The Intergalactic Language Quiz

Test and expand your vocab in one of five languages: French, Italian, German, Polish or Urdu. You will see the question word spelt out, then you must type that word in the other language, letter by letter.

Use the = key to reveal the next letter - but the effect on your score is the same as pressing five wrong letters, so use it sparingly!

C + A, O, U	When followed by A, O or U, the letter C is hard, like the English K.
C + E, I	When followed by an E or an I, the letter C is pronounced the same as Z, ie like the English TH in Spain, or, in Latin America, like an S.
CH	The Spanish CH is always pronounced the same as in English, like the CH in CHief.
EI	The Spanish EI diphthong sounds much like AY in the English word sAY.
G + A, O, U N + G	When it precedes an A, O or U, or follows an N, the Spanish G is hard, as in the English word Got.
G + E, I J	When it precedes an E or I, G is pronounced much like the H in the English word Hot, but a little raspier. The letter J always has this sound in Spanish.
H	H is always silent in Spanish.
LL	Double L is sounded much like an English Y.
Q + U	The letter Q is always followed by U in Spanish, and has a hard sound, like an English K.
Y	Pronunciation of this letter varies by region. Often it sounds like an English Y, in other places it will be pronounced like the J in the English word Joy.
Z	In Spain, Z is pronounced like the English TH. In South America, it is pronounced like an English S.

C + E, I	Like CH in the English word CHin.
CH C + any other letter	A hard sound like an English K.
G + E, I	Soft G sound like in the English Gym.
GL	A fluid L sound, like the LL in miLLion.
GN	A nasal N sound, like the NI in oNIon.
GH G + other letter	Hard G sound, like in the English Go.
H	The H is always silent in Italian.
QU	The same sound as in English, e.g. in QUeen.
SC + E, I	When followed by an E or I, SC sounds like an English SH.
SC + other letter	A hard sound, like the SK in SKip.
Z ZZ	Either like the TS in spiTS, or the DS in paDS.

A	A as in father
ą	Nasal as the ON in the French BON
B	Same as English, except a final B is unvoiced (sounds like P)
C	as English TS (even when it begins a word)
ć	soft English CH sound
D	Same as English (final unvoiced D sounds like T)
E	as in pet
ę	Nasal, almost like EN in TEN, but, same as e in pet when it is the final letter of a word
F	same as English
G	Always a hard G as in get (final G is unvoiced as K)
H	Same as English
I	as the I in machine
J	as English Y as in yellow
K	as in English
L	as in English
ł	as English W
M	as in English
N	as in English
ń	as Spanish N/tilde as in English "NI" in onion
O	as the O in the English word FOR. NEVER pronounced "OH" as in Ohio
ó	as the oo in English FOOT, NOT as as the oo in English BOOT
P	as in English
Q	There is no Q in the Polish alphabet!
R	Roll your R's like Spanish or Scottish
S	as English soft SSSS, never as Z
ś	soft sh sound
T	as in English
U	same as O/acute, as the oo in English FOOT, NOT as as the oo in English BOOT
V	No V in the Polish alphabet!
W	as English V (final V is unvoiced as F)
X	No X! Only found in foreign words
Y	Always used as a vowel, sounds like the i in IT. NEVER as "eeeee", NOT even at the end of a word.
Z	as in English
ź	(z with accute accent) soft zh like Zhivago
ż	(z with a dot over it) harder zh sound
CH	Same as H in English
CZ	Hard CH sound as in CHURCH
DZ	as in English "reD Zone", but....
DZI	DZ followed by an I is pronounced as J in "Jeep", that's why "Dziekuje" is pronounced "JEN koo yeh"
RZ	Same hard zh as Z/dot (do not pronounce the R)(final RZ is unvoiced as SH)
SZ	Hard SH sound
SZCZ	combination of both as the SHCH in "Fresh cheese"

Separable Verb Prefixes
ab	"away", "down" or "off" as in finishing or completing an action.
an	"at", "on", starting an action or doing something partially.
auf	"up", a sudden start.
aus	"out" as in completing an action.
bei
ein	"in", getting used to something.
los	"away", beginning something.
mit	"along", "away", accompanying or cooperating.
nach
hin
her
vor	demonstrating, going forward, or preceding.
weg	"away"
zurück	"back", returning.
zu
zusammen	"up" or "together", reducing to a focal point.
Non-separable Verb Prefixes
be	Providing something. Often "ig" is added before the "en".
ent	Escaping or moving away. Often corresponds to English un-, de- or dis-.
emp	A variation of "ent" sometimes used when the verb root begins with f.
er	The conclusion or end achievement of an action.
ge
miss	Indicates failure. Comparable to the English prefix "mis".
ver	Completion, waning, or going away.
zer	Indicates destruction, usually "into pieces".
Could be either
durch	"through", "without interruption", the conquering of obstacles or denotes completion.
hinter
über	"over", "up", or movement over a boundary.
um	"around", movement in a different/opposite direction or to a different side, or a change of some kind.
unter	"under", "among" and can imply "at the bottom of a text".
wider	"against", "toward", or "back".