Czech and Slovak are so close that they are often compared to dialects of a single language, yet they are distinct literary languages with separate histories.
Key Spelling and Sound Differences
- Czech has the unique 'ř' sound, which Slovak completely lacks.
- Slovak has rhythmic laws limiting consecutive long syllables, which Czech does not enforce.
- Slovak uses letters like 'ä', 'ľ', 'ô', which do not exist in Czech.
Vocabulary Comparison
| English | Czech | Slovak |
|---|---|---|
| cat | kočka | mačka |
| dog | pes | pes |
| kapusta (cabbage) | zelí | kapusta |
| bottle | láhev | fľaša |
| mirror | zrcadlo | zrkadlo |
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