Hungarian Word-Final Vowels

Standard Hungarian has fourteen vowels. They can be long or short. In word-final position, three vowels are rare.

Vowels which rarely appear word-finally in Hungarian are the short mid back vowel, short mid front rounded vowel and short high front rounded vowel. In these positions the long mid back vowel, the long mid front rounded vowel and long high front rounded vowel appear.

Here are examples:

esernyő (umbrella)

eső (rain)

fésű (comb)

folyó (river)

fű (grass)

gyűrű (ring)

hó  (snow)

keserű (bitter)

szőlő (grape)

tó (lake)

Hungarian places restricitons on the vowels which can appear word-finally. Only the long front rounded vowels and the long mid front vowel are common at the end of the word. In these positions the short front rounded vowels and short mid back vowel are rare. With the other vowels, both the short and long ones can appear word-finally.