Ř If you plan on sticking around for three decades or longer, you might eventually learn how to pronounce this most impossible of Czech consonants. The beauty of the Czech language is that it showcases softened consonants – it makes the general flow of the language sound very nice to foreign ears. Learning how to speak it properly is another thing. While English-speaking natives should encounter no difficulties with the ž as in Zsa Zsa, the chewy č, or the š as in shut up, the almighty ř is quite another story. Its pronunciation can best be described as a rolled R and ž pronounced simultaneously – quite an unusual sound for most non-Czech mouths to make. Don’t be discouraged. The truth is, even a lot of Czechs have difficulty with this mischievous letter. Former President Vaclav Havel himself was even sent to a speech therapist owing to his inability to correctly pronounce the soft R. Still, chances are your Czech friends won’t miss an opportunity to make fun of your attempts at pronouncing it. They may even challenge you by teaching you such delightful tongue-twisters as
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