Pronunciation tip: Dvořák

Posted on June 28, 2018 | 4 Comments

I’ve been listening to classical music on the radio a lot lately. A perennially popular composer – for good reason – is Antonín Dvořák. Because English speakers are the way we are, I’ve been hearing a certain amount of “duh-vor-jack” for his name, which is… nah. So, for those who are wondering about how best to say it, here you go: both the way Czechs say it and the way ordinary non-Czech-speaking English speakers can reasonably say it. Because there’s a sound in the Czech that is deliberately difficult!

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4 responses to “Pronunciation tip: Dvořák”

  1. Peter Gregory's avatar Peter Gregory | March 31, 2023 at 4:50 am | Reply

    And here was me thinking the trill had gone.

  2. Pingback: SOLAR FLARE| Classical Music for Dummies - The Cornell Daily Sun

  3. Steve Schwartzman's avatar Steve Schwartzman | May 29, 2025 at 7:46 am | Reply

    Some American English speakers have trouble pronouncing not only an initial dv but also an initial dw, so that for them the name Dwight comes out Duh-wite.

  4. Ekaterina Ilieva's avatar Ekaterina Ilieva | July 20, 2026 at 6:02 am | Reply

    What a great video! Thank you. I learnt a lot from it. I particularly enjoyed the part where you were speaking with a German accent. You have the gift!

    May I suggest something? Please don’t point your finger at the listener so aggressively. I jumped in my seat every time you did it. It made me feel intimidated, as if I am to be punished for something bad I’d done. I’m sure you didn’t mean it. However, it’s a no-no in public speaking if you read on non-verbal communication. It’s worth reading into the gestures we make, usually unaware of them, which we picked up in our childhood and which stem from attitudes of rejection, criticism or control.

    I hope that helps, not hurts.

    Thank you for the interesting and insightful video.

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