The Five Vowels
Five vowels: a e i o u.
How It Works
Bosnian has five vowels. They sound close to the vowels in Spanish or Italian.
| Letter | Sounds like | Word |
|---|---|---|
| a | a in father | mama |
| e | e in bed | ime |
| i | ee in see | ili |
| o | o in more | voda |
| u | oo in moon | kuća |
Each vowel can be short or long, and the stress can fall on different syllables. Start by keeping each vowel clean and steady.
The letters ije and je in words such as mlijeko and vrijeme are written with several letters, but in everyday speech they are usually said as one syllable. Careful or poetic speech sometimes gives them two.
Examples (4)
- Mama kuha čorbu.
Mom is cooking soup.
Both a sounds in mama are the same clear a.
- Ime mi je Emina.
My name is Emina.
The final e in ime is a full vowel.
- Voda je hladna.
The water is cold.
Every a and o here is said in full, even at the end.
- Tata ide u Tuzlu.
Dad is going to Tuzla.
Tata has two clear a sounds, and the last one is not weakened.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The five vowels build on the alphabet.
Related Patterns
Words in This Pattern
Practice The Five Vowels in Bubblegum
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