When learning any language, we usually start with the easiest first step – its alphabet. However, this is already a make-it-or-break-it point when we talk about Serbian. As if having two scripts wasn’t enough, there are a few “extra” letters with the most Serbian sound behind them. You have probably noticed these letters, since they do look familiar… but not quite. These curvy little rebels – Ć, Č, Đ, Š, and Dž – are some of the unique pieces within the Serbian alphabet. They might look intimidating at first, but with a little practice (and a lot of laughter), they are actually fun and super satisfying to say.
Let’s break them down one by one, compare them to English equivalents, sprinkle in some examples, and turn your learning into a playful, real-world adventure.
Meet the Serbian “Hissy-Fizzy-Buzzy” Squad
In Serbian, there are five letters that set the bar high for all foreign speakers who aim to sound natural in Serbian. What makes them special? They all represent sounds that don’t quite exist in standard English—but they are also the secret ingredient to sounding really Serbian. However, as there are many loanwords from English and new anglicisms keep being introduced into Serbian at an amazing speed, there is a good chance you might have encountered Č, Đ, Š, and Dž in adapted English words like: challenge – čelendž, chat – čet, juice – đus, to share – šerovati, etc.
Let’s meet them all one by one!
1. Ć (ć as in “ćao”)
Think of Ć as a soft “ch.” It’s like you are whispering “cheese” through a smile. It is delicate, gentle, and quite common in Serbian surnames. For example, you will notice that a very large majority of you Serbian friends have a surname that ends in -ić, as is the case in frequent surnames, such as: Jovanović, Petrović, Nikolić, etc.
How it sounds: Somewhere between “ch” in cheers and the “t” in Tuesday (if you say it proper British-style).
Practice words: Ćao – means “Hi” or “Bye” and you’ll use it a lot! Other common examples include ćevapi (grilled meat fingers), sreća (luck), ćerka (daughter).
2. Č (č as in “čokolada”)
Now, this one is the hard “ch.” It is louder, clearer, and hits the back of the mouth a bit more than Ć. It is more like a punchy chop or chocolate sound.
How it sounds: Like “ch” in chop or cherry.
Practice words: čekaonica (waiting room), čovek (man), račun (bill), čokolada – no need to translate this one!
Ć vs. Č cheat: If Ć is a feather, Č is a frying pan. Č is like slamming a door. Ć is like gently closing it.
3. Đ (đ as in “đak”)
Đ is a “dy” sound, and it is can also be spelled like dj (if you happen not to have Serbian keyboard). Voiced and smooth, Đ very similar to the initial sound in “juice”.
How it sounds: Like the “j” in juice or “g” in genius, but with more of a “dy” push at the start.
Practice words: đumbir (ginger), đevrek (simit, a very popular pastry in Serbia), Đorđe (common Serbian male name), đak (pupil, student).
Memory trick: Đ is like a gentleman, or Đoković – smooth, yet strong and impossible to ignore.
4. Š (š as in “šuma”)
Š is very similar to “sh” in English, only slightly less soft. If you can say shoe, you can say šuma (which means “forest”), it’s simple as that.
How it sounds: Like “sh” in shiny, ship, shhh! Try pronouncing a convenient little tongue twister: Miš uz pušku, miš niz pušku (Mouse up the gun, mouse down the gun).
Practice words: škola (school), šargarepa (carrot), šef (boss), šansa (chance), šapat (whisper).
5. Dž (dž as in “džep”)
Although it looks like two letters, “dž” is a full letter in Serbian and it is pronounced like the English “j” in jungle. What is more, the word for jungle is pretty similar in Serbian – džungla.
How it sounds: Like “j” in jungle, jam, or Jack.
Practice words: džezva (coffee pot), džep (pocket), džemper (sweater).
Why these sounds matter
Here’s the thing: these sounds don’t just make your Serbian pronunciation better—they change the meaning of words. Mixing up Č and Ć, or Š and S, can lead to some hilarious misunderstandings. Let’s see some of them:
- Č vs. Ć
On/ona čeka – he/she waits
Ćeka – doesn’t exist, but sounds adorable
Čuti – to hear
Ćuti! – be quiet! (imperative of ćutati)
- Š vs. S
Šuma – forest
Suma – total, sum
- Đ vs. Dž
Đak – student, pupil
Džak – sack, bag
Serbian sound sisters and their tongue twisters
Now it’s your turn! Try these Serbian tongue twisters to practise the sounds:
- Četiri čavčića na čunčiću čučeći cijuču. (Four little jackdaws chirp while squatting on a tiny boat.)
- Raskiseliše li ti se opanci? (Did your opanci (traditional shoes) get all soggy?)
- Kamenčićem ćeš me, kamenčićem ću te! (You throw a little stone at me, I’ll throw a little stone at you!)
Try each one three times fast without tripping over the consonants and you can consider yourself ready for any other pronunciation challenge.
Real-life scenarios
Let’s take this from tongue twisters to real life. Where will you hear these sounds?
- At a ćevabdžinica (barbecue restaurant) ordering ćevapi and pancakes with džem (jam)
- Saying čestitam! (congratulations) at a wedding
- Asking for your račun (bill) at the end of a meal or at the shop
- Laughing at a joke your šef (boss) told
- Throwing out your đubre (garbage) on certain days
Final say
Learning Serbian pronunciation isn’t a sprint — it’s a slow stroll down a quite eventful boulevard. These funky letters will surely seem odd at first, but the more you use them, the more natural they will feel to you. You will go from confused to confident faster than you can say džezva!
So next time you are sipping your šljivovica or yelling ćao! across the street, you won’t even notice you are already using these special Serbian sounds with native-like fluency.
