Stress on the First Syllable

Level 1

Put the stress on the first syllable of every word: BRA-ti-sla-va, ĎA-ku-jem.

How It Works

Always the first syllable. In standard Slovak, you never have to guess where the stress goes. It is on the first syllable: SLO-ven-sko, U-čí-me sa, MA-ma.

Length is separate. A long vowel is held longer, but it does not get the stress. In ja mám, mám is long; in pekná, the stress is on pek- and the long -ná is unstressed. See long vowels.

Prepositions join the next word. A one-syllable preposition and the word after it are said together, and the stress moves to the preposition: DO mesta (to town), NA Slovensku (in Slovakia), PRI okne (by the window). The prepositions v, k, s and z have no vowel, so they cannot take stress: v BRAtislave. With a long word, the stress often stays on the word itself.

Small words lean on their neighbours. Short words such as som, sa, si, mi, ti, ho and ju are never stressed: DAL som jej KNIhu (I gave her the book). See unstressed words in second position.

Keep the other vowels clear. Slovak stress is fairly light. Unstressed vowels keep their full sound, so every a in Bratislava is a clear a.

Regional note. Eastern dialects stress the second-to-last syllable, much like Polish. Standard Slovak, used in schools and on the news, stresses the first.

Examples (5)

  1. Bratislava je hlavné mesto Slovenska.

    Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia.

    Each word is stressed on its first syllable: BRA-ti-sla-va, HLAV-né, MES-to, SLO-ven-ska.

  2. Ďakujem veľmi pekne.

    Thank you very much.

    ĎA-ku-jem, VEĽ-mi, PEK-ne.

  3. Idem do mesta.

    I'm going to town.

    Do takes the stress: DO mes-ta.

  4. Na Slovensku je veľa hradov.

    There are many castles in Slovakia.

    Na takes the stress: NA slo-ven-sku.

  5. Dal som jej knihu.

    I gave her the book.

    Word by Word: Gave I her book.

    Som and jej are unstressed: DAL som jej KNI-hu.

Common Mistakes

  • Stressing a later syllable, as in English.

    Slovensko [slo-VEN-sko]
    Slovensko [SLO-ven-sko]

    Slovak always stresses the first syllable.

  • Stressing the noun instead of the preposition.

    do mesta [do MES-ta]
    do mesta [DO mes-ta]

    A one-syllable preposition joins the next word and takes the stress.

  • Moving the stress to the middle of a long name.

    Bratislava [bra-ti-SLA-va]
    Bratislava [BRA-ti-sla-va]

    Even long words keep the stress at the start.

How It Connects

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

Stress on the First SyllableLevel 1

Learn This First

Before Stress on the First Syllable, learn Long Vowels. Stress always falls on the first syllable whether that vowel is long or short, so length must be kept apart from stress.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.