ź and dź
This is a second, softer set: the middle of the tongue rises toward the hard palate, as if you were about to say 'y'. Ś (also spelled si) is a soft sh, ć (ci) a soft ch, ź (zi) a soft zh and dź (dzi) a soft j. Polish keeps both sets apart: kasza (porridge) and Kasia (a name), czy (whether) and ci (to you).
Consonant clusters
Polish allows long groups of consonants with no vowel between them: szcz in Szczecin and deszcz (rain), prz in przepraszam, chrz in chrząszcz (beetle). Say every consonant, don't add a short vowel between them, and keep the stress on the second-to-last syllable of the word.
What your pronunciation score means
| Score | Level | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 90–100 | Excellent | Your words are clear and close to a native speaker. Try longer or harder sentences to keep improving. |
| 75–89 | Good | Easy to understand. A few words still stand out, so practise them one at a time. |
| 60–74 | Fair | Mostly understandable, but people may ask you to repeat some words. Start with the words in your practice list. |
| 0–59 | Needs work | Some words may be misunderstood. Slow down, practise the flagged words on their own, then say them in short phrases. |
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is this Polish pronunciation checker?
It uses a speech-assessment model trained on native Polish speakers. The model lines up your recording with the text, scores every word for accuracy and rates your fluency and completeness. It is a good guide to which words sound off, but it is not a teacher, so look for words that get flagged again and again rather than worrying about one low score.
Which Polish accent is the test based on?
Scores are based on standard Polish as spoken in Poland. Polish has fewer regional differences than many languages, so if you learned standard Polish you should score the same wherever you studied. Very strong regional features may score a little lower.
How can I improve my Polish pronunciation?
Start with the words the test flags most often and find the sound behind them: y and i, the nasal vowels or the two sets of sh-like sounds. Practise pairs out loud (kasza and Kasia, był and bił), record yourself and compare. Ten minutes of speaking every day works better than one long session a week.
Is the Polish pronunciation test free?
Yes. The test and the word checker are free and you don't need an account. To keep it free for everyone, there is a small daily limit on checks.
Is Polish pronunciation hard?
Polish looks harder than it is. Spelling is very regular, so once you know what sz, cz, rz, ś and the nasal vowels stand for, you can read almost any word aloud. Stress is predictable too: it falls on the second-to-last syllable in nearly every word. The real work is in the sh-like sounds and the consonant clusters.
What is the difference between sz and ś?
Both sound a bit like English sh, but they are made differently. For sz the tongue tip is raised and the sound is darker and harder (szafa, kasza). For ś the middle of the tongue is pushed up toward the palate, as for 'y', and the sound is softer and higher (śnieg, Kasia). The same difference separates cz from ć and ż from ź.