Table of Contents
Overview of German Sounds
German pronunciation is mostly regular and close to spelling. Each letter or group of letters usually has one or two common sounds. In this chapter you learn the basic sound system so you can read and say simple German words.
In German, you usually pronounce every letter in a word. Silent letters are rare.
You will meet special letters like ä, ö, ü and ß in a later chapter, so here we focus on the “normal” alphabet sounds and the most important sound rules.
Vowels: Short and Long
German has five basic vowel letters: a, e, i, o, u. Each one can be short or long. This length often changes the meaning of a word.
Example:
- “Mann” (man) has a short a.
- “Mahnen” (to remind) has a long a.
Vowel length is important in German. A long and a short vowel can mark different words.
A simple overview:
| Letter | Short sound (rough English hint) | Long sound (rough English hint) | Example short | Example long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a | like u in “cup” | like a in “father” | Mann | Name |
| e | like e in “bed” | like ay in “say” (but shorter, no glide) | Bett | lesen |
| i | like i in “sit” | like ee in “see” | Mitte | viel |
| o | like o in “lot” | like o in “go” (but shorter, no glide) | Sonne | lesen |
| u | like u in “put” | like oo in “food” | Mutter | gut |
Common hints for vowel length:
- A double vowel (aa, ee, oo) usually marks a long sound. Example: “sehen” (to see).
- Vowel + h inside a word often marks a long vowel. Example: “Zahl” (number).
- A vowel followed by double consonant (tt, nn, ss, mm) is usually short. Example: “Mitte”, “Mutter”.
Diphthongs: Two Vowels, One Sound
Diphthongs are combinations of two vowel letters that make one gliding sound.
Important German diphthongs:
| Spelling | Approximate sound | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ei / ai | like “eye” | mein | my |
| au | like “ow” in “now” | Haus | house |
| eu / äu | like “oy” in “boy” | neu | new |
The letters “ei” are never like English “ee”. “Mein” sounds like “mine”, not “meen”.
Consonants: Clear and Regular
Many German consonant sounds are similar to English but German is usually clearer and harder. Consonants at the end of words become voiceless.
Voiced and voiceless pairs
German often turns a voiced final consonant into its voiceless partner.
| Spelling | At end of word sounds like | Example | Pronounced like |
|---|---|---|---|
| b | p | hab | “hap” |
| d | t | Rad | “raat” |
| g | k | Tag | “Taak” |
At the end of a word, b, d, g are pronounced like p, t, k.
Special single consonants
Some important consonant letters:
| Letter | Pronunciation hint | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| c (before a, o, u, consonant) | like k | Café (loanword) | café |
| f | like f in “fish” | fünf | five |
| h | strong h at the start of words | Haus | house |
| j | like y in “yes” | ja | yes |
| l | always clear l, never dark | lieben | to love |
| m, n | as in English | Mann, Name | man, name |
| p | as in English | Papa | dad |
| q | always “qu” like kv | Quelle | source |
| r | pronounced in throat or rolled, but always heard | rot | red |
| s (start of word before vowel) | like z in “zoo” | Sonne | sun |
| s (otherwise) | like s in “see” | Haus | house |
| t | like t in “top” | Tag | day |
| v | usually like f | viel | much, many |
| w | like v in “very” | Wasser | water |
| x | like ks | Box | box |
| y | often like ü or i in loanwords | Yoga | yoga |
| z | like ts in “cats” | zehn | ten |
German “w” is pronounced like English “v”. German “v” is often like English “f”.
Consonant Combinations
Some groups of consonants have special, regular sounds.
ch
“ch” is very important and different from English.
There are two main “ch” sounds:
| Context | Sound hint | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| after a, o, u, au | a rough sound in the throat, like clearing your throat softly | Buch | book |
| after e, i, ä, ö, ü, eu, äu and in “ich” | a softer sound, more in the mouth | ich | I |
Both are typical German sounds and need practice.
“ch” is never like English “tch” in “church”.
sch
“sch” sounds like English “sh” in “she”.
Example: “Schule” (school).
sp and st at the beginning of a word
At the beginning of a word or part of a word, “sp” and “st” often sound like “shp” and “sht”.
| Spelling | Sound | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| sp- | shp | Sport | sport |
| st- | sht | Stadt | city |
Inside a word, after a vowel, they are usually “sp” and “st” as in English.
Word Stress
German words have one main stressed syllable. Stress patterns are often regular.
Basic ideas:
- In many simple words, stress is on the first syllable: “Mut-ter”, “Va-ter”.
- Many verbs that are not separable have stress on the stem, often the first syllable: “le-sen”.
- Long foreign words often keep their original stress.
Stress can change meaning in some words, which you will see later with separable verbs.
In most basic German words, stress is on the first syllable.
Syllables and Rhythm
German has a clear, “even” rhythm. Each syllable is pronounced. There is no strong reduction like the English “schwa” in “about”.
Compare:
English: “about” has weak “a”.
German: “aber” (but) has clearly pronounced both “a” and “er”.
Typical syllable patterns:
- Open syllable (ends with a vowel): “Na-me”.
- Closed syllable (ends with a consonant): “Hund”.
Each syllable keeps a clear vowel sound.
Linking and Final Sounds
At the end of words, consonants are fully spoken, not dropped.
Examples:
- “und” (and) ends with a clear t sound.
- “Rot” (red) has a clear final t.
When words follow each other, each word keeps its own final consonant and the next word begins clearly, for example “und ich” where you hear “t” and then “ich”.
Do not swallow final consonants. Say them clearly.
Spelling and Pronunciation Consistency
German spelling gives many clues for pronunciation.
Some important spelling hints:
- Double consonant (tt, nn, ss) means the vowel before it is short.
- “ck” is like “kk” after a short vowel, as in “backen” (to bake).
- “ie” is usually a long i sound, like “see” in English. Example: “sie” (she).
| Spelling pattern | Pronunciation idea | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ie | long i (ee) | viele | many |
| ck | k after short vowel | backen | to bake |
| ss | s after short vowel | essen | to eat |
Listening and Practice Tips
For a good German accent, focus on:
- Clear vowels, especially vowel length.
- Strong, clear consonants at the end of words.
- Correct “ch”, “sch”, “sp” and “st” sounds.
- Stress on the first syllable in many basic words.
Useful practice:
- Say simple words slowly and clearly, for example “Mama”, “Papa”, “Tante”.
- Listen to native speakers and repeat. Try to copy rhythm and stress, not only single sounds.
- Pay attention to where words are stressed when you listen.
Vocabulary List for This Chapter
This chapter is about sounds, so the list includes example words you can use to practice pronunciation. Meanings help you remember them.
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Mann | man |
| Name | name |
| Bett | bed |
| Mitte | middle, center |
| Sonne | sun |
| Mutter | mother |
| fünf | five |
| Haus | house |
| mein | my |
| neu | new |
| ich | I |
| Buch | book |
| Schule | school |
| Sport | sport |
| Stadt | city |
| ja | yes |
| Wasser | water |
| viel | much, many |
| zehn | ten |
| Tag | day |
| Rot / rot | red |
| lesen | to read |
| sehen | to see |
| essen | to eat |
| backen | to bake |
| und | and |
| aber | but |