Vowel Harmony

Many native Hungarian words contain only one type of vowel: either Back or Front, though mixed-vowel words are also common. When you add a suffix (like 'in', 'to', or plural markers), most harmonic suffixes must change their vowel to match the word (though some invariant suffixes, like -kor or -ig, never change).

1. The Vowel Groups:

• Back Vowels (Mély): a, á, o, ó, u, ú. These are pronounced with the tongue retracted.
• Front Vowels (Magas): These are further split into two groups for three-way suffixes:
  • Unrounded: e, é, i, í.
  • Rounded: ö, ő, ü, ű.

2. Neutral Vowels and Exceptions:
The vowels i, í, and é are 'neutral' (transparent). While phonetically front, they can appear in words with back vowels without changing the word's back-vowel nature (e.g., papír, kávé). The vowel e is a front vowel, not a transparent one; it generally blocks back-vowel harmony, though historically Hungarian had two 'e' sounds, which explains why its behavior can sometimes be unpredictable today.
Important: Some monosyllabic words with neutral vowels are 'hidden' back-vowel words and take back suffixes (e.g., híd-on 'on the bridge', cél-ra 'onto the goal').

3. How to Choose a Suffix:

• Back-vowel words: Use the back suffix (e.g., -ban).
• Front-vowel words: Use the front suffix. If the suffix has three forms, use the rounded form (e.g., -höz) if the last vowel is ö, ő, ü, or ű, and the unrounded form (e.g., -hez) if the last vowel is e, é, i, or í.
• Neutral-vowel words: Words containing ONLY neutral vowels (i, í, é) or the front vowel 'e' take front suffixes, unless they belong to the 'hidden' back-vowel exception group.
• Mixed words: If a word contains back vowels and a single neutral vowel (i, í, é), the suffix is usually back (e.g., papír-ban). However, if there are multiple neutral vowels, the word often fluctuates and can take either a front or back suffix (e.g., aszpirinban or aszpirinben). In mixed words ending in 'e', the 'e' usually dictates a front suffix (e.g., hotelben, októberben, mágnesnek). Additionally, if a mixed word ends in a front rounded vowel (ö, ő, ü, ű), it takes a front suffix (e.g., sofőr-ben).
• Compounds: The suffix always follows the last component of the compound word.
• Verbal Prefixes: Verbal prefixes (like meg- or ki-) do not affect the vowel harmony of the verb stem. The suffix matches the verb itself, ignoring the prefix (e.g., meg-ír-om).