Sz (digraph)

Sz is a digraph of the Latin script, used in Hungarian, Polish, Kashubian and German, and in the Wade–Giles system of Romanization of Chinese.

Hungarian language
Closeup of a Hungarian keyboard
Alphabet
ő ű cs dz dzs gy ly ny sz ty zs
Grammar
Noun phrases Verbs T-V distinction
History
Sound correspondences with other Uralic languages
Other features
Phonetics and phonology Vowel harmony Orthography Old Hungarian script Hungarian Braille Hungarian names
Hungarian and English
Hungarian pronunciation of English English words from Hungarian
Regulatory body
v t e

Polish

In Polish orthography, sz represents a voiceless retroflex fricative /ʂ/, similar to English "sh". It usually corresponds to ш or š in other Slavic languages.

sz should not be confused with ś (or s followed by i), termed "soft sh", a voiceless alveolo-palatal fricative /ɕ/.

Examples of sz

 obszar (help·info) (area, territory)
 płaszcz (help·info) (coat, cloak)

Compare ś:
 świeca (help·info) (candle)
 iść (help·info) (to go)
 sierpień (help·info) (August)

Kashubian

In Kashubian, sz represents a voiceless postalveolar fricative /ʃ/, like English "sh".

Examples

These examples are Kashubian words that use the letter sz, with the English translation following.

• szãtopiérz = bat
• szczawa = sorrel
• szczãka = jaw
• szczëka = pike
• szerszéń = hornet

Hungarian

Sz is the thirty-second letter of the Hungarian alphabet. Its name is (using English pronunciation with letter romanization) "ess" in the alphabet. It represents /s/. Thus, names like Liszt are pronounced /list/ list.

In Hungarian, even if two characters are put together to make a different sound, they are considered one letter (a true digraph), and even acronyms keep the letter intact.

Hungarian usage of s and sz are the reverse of the Polish usage. In Hungarian, s represents /ʃ/ (a sound similar to /ʂ/). Therefore, the Hungarian capital of Budapest is natively pronounced (/ˈbudɒpɛʃt/), rhyming with standard English fleshed rather than pest.

There is also a zs in Hungarian, which is the last (forty-fourth) letter of the alphabet, following z.

Examples

These examples are Hungarian words that use the letter sz, with the English translation following.

• szabó = tailor
• szép = beautiful
• szikla = rock
• szőke = blonde
• szülő = parent

German

In German, it was used to represent /s/ after "long" vowels, later contracting to the ligature ß.

Wade–Giles

In the Wade–Giles system of Romanization of Chinese, ⟨sz⟩ (or alternatively ⟨ss⟩) is used to represent /s/ before the schwa or empty rime. See Wade–Giles → Empty rime.

See also

• Hungarian alphabet
• Polish alphabet
• ß, called S-Sharp