samohláska

Samohláska is the Czech word for vowel. Vowels are speech sounds produced with an open vocal tract, meaning there is no obstruction of the airstream by the tongue, lips, or teeth. In Czech, vowels are characterized by their distinct sounds and are a fundamental part of the language's phonology. The primary vowels in Czech are a, e, i, o, u, and the long vowels á, é, í, ó, ú. The presence of the diacritic mark, such as the caron (háček) or acute accent (čárka), indicates a longer duration and a slightly different quality for these vowels. The distinction between short and long vowels is phonemic in Czech, meaning it can change the meaning of a word. For example, "byt" (flat) and "být" (to be) differ only in the length of the vowel 'y'. The correct pronunciation and distinction of these vowel sounds are crucial for understanding and speaking Czech accurately. Vowels form the nucleus of syllables and are essential for the intelligibility of spoken language.