Ways to say it
| Polish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| słowo | /ˈswɔ.vɔ/ /ˈsɫɔ.vɔ/ (Middle, Polish) |
neuter |
| wyraz | /ˈvɘ.ras/ /vɨ.rɒs/ (Middle, Polish) |
masculine |
In Polish, the term used depends on whether you are referring to a unit of spoken language, a specific lexical item or a promise. słowo is the standard translation for a word as a unit of speech or when referring to a spoken promise, such as in the idiomatic phrase słowo honoru (word of honour) to express a solemn promise. The term Słowo Boże is used as a name to refer to the Creative word of God or to Scripture.
Which one should you use?
Use słowo when referring to a word as a unit of speech or a spoken promise. In contrast, use wyraz when referring to a word as a specific lexical item or a written unit in a text, often from a linguistic or grammatical perspective.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
słowo is a neuter noun, while wyraz is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ˈswɔ.vɔ/. It has 2 syllables, and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- The Polish słowo shares a prehistoric root with the English word 'glory', as both stem from an ancient term meaning 'to hear' or 'to be heard'.
- The word wyraz can also mean 'expression' in the sense of a facial expression, such as 'wyraz twarzy'.
- While słowo refers to the word as a unit of language, it is also used to mean 'a brief conversation' or 'a chat' in phrases like zamienić kilka słów.
Examples in context
- Co znaczy to słowo?What does this word mean?This is useful for asking for the meaning of a specific słowo.Tatoeba #348949 by zipangu, translation #48085 by CK
- Co oznacza to słowo?What is the meaning of this word?Tatoeba #365282 by zipangu, translation #57971 by CC
- Daję ci słowo honoru.I give you my word of honour.This demonstrates the idiomatic use of słowo in the phrase 'słowo honoru'.Tatoeba #3432571 by konrad509, translation #3213745 by sundown
- Zadaję ci pytanie, odpowiedz jednym słowem.I'm asking you a question, answer with one word.
- Nie rozumiem tego wyrazu.I don't understand that word.
- To jest trudny wyraz do wymówienia.This is a difficult word to pronounce.
- Mam dla ciebie jedno słówko.I have one word for you.
- Szkoda, że słówko "kawa" nie jest trzysylabowe.It's a pity that the word "kawa" is not trisyllabic.
- 64 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Katarzyna is helping Krzysztof with his Polish vocabulary.
- KrzysztofTo słowo jest bardzo trudne.This word is very difficult.
- KatarzynaWiem, to długie słowo.I know, it is a long word.
- KrzysztofCzy możesz zapisać to słowo?Can you write down this word?
- KatarzynaOczywiście, już to robię.Of course, I am doing it now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “word” translations and entries słowo, wyraz, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries słowo, wyraz, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
