These are common patterns to test, not rules about every Czech speaker. Use them when a learner’s English shows the same choice more than once.
Vocabulary
False friends
Czech and English share useful international vocabulary, especially in academic and professional settings. Similarity supports recognition, but it does not guarantee identical meaning or use.
aktuální
- Looks like
actual- Actually means
- current
Mistake: Please send me the actual version of the schedule.
Natural English: The current schedule contains the actual departure times.
eventuálně
- Looks like
eventually- Actually means
- possibly / if necessary
Mistake: If Thursday doesn’t work, we can eventually meet on Friday.
Natural English: We may possibly change it, but eventually we need a final decision.
sympatický
- Looks like
sympathetic- Actually means
- likable / pleasant
Mistake: Your new colleague is very sympathetic; everyone likes him.
Natural English: She is likable and sympathetic when someone needs help.
kontrolovat
- Looks like
control- Actually means
- check / inspect in many contexts
Mistake: Can you control the figures before I send the report?
Natural English: Please check the figures; the manager controls the final budget.
šéf
- Looks like
chef- Actually means
- boss
Mistake: I need to ask my chef if I can leave early today.
Natural English: My boss met the chef after dinner service.
fabrika
- Looks like
fabric- Actually means
- factory (informal Czech)
Mistake: My father worked in a car fabric for twenty years.
Natural English: My father worked in a car factory for twenty years.
dres
- Looks like
dress- Actually means
- sports jersey / team uniform
Mistake: The players wore their new dresses for the match.
Natural English: The players wore their new team jerseys on Saturday.
smoking
- Looks like
smoking- Actually means
- tuxedo
Mistake: He rented a smoking for his brother’s wedding.
Natural English: He rented a tuxedo for his brother’s wedding.
happyend
- Looks like
happy end- Actually means
- happy ending
Mistake: I usually prefer movies with a happy end.
Natural English: I usually prefer movies with a happy ending.
gymnázium
- Looks like
gym / gymnasium- Actually means
- academic high school (college-preparatory)
Mistake: I studied at a gymnasium in Brno before university.
Natural English: I went to an academic high school in Brno before college.
evidence
- Looks like
evidence- Actually means
- records / register
Mistake: HR keeps an evidence of everyone’s overtime hours.
Natural English: HR keeps records of everyone’s overtime hours.
akce
- Looks like
action- Actually means
- event / sale / special offer
Mistake: The store has a big action this weekend.
Natural English: The store is having a big sale this weekend.
prospekt
- Looks like
prospect- Actually means
- brochure / leaflet
Mistake: Can I take a prospect about your evening courses?
Natural English: Can I take a brochure about your evening courses?
ambulance
- Looks like
ambulance- Actually means
- outpatient clinic / doctor’s office
Mistake: I have to go to the ambulance for a blood test tomorrow.
Natural English: I have to go to the clinic for a blood test tomorrow.
recept
- Looks like
recipe / receipt- Actually means
- prescription (from a doctor); also a cooking recipe
Mistake: The doctor gave me a recipe for antibiotics.
Natural English: The doctor gave me a prescription for antibiotics.
dokument
- Looks like
document- Actually means
- documentary (film); also a document
Mistake: Last night I watched a document about the ocean.
Natural English: Last night I watched a documentary about the ocean.
brigáda
- Looks like
brigade- Actually means
- temporary job / summer job / side job
Mistake: Last summer I had a brigade in a warehouse.
Natural English: Last summer I had a temporary job in a warehouse.
kurz
- Looks like
course- Actually means
- exchange rate (also a course or class)
Mistake: What’s the course of the euro today?
Natural English: What’s the exchange rate for the euro today?
prémie
- Looks like
premium- Actually means
- bonus (extra pay at work)
Mistake: Everyone on the team got a premium at the end of the year.
Natural English: Everyone on the team got a bonus at the end of the year.
termín
- Looks like
term- Actually means
- deadline / date / appointment
Mistake: The term for the report is Friday.
Natural English: The deadline for the report is Friday, and my dentist appointment is on Monday.
reklamace
- Looks like
reclamation- Actually means
- complaint about faulty goods / warranty claim
Mistake: I’d like to make a reclamation for these shoes.
Natural English: I’d like to return these shoes because the sole came off after a week.
absolvovat
- Looks like
absolve- Actually means
- complete / take / undergo
Mistake: I absolved a six-month course in digital marketing.
Natural English: I completed a six-month course in digital marketing.
promoce
- Looks like
promotion- Actually means
- graduation ceremony
Mistake: My promotion is in June, and my parents are flying in.
Natural English: My graduation ceremony is in June, and my parents are flying in.
realizovat
- Looks like
realize- Actually means
- carry out / implement
Mistake: We realized the new booking system last spring.
Natural English: We implemented the new booking system last spring.
notebook
- Looks like
notebook- Actually means
- laptop
Mistake: I left my notebook at the office, so I can’t open the file.
Natural English: I left my laptop at the office, so I can’t open the file.
benzín
- Looks like
benzine- Actually means
- gas / gasoline
Mistake: We need to stop for benzine before the highway.
Natural English: We need to stop for gas before we get on the highway.
půjčit / půjčit si
- Looks like
borrow (for both directions)- Actually means
- lend (půjčit) / borrow (půjčit si)
Mistake: Could you borrow me your charger? I forgot mine.
Natural English: Could you lend me your charger? I forgot to bring mine.
ruka
- Looks like
hand- Actually means
- hand or arm
Mistake: He broke his hand, so he has a cast from his wrist to his elbow.
Natural English: He broke his arm, so he has a cast from his wrist to his elbow.
prst
- Looks like
finger- Actually means
- finger or toe
Mistake: I dropped a box on my foot finger at work.
Natural English: I dropped a box on my toe at work, and now it’s swollen.
učit / učit se
- Looks like
learn (for both directions)- Actually means
- teach (učit) / learn or study (učit se)
Mistake: My aunt learned me how to drive when I was eighteen.
Natural English: My aunt taught me how to drive when I was eighteen.
fotbal
- Looks like
football- Actually means
- soccer (in American English)
Mistake: I play football with some friends every Sunday in the park.
Natural English: I play soccer with some friends every Sunday morning.
International cognates
problémproblem
A reliable everyday and formal cognate.
systémsystem
A strong professional and academic connection.
informaceinformation
Meaning is close; English information is normally uncountable.
kulturaculture
A useful cognate with different spelling and pronunciation.
normálnínormal
The central meaning is close, though tone can vary by context.
univerzitauniversity
Same meaning; English stress falls on the third syllable: u-ni-VER-si-ty.
projektproject
A dependable work and study cognate; the noun is stressed on the first syllable.
restauracerestaurant
Same meaning; the English word ends in -ant and is often said in two or three syllables.
telefontelephone / phone
Same meaning; everyday American English usually shortens it to phone.
bankabank
Same financial meaning, and the English word drops the final vowel.
Grammar and usage
Common transfer mistakes
Each card shows what you might hear, the natural English rebuild, why the transfer is logical, and a lesson that practices the decision. They are ordered from A0 to C1.
Signal whether a noun is new or identifiable
You might hearI need charger. Charger is in bag.
→Natural EnglishI need a charger. The charger is in the bag.
Signal whether a noun is new or identifiable
I need charger. Charger is in bag.→Natural English
I need a charger. The charger is in the bag.
Why the transfer is logical
Czech has no article system equivalent to English a, an, and the. English article choice packages reference: one new non-specific countable thing, an identifiable thing, or a general plural or uncountable idea.
Natural English
- She booked a room, but the room was not ready.
- Books are useful, but the book on my desk is outdated.
Use an article with a singular profession
You might hearMy sister is engineer.
→Natural EnglishMy sister is an engineer.
Use an article with a singular profession
My sister is engineer.→Natural English
My sister is an engineer.
Why the transfer is logical
Czech can use a profession noun after the copula without an article. In English, a singular countable profession normally needs a or an when it classifies one person by job or role.
Natural English
- He is a software developer.
- My new manager is an experienced editor.
Keep ordinary English subjects visible
You might hearWork from home on Fridays.
→Natural EnglishI work from home on Fridays.
Keep ordinary English subjects visible
Work from home on Fridays.→Natural English
I work from home on Fridays.
Why the transfer is logical
Czech verb endings often identify the person, so subject pronouns can be omitted. English verb forms carry less person information, and a normal finite clause usually needs an explicit subject, including it in weather and time expressions.
Natural English
- She starts work at eight.
- It is getting colder outside.
Use do without changing the lexical verb
You might hearYou understand? / She not works here.
→Natural EnglishDo you understand? / She doesn’t work here.
Use do without changing the lexical verb
You understand? / She not works here.→Natural English
Do you understand? / She doesn’t work here.
Why the transfer is logical
Czech does not use an auxiliary equivalent to English do for ordinary present questions and negatives. English do or does carries the grammatical marking, and the following lexical verb returns to its base form.
Natural English
- Does the store open at nine?
- I don’t need another copy.
Anchor English subject, verb, and object
You might hearEvery morning coffee I drink at home.
→Natural EnglishI drink coffee at home every morning.
Anchor English subject, verb, and object
Every morning coffee I drink at home.→Natural English
I drink coffee at home every morning.
Why the transfer is logical
Czech uses case endings and flexible order to highlight old and new information. A neutral English statement relies more heavily on subject-verb-object order, with time and place placed around that stable clause core.
Natural English
- Our team reviews the figures every Monday.
- Yesterday, I called the supplier from my office.
Open a current or temporary scene with be plus ing
You might hearI write an email now. / I am writing emails every day.
→Natural EnglishI’m writing an email now. / I write emails every day.
Open a current or temporary scene with be plus ing
I write an email now. / I am writing emails every day.→Natural English
I’m writing an email now. / I write emails every day.
Why the transfer is logical
Czech does not grammaticalize the same present progressive contrast. English uses the present continuous for a current, temporary, changing, or arranged scene and the present simple for routines and stable facts.
Natural English
- She usually drives, but she is taking the train today.
- We are updating the website this week.
Choose at, in, or on instead of one Czech na
You might hearI was on the post office. / You can see her on the photo.
→Natural EnglishI was at the post office. / You can see her in the photo.
Choose at, in, or on instead of one Czech na
I was on the post office. / You can see her on the photo.→Natural English
I was at the post office. / You can see her in the photo.
Why the transfer is logical
Czech na covers surfaces but also many institutions, events, and open places: na poště, na nádraží, na univerzitě, na koncertě, na fotce. English splits these. At marks a place as a point where something happens, in marks an enclosed space or image, and on is mostly kept for surfaces and lines.
Natural English
- I’ll meet you at the station after work.
- Who is the man in the photo next to your mother?
Keep one negative in each English clause
You might hearI don’t know nothing about it. / Nobody didn’t call.
→Natural EnglishI don’t know anything about it. / Nobody called.
Keep one negative in each English clause
I don’t know nothing about it. / Nobody didn’t call.→Natural English
I don’t know anything about it. / Nobody called.
Why the transfer is logical
Czech requires the verb to be negative alongside words like nikdo, nic, and nikdy, so several negatives work together in one clause. Standard English normally allows one negative per clause: either a negative verb plus any-words, or a positive verb plus no-words.
Natural English
- I didn’t see anyone at the reception desk.
- Nobody told me the meeting was canceled.
Treat advice, information, and homework as uncountable
You might hearCan you give me an advice? / I have many homeworks.
→Natural EnglishCan you give me some advice? / I have a lot of homework.
Treat advice, information, and homework as uncountable
Can you give me an advice? / I have many homeworks.→Natural English
Can you give me some advice? / I have a lot of homework.
Why the transfer is logical
Czech rada, informace, and úkol can be counted, so jedna rada or dvě informace sound normal. Their English equivalents advice, information, and homework are uncountable. They take no a or an, no plural s, and use much, some, or a piece of instead of many.
Natural English
- She gave me some useful advice about the interview.
- I need more information before I can book the flight.
Use the present after when and if for future events
You might hearWhen I will arrive, I will call you. / If it will rain, we stay home.
→Natural EnglishWhen I arrive, I’ll call you. / If it rains, we’ll stay home.
Use the present after when and if for future events
When I will arrive, I will call you. / If it will rain, we stay home.→Natural English
When I arrive, I’ll call you. / If it rains, we’ll stay home.
Why the transfer is logical
Czech marks future time inside clauses with až, když, and jestli, using a perfective verb or bude: až přijedu, jestli bude pršet. English keeps the future in the main clause only. After when, if, as soon as, before, and after, a future event normally takes the present simple.
Natural English
- I’ll send you the file as soon as I get to the office.
- If the train is late, I’ll take a taxi.
Choose a finished past anchor or a present viewpoint
You might hearI never was in Mexico. / I have called him yesterday.
→Natural EnglishI’ve never been to Mexico. / I called him yesterday.
Choose a finished past anchor or a present viewpoint
I never was in Mexico. / I have called him yesterday.→Natural English
I’ve never been to Mexico. / I called him yesterday.
Why the transfer is logical
Czech does not make the same past-simple and present-perfect division. English finished-time expressions normally select past simple, while experiences, present results, and unfinished time use a present viewpoint.
Natural English
- I met her at a conference in 2024.
- I have met her several times, so I can introduce you.
Use the present perfect for a situation that started earlier
You might hearI work here for three years. / I live in Prague since 2019.
→Natural EnglishI’ve worked here for three years. / I’ve lived in Prague since 2019.
Use the present perfect for a situation that started earlier
I work here for three years. / I live in Prague since 2019.→Natural English
I’ve worked here for three years. / I’ve lived in Prague since 2019.
Why the transfer is logical
Czech uses the present tense for a situation that began in the past and is still true: pracuju tady tři roky, bydlím v Praze od roku 2019. English links that past start to the present with the present perfect or present perfect continuous, especially with for, since, and how long.
Natural English
- How long have you been learning English?
- We’ve known each other since college.
Learn make and do as fixed partners, not one verb
You might hearI did a mistake. / I need to make my homework.
→Natural EnglishI made a mistake. / I need to do my homework.
Learn make and do as fixed partners, not one verb
I did a mistake. / I need to make my homework.→Natural English
I made a mistake. / I need to do my homework.
Why the transfer is logical
Czech dělat and udělat cover both creating something and performing an activity, so the noun does not force a choice of verb. English splits the work: make often goes with results and products such as a mistake, a decision, or a plan, and do with tasks and duties such as homework, the dishes, or a favor.
Natural English
- Could you do me a favor and check this email?
- We need to make a decision by Friday.
Shift the tense back when reporting past speech
You might hearShe said that she is tired and she will call later.
→Natural EnglishShe said that she was tired and she would call later.
Shift the tense back when reporting past speech
She said that she is tired and she will call later.→Natural English
She said that she was tired and she would call later.
Why the transfer is logical
Czech keeps the speaker’s original tense after a past reporting verb: řekla, že je unavená. English usually moves the reported verb one step back after said or told, especially when the situation may have changed. Keeping the original tense is possible when the fact is clearly still true.
Natural English
- He told me he was working from home that day.
- They said the package would arrive on Thursday.
Use statement order inside an indirect question
You might hearDo you know where is the station? / Can you tell me what time does it start?
→Natural EnglishDo you know where the station is? / Can you tell me what time it starts?
Use statement order inside an indirect question
Do you know where is the station? / Can you tell me what time does it start?→Natural English
Do you know where the station is? / Can you tell me what time it starts?
Why the transfer is logical
In Czech, an indirect question looks like the direct question after kde, kdy, or co: víte, kde je nádraží? English direct questions use inversion or do, but once the question sits inside another sentence, it returns to statement order and loses do, does, and did.
Natural English
- Could you tell me where the nearest pharmacy is?
- I’m not sure what time the meeting starts.
Place the relative clause directly after its noun
You might hearThe client yesterday called wants a refund.
→Natural EnglishThe client who called yesterday wants a refund.
Place the relative clause directly after its noun
The client yesterday called wants a refund.→Natural English
The client who called yesterday wants a refund.
Why the transfer is logical
Czech case marking helps listeners recover roles even when information order changes. English relative clauses depend more heavily on a head noun followed immediately by who, that, which, where, or an allowed object gap.
Natural English
- The person who answered was very helpful.
- The document that you sent needs one correction.
Drop the Czech comma before that and defining clauses
You might hearI think, that we should wait. / The report, which you sent, has an error.
→Natural EnglishI think that we should wait. / The report that you sent has an error.
Drop the Czech comma before that and defining clauses
I think, that we should wait. / The report, which you sent, has an error.→Natural English
I think that we should wait. / The report that you sent has an error.
Why the transfer is logical
Czech punctuation separates every subordinate clause with a comma, so commas before že, který, and protože are required. English uses commas to show meaning: no comma before that in a reported thought, no commas around a defining relative clause, and commas only around extra, non-essential information.
Natural English
- She said that the contract was ready.
- My manager, who started last month, wants weekly updates.
Soften workplace requests with could and would
You might hearSend me the file, please. / I want the bill.
→Natural EnglishCould you send me the file, please? / Could we have the check, please?
Soften workplace requests with could and would
Send me the file, please. / I want the bill.→Natural English
Could you send me the file, please? / Could we have the check, please?
Why the transfer is logical
In Czech, an imperative with prosím is a normal and polite way to ask, especially in writing: pošlete mi to prosím. In English, please softens an imperative only slightly, so requests to clients, coworkers, and service staff usually use a question with could, would, or would you mind.
Natural English
- Would you mind sending me the updated version by noon?
- Could you let me know if Thursday works for you?
Use passive or cleft structures to move focus, not object-first order
You might hearThis decision made the director. / The house built my grandfather.
→Natural EnglishThe director made this decision. / It was my grandfather who built the house.
Use passive or cleft structures to move focus, not object-first order
This decision made the director. / The house built my grandfather.→Natural English
The director made this decision. / It was my grandfather who built the house.
Why the transfer is logical
Czech can put a known object first and the new or important subject last because case endings still show who did what: tohle rozhodnutí udělal ředitel. In English, the first noun is read as the subject, so object-first order can reverse the meaning. English moves focus with a passive, a cleft, or stress instead.
Natural English
- This decision was made by the director, not the board.
- It was my grandfather who built the house we grew up in.
Pronunciation
Sounds, stress, and rhythm to watch
Each point shows what a listener may hear, why the first language makes it likely, and how to fix it. Press any 🔊 word to hear it in your browser’s U.S. English voice, then say it yourself.
/æ/ vs /ɛ/
Keep bad and bed different
You might hear I had a bad day can sound like I had a bed day, and man can sound like men.
Czech has five vowel qualities, each short or long, and none of them sits where the American vowel of cat and bad sits. The nearest Czech vowel is e, so /æ/ and /ɛ/ can fall together into one sound.
Try this Say the vowel of bed, then drop your jaw further and spread your lips slightly, as if starting a smile. Keep the jaw low for bad, man, and had, and check it with a hand under your chin.
/θ/ and /ð/
Put the tongue at the teeth for th
You might hear I think so can sound like I sink so, and they can sound like day.
Czech has no th sounds, so learners often replace them with the nearest Czech consonants: t or d, and sometimes s or f. When an English minimal pair exists, the substitute changes the word for the listener.
Try this Rest the tip of your tongue lightly against the back of your upper front teeth, or just between them, and blow air out steadily. Use air only for think and three, and add voice for this and they, so you feel a buzz in your throat.
/w/ vs /v/
Round the lips for w without touching the teeth
You might hear West can sound like vest, and a glass of wine can sound like a glass of vine.
Czech has no w consonant in native words, and the letter w in names and older spellings is read as v. English w is therefore often replaced by Czech v, with the lower lip touching the upper teeth.
Try this Start w with your lips pushed forward into a small, tight circle, as if you were going to say oo, and keep your teeth away from your lower lip. Say oo plus ine slowly, speed it up into wine, then compare it with vine.
Voiced final consonants and vowel length
Keep final b, d, g, v, and z voiced
You might hear I need a bag can sound like I need a back, and his eyes can sound like his ice.
Czech regularly devoices consonants at the end of a word, so Czech led, meaning ice, is pronounced like let, and hrad ends in a t sound. Carrying that rule into English turns bag into back and prize into price, which changes the word.
Try this English listeners hear a voiced ending mostly through the vowel before it. Make the vowel clearly longer in bag, eyes, and prize, and keep it short and crisp in back, ice, and price. Let the final consonant end softly without adding a vowel.
/ŋ/ at the end of a word
End sing and thing without an added k
You might hear Thing can sound like think, and going out can have an extra k sound in the middle.
In Czech, the ng sound appears only before k or g, as in banka, so it is always followed by another consonant. In English, ng often ends a word on its own, and an added k, or a g that becomes k through final devoicing, can turn sing into sink.
Try this Raise the back of your tongue against the soft part of the roof of your mouth and let the sound go through your nose, like a hum. Hold it, then lower the tongue gently so there is no click or puff of air at the end.
Aspiration of /p/, /t/, /k/
Add a puff of air after p, t, and k
You might hear Pin can sound like bin, and time can sound like dime, at the start of a word.
Czech p, t, and k are released without a noticeable puff of air. At the start of a stressed syllable, English listeners rely heavily on that puff to tell p, t, and k from b, d, and g, so an unaspirated pin may be heard as bin.
Try this Hold a sheet of paper or your palm in front of your mouth. Say pin, time, and cold so the paper moves or you feel the air, then say bin, dime, and gold with no puff. The puff matters most at the start of a word or stressed syllable.
/r/
Shape the American r without a tap or trill
You might hear Very, right, and car may have a tapped or rolled r that stands out to an American listener.
Czech r is made by the tongue tip tapping or trilling against the ridge behind the upper teeth. The American r is a smooth sound where the tongue does not touch anything, and after a vowel it blends into the vowel, as in car, work, and here.
Try this Pull your tongue back and up so the tip points toward the roof of your mouth without touching it, and round your lips a little. Hold a long r sound, then glide into red and right. In car and work, keep the r as part of the vowel instead of a separate tap.
Word stress
Put word stress where English places it
You might hear Hotel, computer, and develop stressed on the first syllable can be hard to recognize.
Czech places the main stress on the first syllable of almost every word, and Czech vowel length works separately from stress. English stress can fall on any syllable, so the first-syllable habit carries over, especially in long words and in cognates such as univerzita and university.
Try this Learn the stress with every new word. Tap the table on the stressed syllable as you say ho-TEL, com-PU-ter, de-VEL-op, and u-ni-VER-si-ty, and make that syllable longer, louder, and higher while the others shrink.
Weak forms and schwa /ə/
Reduce small words to a quick, weak vowel
You might hear I can go with a full, strong can may sound like I can’t go.
Czech vowels keep their full quality whether a syllable is stressed or not, so every syllable sounds clear and even. English reduces most unstressed vowels, including small words like a, to, for, of, and can, to a short schwa, and listeners use that contrast to find the important words.
Try this Say only the key words first: cup, coffee. Then slip the small words in quickly and quietly: a cup of coffee. Use a short, weak vowel for can in I can go, and keep the full vowel and the t in I can’t go.
Linking without a glottal stop
Link a final consonant to the next vowel
You might hear Pick it up can sound like three separate words, with a small catch in the throat before it and up.
Czech speakers often begin a word that starts with a vowel with a glottal stop, a brief catch in the throat, especially in careful speech. English normally links a final consonant straight into a following vowel, so pick it up runs together as one smooth group.
Try this Move the last consonant onto the next word in your mind, so an apple feels like a napple. Say each phrase slowly in one breath with no pause or catch, then gradually speed it up.
Sentence stress and intonation
Use pitch to highlight the new or contrasting word
You might hear The meeting is on Tuesday, not Thursday, said on an even pitch, so the correction is easy to miss.
Czech often signals new or contrasting information by moving it toward the end of the sentence, and Czech intonation tends to use a narrower pitch range than English. English keeps a fixed word order and marks focus with a clear jump in pitch and length on the key word, wherever it falls.
Try this Choose the one word that carries the news and say it with a clear step up in pitch, then let your voice fall after it. Practice with corrections, such as Is it Thursday? No, it’s on Tuesday. Exaggerate the range at first, then relax it.
Your browser has no built-in voice. Read the words aloud and compare with your tutor.
Practice
Check yourself
Two quick games built from this guide. Each one checks itself, and Start again reshuffles.
Czech false friends
Tap a Czech word, then what it really means in English.
Czech
What it really means
Natural English or transfer mistake?
Tap a sentence, then the box it belongs in. Press Check when the tray is empty.