NATION
How to pronounce
Bosnia and Herzegovina
BAHZ·nee·uhandhert·suh·GOH·vih·nuh
Native [bôsna i xɛ̌rt͡seɡoʋina] (<em>Bosna i Hercegovina</em>) → American /ˈbɒz.ni.ə ænd ˌhɛrt.səˈɡoʊ.vɪ.nə/
Sound by sound
9 little beats. BIG = the stressed part.
- BAHZ the ‘ah’ in father — say this beat loudest
- nee the ‘ee’ in see
- uh the relaxed ‘uh’ in sofa
- and the ‘a’ in cat
- hert the ‘er’ in her
- suh the relaxed ‘uh’ in sofa
- GOH the ‘oh’ in go — say this beat loudest
- vih the ‘ih’ in sit
- nuh the relaxed ‘uh’ in sofa
Talking about Bosnia and Herzegovina
The words that trip people up — what to call the team, the people, and the language.
- One person
- a Bosnian
- The people / the team
- Bosnians
- As an adjective
- Bosnian (or “Bosnia-Herzegovina’s” for the country as a whole)
- The language
- Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian
The short, everyday name is just Bosnia, and the people are Bosnians. The country has three official languages — Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian — which are very close and mutually understandable.
Like a local vs like an American
Don’t say…
- BOZ-nee-uh and her-zuh-go-VEEN-uh
- hur-zuh-GOH-vee-nuh (hard “z”)
- BAHZ·nee·uh and hert·suh·GOH·vih·nuh — stress on BAHZ and GOH
Where the name comes from
The country pairs two regions. Bosnia is named after the river Bosna running through its heartland, a name thought to go back to an ancient root for “running water”. Herzegovina means “the duke’s land”: it comes from herceg, borrowed from German Herzog (“duke”), the title of the 15th-century lord Stjepan Vukčić, who styled himself duke of the southern region.
- Capital
- Sarajevo
- Confederation
- UEFA
- World Cup
- 2nd appearance (debut 2014)
Hear it for real
Say it out loud — and check it.
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Practice in the appFAQ
How do you pronounce Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Bosnia and Herzegovina is pronounced BAHZ·nee·uh and hert·suh·GOH·vih·nuh in American English — 9 beats, stressing BAHZ and GOH.
Where does the name Herzegovina come from?
The country pairs two regions. <em>Bosnia</em> is named after the river <em>Bosna</em> running through its heartland, a name thought to go back to an ancient root for “running water”. <em>Herzegovina</em> means “the duke’s land”: it comes from <em>herceg</em>, borrowed from German <em>Herzog</em> (“duke”), the title of the 15th-century lord Stjepan Vukčić, who styled himself duke of the southern region.
What does “Herzegovina” mean, and why is it in the name?
It means “the duke’s land”, from <em>herceg</em> (a borrowing of German <em>Herzog</em>, “duke”). It’s the southern region, historically distinct from Bosnia in the north, so the full country name honors both: <em>Bosna i Hercegovina</em>.