Czech Letter Ř: How to Pronounce It, Step by Step
The Czech letter Ř (ř, named er s háčkem) is a single sound: a trilled r made with the tongue raised so it buzzes like the s in “pleasure” at the same time. Phoneticians write it [r̝]. It is voiced in řeka (river) and voiceless in tři (three). English has nothing like it, and even Czech children are often among the last to master it.
Build the sound in four steps
Most learners fail at ř because they try to say r and ž one after the other. The goal is one tongue position that does both jobs. Work through these steps over several days, not one sitting.
- Get a Czech r first. Czech r is a short trill or tap at the ridge behind your upper teeth, like Spanish pero or perro. Practise ruka (hand) and brr until it comes easily.
- Find ž. Say the s in “pleasure” and hold it: žžžž. Notice where your tongue tip is: just behind the same ridge.
- Trill while holding ž. Keep the buzzing ž going and let the tongue tip flutter. It will feel like a rattle. Many teachers suggest starting from rž said fast and smoothing it until there is no gap.
- Put it between vowels. ř is easiest in the middle of a word: moře (sea), kuře (chicken), Dvořák. Then move to the start (řeka , Řím (Rome)) and finally after consonants (tři , přítel (friend)).
Reality check: some Czechs never produce a textbook ř and replace it with something close. Being understood matters more than a perfect trill.
Voiced and voiceless ř
Like other Czech consonants, ř changes with its neighbours. You don’t have to plan it; your mouth does it naturally once you can make the voiced sound.
| Type | When | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Voiced [r̝] | Next to vowels and voiced consonants | řeka, moře, dobře, Jiří |
| Voiceless [r̝̊] | After p, t, k, and at the end of a word | tři, přes, křída, lékař |
Ř, r and ž: hear the difference
These pairs show why ř matters: swap it for r or ž and you get a different word, or nonsense.
| With ř | Without |
|---|---|
| řada row, series | rada advice |
| řez cut | rez rust |
| moře sea | more: not Czech (it is “sea” in Slovak and Russian) |
| Řek a Greek man | rek: an old poetic word for hero |
Practice ladder: 12 everyday words
When these feel comfortable, try the famous tongue twister: Tři tisíce tři sta třicet tři stříbrných stříkaček stříkalo přes tři tisíce tři sta třicet tři stříbrných střech (“3,333 silver fire hoses sprayed over 3,333 silver roofs”). More are on Czech tongue twisters.
Where ř comes from
Ř developed in Czech from a softened r before front vowels, which is why it so often sits before e and i. Writing it with a háček goes back to the early 15th-century spelling reform traditionally credited to Jan Hus, who marked soft consonants with a dot that later became today’s háček. See the háček.
Upper Sorbian, a Slavic language of eastern Germany, also writes ř, but there it is pronounced like “sh” after p, t and k, not like the Czech sound. Czech is the only standard language that uses the trilled-buzz ř.
Typing ř
- Czech keyboard: the 5 key on the number row.
- Windows: add the Czech keyboard layout in Settings → Time & language, or copy it from our Czech character copy grid.
- Mac: hold r and pick ř, or use the Czech layout.
- Phone: long-press r.
Common mistakes with ř
- Saying r then ž (“r-zh”). Two sounds where Czech has one.
- Replacing ř with plain ž. Dvořák becomes “Dvožák”: understandable, but clearly foreign.
- Replacing ř with an English r. This loses both the trill and the buzz.
- Pushing too hard. A light, short trill works better than a long rattle.
Frequently asked questions
How do you pronounce the Czech ř?
Raise your tongue tip to the ridge behind your teeth, make a buzzing ž, and trill at the same time. It is one sound, not “r + zh”.
Is ř the same as rž?
No. rž is two sounds in a row. ř is a single sound, made with the trill and the buzz together.
How do you say Dvořák?
DVOH-rzhahk, with ř as one sound and stress on the first syllable.
Do all Czechs say ř correctly?
No. It is often one of the last sounds Czech children master, and some adults use a near-substitute all their lives.
What number is ř in the Czech alphabet?
It is the 28th of the 42 letters, right after R.
Keep going
- Ž, the buzz inside ř
- Czech pronunciation guide
- Czech alphabet chart
Sources
- Wikipedia, “Ř” (phonetics per the Institute of Phonetics, Charles University; Upper Sorbian usage): en.wikipedia.org
- Radio Prague International, “What does Jan Hus have to do with Czech spelling?”: english.radio.cz
- Omniglot, Czech tongue twisters: omniglot.com
- University of Wisconsin–Madison, Czech pronunciation notes: gns.wisc.edu
