Czech ř, ě and ů are three letters that English readers have no match for. Ř is U+0159, ě is U+011B and ů is U+016F. Ř is a sound of its own, ě changes the letter before it, and ů is a long oo.
| Letter | Sounds like | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ř | a rolled r said together with the s in vision | (river), (October) |
| ř after a voiceless consonant such as t, k or p | the same, but without the buzz | (three) |
| ě | no sound alone, it softens the d, t or n before it | (thank you), něco (something) |
| ů | the long oo in food | (table), (scent) |
Ě never starts a word. After d, t and n, it makes a soft consonant, so dě sounds like d and y said together. After b, p and v it usually adds a y sound, and mě is said like mnye.
- řr with caronU+0159ěe with caronU+011BThe caron is a small v over the letter. Czech has more than these: č, š and ž carry one too.
- ůringU+016FúacuteU+00FABoth sound like a long oo. Ú usually starts a word, as in úhel (angle), and ů never does. It sits inside, as in dům (house).
- ůring aboveU+016Fötwo dotsU+00F6The ring is a small circle, not two dots.
Copy them from the box above, or use one of these. These steps were checked against the official pages listed below in November 2026.
- iPhone and iPadIn Settings, tap General, Keyboard, Keyboards and Add New Keyboard, then choose Czech. Switch to it with the globe key.
- AndroidAdd Czech in your keyboard's language settings. In Gboard, touch and hold r, e or to see more options, and slide to the one with the mark.
- MacPress the Fn or globe key and E, search for the letter's name, such as r with caron, and click it.
- WindowsAdd a Czech keyboard under Settings, Time & language, and press the Windows key and the space bar to switch to it. Windows lists Czech, Czech (QWERTY) and Czech Programmers. Pick the one that matches your physical keyboard.
- Word on WindowsType 0159 for ř, 011B for ě or 016F for ů, select just those four characters, and press Alt and X together.
- Google DocsChoose Insert, then Symbols, then Special characters, and type the code in the search box: 0159 for ř, 011B for ě or 016F for ů.
Tap the Czech words above to hear them. Once the letters feel easy, the best apps to learn Czech lists what you can use next.
Is Czech Ř Hard to Say?
Many learners need extra practice with it. Start with a rolled r, then add the buzz of the s in vision while your tongue keeps rolling. Tap and to hear it.
Which Czech App Should a Beginner Choose?
If you are serious about learning Czech, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. Our Czech guide shows the order to learn things in.
Is Bubblegum Free?
Yes. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read. Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Wikipedia, Czech orthography (ř is a voiced alveolar fricative trill and is devoiced after voiceless consonants, as in tři; ě softens dě, tě and ně; ů and ú are both long u, and ů never starts a word)
- Unicode Character Database, NamesList (U+0159 LATIN SMALL LETTER R WITH CARON, U+011B LATIN SMALL LETTER E WITH CARON, U+016F LATIN SMALL LETTER U WITH RING ABOVE)
- Microsoft Learn, Windows keyboard layouts (Czech, Czech (QWERTY) and Czech Programmers are separate layouts; page dated 28 September 2026)
- Apple, iOS and iPadOS feature availability (the QuickType keyboard list includes Czech)
- Apple Support, Add or change keyboards on iPhone (Settings, General, Keyboard, Keyboards, Add New Keyboard)
- Google, Use your keyboard (on Android, touch and hold a key to find accents and more options)
- Google, Type in a different language with Gboard
- Apple Support, Use emoji and symbols on Mac (Fn or Globe key and E opens the Character Viewer; search by word)
- Microsoft Support, Insert ASCII or Unicode character codes in Word (type the code, then press Alt+X)
- Google Docs Help, Insert special characters (Insert, Symbols, Special characters; find a character by category, Unicode value or drawing)
