Written by: Milica Bokšan
Do you feel like you will never learn how to pronounce Serbian C, Serbian Ć, or Serbian Č correctly?
It might be easier for you if we tell you that when children start learning the correct pronunciation of words, these letters can be challenging for them to pronounce as well.
It may seem difficult, but we are here to show you how the pronunciation of Serbian C, Ć and Č can be a piece of cake.
Problem With Serbian Pronunciation
The easiest way to determine whether or not a person is a native speaker is to simply listen to them pronounce certain words.
It is much easier to learn words and grammar than pronunciation itself.
This is especially true when it comes to the Serbian language. The way certain letters are pronounced it seems like you have to break your tongue to pronounce them correctly.
Serbian C, Č and Ć are some of those letters.
But should we give up learning Serbian just because of that?
Of course not, it all comes with practice.
And the best part is that you already know how to pronounce these letters, but you didn’t realize it!
Before we start, it’s important to know one simple rule.
In the Serbian language, the same letter is always pronounced the same way, regardless of where it appears in the word.
With that in mind, we’re now ready to start!
The Serbian C
It’s important to avoid mixing English C with Serbian C.
They look the same but they do not have the same pronunciation.
Take the word circumstances, for example.
The first letter C in a word circumstances is pronounced as S.
The second letter C in circumstances is pronounced as K.
Then, how is C pronounced in Serbian words Cicija or Bicikl or Palac?
Always as a C. It doesn’t matter where it stands in a word.
And here’s what we meant when we said that you already know how to pronounce the Serbian C.
Just say Pretzel or Pizza.
You will pronounce Serbian C in Serbian words in the same way as you pronounce tz in Pretzel or zz in Pizza in English!
Need more help?
To pronounce C, place the tip of the tongue above the upper incisors and bring the top of the tongue against the upper incisors.
Listen to this audio of Serbian C, and try to pronounce yourself:
Pronunciation of The Serbian Č
Some Serbian letters have this sign like an inverted tick, and this is how we distinguish the letter Č from the letter C. Remember: these ticks are not written accents!
Let’s try to pronounce it.
In the Serbian language, you will never see the letters C and H one after the other, instead, they will always be replaced with Č.
But, in the English language, when you see CH one beside another, it will sound exactly as the Serbian Č should sound when pronounced.
For example, take the word chair.
Now try to say Serbian words čovek (= man) or pčela (= bee). Just remember how you said ch in a word chair.
For the correct position of the sound Č, it is necessary that the tongue be raised behind the upper teeth and that the tip of the tongue rests on the hard palate. The lips are slightly protruding, and the upper and lower jaw are slightly apart.
Listen to this audio of Serbian Č, and try to pronounce yourself:
Pronunciation of The Serbian Ć
When we remove the left part of the inverted tick above the letter Č, we get a completely new letter!
There’s no English word that can help you pronounce Serbian Ć, but the closest example is the pronunciation of C in Italian ciao.
With that in mind, try to pronounce Serbian words kuća (= house) or ćurka (= turkey).
To pronounce the letter Ć, place your tongue at the front end of the hard palate, close to the front teeth.
Listen to this audio of Serbian Ć, and try to pronounce yourself:
Tip: You can use Google Translate. Choose the Serbian language, copy Ć letter from here, paste it in the text box and click the ‘Listen’ button. You can also paste words that contain Ć and repeat these steps.
Let’s Level Up The Serbian Pronunciation!
Do you know any Serbian brzalica (= tongue twister)?
Just like in English, there are multiple phrases or sentences that are very hard to pronounce quickly and can serve as a game of memory and skillful pronunciation.
Brzalice are a challenge for native speakers of the Serbian language, also.
In earlier times, tongue twisters were one of the ways to have fun with friends. People would compete to say certain words faster.
For a person to succeed in this “competition”, it is necessary to pronounce the words three times quickly and without mistakes.
Vuk Stefanović Karadžić, in addition to Serbian folk tales, fairy tales, and proverbs, also collected brzalice. Because of that, many were saved from oblivion.
Here are some of them that contain letters Č, Ć, and C. Listen to the audio of each Serbian tongue twister (slow version), and try repeating:
- Četiri čavčića na čunčiću čučeći cijuču.
- Čiča čvorak čuva četu čavki.
- Kamenčićem ćeš me, kamenčićem ću te.
Some other well-known tongue twisters are:
- Riba ribi grize rep.
- Na vrh brda vrba mrda.
Start slowly at first, and then try to say them faster and faster each time. You will soon understand why they served as a form of entertainment. 🙂
Conclusion
The best way to learn and practice the pronunciation of Serbian letters is in conversation with natives.
Of course, you can travel to Serbia, or speak with your Serbian friends or family.
If this is not an option for you, or you simply want to practice more, you can start with a Serbian online course.
All you need to do is to schedule your Serbian classes online!