š / ž / c / j

Four Useful Consonants

Level 1

Š and ž are different from s and z. Croatian c normally represents /ts/, and j represents /j/, like the first sound of English yes.

How It Works

Š has a sh-like sound. Ž is its voiced counterpart, roughly the sound in the middle of English measure. These are useful approximations, not instructions to pronounce Croatian through English spelling.

C is a single affricate, written /ts/ in phonetic notation. It is not the /k/ of English cat or the /s/ of city. Croatian j is /j/, the consonant at the beginning of English yes; it is not English j in job.

Keep the distinctions visible when you write. Š and s are different letters, as are ž and z. The examples give short words whose spelling and audio can be learned together.

Examples (3)

  1. Škola je blizu.

    The school is nearby.

    Š begins škola.

  2. Žena čeka.

    The woman is waiting.

    Ž is voiced, unlike š.

  3. Ja prelazim cestu.

    I am crossing the road.

    Ja starts with /j/ and cesta with /ts/.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

š / ž / c / jLevel 1Four Useful Consonants

Learn This First

Identify the relevant letters in the alphabet before studying the sound contrast or digraph.