# Slavic Languages — Comparative Phonology Reference

**Codes**: `pl`, `cs`, `sk`, `sr`, `hr`, `bg`, `mk`, `uk`, `be`, `sla`
**Family**: Slavic | **Script**: Latin (pl/cs/sk/hr) or Cyrillic (ru/uk/be/sr/bg/mk)
**Quality tiers**: research (pl, cs), skeleton (others)

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## Final Devoicing — Pan-Slavic Feature

All Slavic languages with obstruent voicing contrasts apply **final devoicing** in coda position:

| Language | Code | Example |
|:---|:---:|:---|
| Polish | pl | `chleb` [xlɛp] "bread", `grzyb` [ɡʂɨp] "mushroom" |
| Czech | cs | `chléb` [xlɛːp] "bread", `led` [lɛt] "ice" |
| Russian | ru | `хлеб` [xlʲep] "bread", `год` [ɡot] "year" |
| Ukrainian | uk | `хліб` [xlib] "bread" |
| Serbo-Croatian | sr/hr | `grad` [ɡrat] "city" |

### Polish Final Devoicing Details

| Voiced | Voiceless (word-final/coda) | Example |
|:---:|:---:|:---|
| b | p | `chleb` [xlɛp] |
| d | t | `lód` [lut] "ice" |
| g | k | `bug` [buk] |
| w [v] | f | `krew` [krɛf] "blood" |
| z | s | `bez` [bɛs] "without" |
| ź [ʑ] | ś [ɕ] | — |
| ż [ʐ] | sz [ʂ] | `nóż` [nuʂ] "knife" |
| dz | c [ts] | — |

### Czech Final Devoicing Details

Same pattern, plus:
- `h` [ɦ] → [x] word-finally: `Praha` → `Prah` paradigm forms
- `ď` [ɟ] → `ť` [c] word-finally

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## Polish Nasal Vowels

Polish ⟨ą⟩ and ⟨ę⟩ are the only nasal vowels remaining from Proto-Slavic (other Slavic languages lost them):

| Grapheme | Stressed | Word-final (modern) | Before nasal stop | Before fricative |
|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|
| ą | [ɔ̃] | [ɔ] | [ɔm/ɔn/ɔŋ] | [ɔ̃] |
| ę | [ɛ̃] | [ɛ] | [ɛm/ɛn/ɛŋ] | [ɛ̃] |

**Denasalization word-finally** is a feature of contemporary Polish:
- `idą` (they go) → [idɔ], not [idɔ̃]
- `robię` (I do) → [rɔbjɛ], not [rɔbjɛ̃]

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## Czech ⟨ě⟩ — Iotation and Softening

The letter ⟨ě⟩ [jɛ] serves dual function:
1. **Iotation**: adds [j] before [ɛ]: `věra` [vjɛra] "faith"
2. **Softening**: palatalizes preceding d/t/n → ď/ť/ň:
   - `děti` [ɟɛtɪ] "children"
   - `tělo` [cɛlo] "body"
   - `něco` [ɲɛtso] "something"
3. **After labials** (b/p/m/v/f): ě → [jɛ] without changing the consonant:
   - `běžet` [bjɛʒɛt] "to run"

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## Czech ⟨ř⟩ — Unique Phoneme

Czech has a phoneme with no equivalent in other languages: `ř` [r̝] — a raised alveolar trill (simultaneous /r/ + /ʒ/ articulation). It is always hard (non-palatalized).

- Voiced: `říkat` [r̝iːkat] "to say"
- Voiceless (after voiceless consonant/word-finally): [r̝̊]: `tři` [tr̝̊ɪ] "three"

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## Polish Sibilant System

Polish has the most complex sibilant system in Slavic:

| Series | Dentals | Retroflexes | Palatals |
|:---|:---:|:---:|:---:|
| Fricative | s z | sz [ʂ] ż/rz [ʐ] | ś [ɕ] ź [ʑ] |
| Affricate | c [ts] dz [dz] | cz [tʂ] dż [dʐ] | ć [tɕ] dź [dʑ] |

Three-way distinction in each position is unique among European languages.

**RI notation**: `ni`, `ci`, `si`, `zi`, `dzi` before a vowel = palatalized: `nie` [ɲɛ], `ciało` [tɕawɔ].

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## Slavic Language Comparison Table

| Feature | pl | cs | ru | uk | sr/hr |
|:---|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|
| Nasal vowels | ✓ | — | — | — | — |
| Vowel length contrast | — | ✓ | — | — | ✓ |
| Pitch accent | — | — | — | — | ✓ (sr) |
| Final devoicing | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Consonant palatalization | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| ř phoneme | — | ✓ | — | — | — |
| Script | Latin | Latin | Cyrillic | Cyrillic | Both |

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## References

- Rubach, J. (1984). *Cyclic and Lexical Phonology: The Structure of Polish*. Foris.
- Bethin, C.Y. (1992). *Polish Syllables*. Slavica.
- Palková, Z. (1994). *Fonetika a fonologie češtiny*. Karolinum.
- Gussmann, E. (2007). *The Phonology of Polish*. Oxford University Press.
- Short, D. (1993). Czech. In: *The Slavonic Languages*, Routledge.

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