Learn to hear and pronounce the difference between Serbian Đ/ђ and DŽ/џ. This step-by-step pronunciation lesson uses tongue position, contrasting sounds and focused repetition to make the distinction clearer.

Serbian Pronunciation Practice with Đ and DŽ

If you started learning Serbian and you are confused as to the difference between the sounds DŽ and Đ, let me help you by taking you through these five steps:

Step 1: 
Which of these two sounds is softer to your ear? 
Dž/dž (or Џ џ  in Cyrillic)

or 

Đ / đ (or in Cyrillic script: Ђ ђ)?

Step 2: If you don't hear ANY difference, let me tell you that the sound Đ is much softer than DŽ.
*To produce the softer Đ, place your tongue against the lower teeth. Repeat “đ” several times and feel the tongue resting low behind the teeth.

*To produce the stronger DŽ, raise and slightly curl your tongue behind the upper teeth. Repeat the sound several times and notice how its quality changes as the tongue moves upwards.

Step 3: Try to contrast the soft Đ with the stronger DŽ, paying attention to the tongue position and listening to yourself. Can you hear the difference?

Now it's time to practise with minimal pairs and not-so-minimal pairs, because there aren't that many words with Đ and DŽ:

Step 4:
Listen and repeat:
  • đak              džak
  • leđa             odžak
  • đinđuva       dživdžan
  • ceđenje        karakondžula
  • đubre           dželat
  • đurđevak     džanarika
  • đakonije      džangrizalo
  • đavo            džem
  • đevrek         džemper

Step 5:
Encircle the word you hear me say:
  1. đubre     džak        đak           odžak
  2. đevrek   džaba       đavo         džem
  3. džoker   đon          džomba     đozluci
  4. džudo    đevrek     džukela     đuveč
  5. ceđenje  dživdžan  đinđuva    dželat  
For more pronunciation practice visit the previous blog posts tagged "pronunciation in Serbian"