Dz (digraph)

Dz is a digraph of the Latin alphabet, used in Hungarian and Polish.

In Polish

dz represents the voiced alveolar affricate (IPA: /d͡z/ ). However, if followed by i, it becomes a voiced alveolo-palatal affricate (IPA: /d͡ʑ/ ).

Examples of dz

(bell)
(kind, type)
(leader, chief)

Compare dz followed by i:
(child)
(girl, girlfriend)

In Hungarian

Dz is the seventh letter of the Hungarian alphabet. It is pronounced (using English pronunciation with letter romanization) "dzay" in the alphabet, but just "dz" when spoken in a word. Using the IPA phoneme, it can be written as /dz/.

Length

In several words, it is pronounced long, e.g.

• bodza, madzag, edz, pedz

In some other ones, short, e.g.

• brindza, kamikadze, ódzkodik, dzadzíki, dzéta, Dzerzsinszkij

In several verbs ending in -dzik (approx. 50), it can be pronounced either short or long, e.g.

• csókolódzik, lopódzik, takaródzik

These are verbs where the dz can be replaced by z (and is replaced by some speakers): csókolózik, lopózik, takarózik.

In some of these verbs, there is no free variation: birkózik, mérkőzik (only with z) but leledzik, nyáladzik (only with dz, pronounced long). In some other verbs, there is a difference in meaning: levelez(ik) (correspond with sb.) but leveledzik (to leaf [like a tree]).

It is only doubled in writing when an assimilated suffix is added to the stem: eddze, lopóddzon.

Usage

Usage of this letter is similar to that of Polish and Slovak languages. In Hungarian, even if these two characters are put together to make a different sound, they are considered one letter, and even acronyms keep the letter intact.

Examples

These examples are Hungarian words that use the letter dz, with the English pronunciation with letter romanization following.

• bodza = elderberry
• edzés = (physical) training
• edző = coach
• nyáladzik = salivate

See also

• Polish orthography
• Hungarian alphabet