Hungarian Phonology - Vowels

Vowels

Hungarian has seven pairs of corresponding short and long vowels. Their phonetic values don't exactly match up with each other, so 〈e〉 represents /ɛ/ and 〈é〉 represents /eː/; likewise, 〈a〉 represents /ɒ/ while 〈á〉 represents /aː/. For the other pairs, the short vowels are slightly lower and more central, and the long vowels more peripheral.

The sound marked by 〈a〉 is considered to be by Tamás Szende and by Mária Gósy. Gósy also mentions a different short /a/ that contrasts with both /aː/ and /ɒ/, present in a few words like Svájc ('Switzerland'), svá ('schwa'), advent ('advent'), hardver ('hardware', this usage is considered hyperforeign), and halló (used when answering the phone; contrasting with haló, and háló ).

Although not found in Budapest, some dialects contrast three mid vowels /e/ (written 〈ë〉), /ɛ/, and /eː/. Thus mentek could represent four different words: mëntëk ('you all go'), mëntek ('they went'), mentëk ('I save'), and mentek ('they are exempt'). In Budapest, the first three collapse to, while the latter one is unknown, having a different form in the literary language (mentesek).