# Minimal pairs of l and ł



## Dminor

Hello,

Could someone please provide some minimal pairs of l and ł? They do contrast, right? I've read that in eastern dialects, ł is still [ł], so is there an opposition between [l] and [ł] in those dialects? Thanks in advance!


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## Thomas1

Yes they contrast. Some pairs may include:
luk -- łuk
lep -- łeb
lał -- wow [wymowa: łał]
lepka -- łepka
lot -- płot
plotka -- płotka
los -- łoś
lasy -- łasy
palacz -- pałac

EDIT: I should have added that the pairs I gave concern the pronunciation in central Poland, Warsaw. I don't know about the dialects that you're talking about in the second part of your post.


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## Dminor

Thanks! What do those words mean? I can't seem to find some of them in the dictionary.


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## Thomas1

You may not find them in a dictionary because they are declined.
luk hatchway -- łuk arch
lep flypaper -- łeb head of an animal
lał past tense of the verb 'lać' to pour -- wow [wymowa: łał] as in English
lepka feminine form of 'lepki' sticky -- łepka the genitive case of łepek, the alternative spelling of łebek, the diminiutive of łeb 
lot flight -- płot fence
plotka rumour -- płotka 'small fry' (figurative meaning) 
los lot, fate -- łoś moose
lasy pl of las, forest -- łasy greedy
palacz stoker -- pałac         palace


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## Dminor

Thanks very much!


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## marco_2

In Eastern dialects (and in the dialects of Orava and, they say, in Kujawy) *ł *is pronounced like in Eastern Slavic languages or in Bulgarian, so it is similar to *l *as the place of articulation is concerned, but it sounds differently, because your tongue is placed a bit lower - well, it is difficult to describe sounds, you should listen to e.g. some Russians speaking.


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## Dminor

But the words Thomas1 gave do occur in these dialects as well?


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## marco_2

Yes, only the pronunciation of *ł *will be different.


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## Dminor

Okay, thanks!


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