{"id":93439,"date":"2023-02-14T22:58:23","date_gmt":"2023-02-15T03:58:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/how-to-pronounce-german-words\/"},"modified":"2025-02-04T01:23:09","modified_gmt":"2025-02-04T06:23:09","slug":"how-to-pronounce-german-words","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/german\/how-to-pronounce-german-words\/","title":{"rendered":"The German Pronunciation Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do you sometimes feel tongue-tied when speaking German? Well, I’m here to tell you that German isn’t as intimidating as you might think<\/a> and this goes for its pronunciation, too.<\/p>\n

The good news is that German is a phonetic language, so once you’ve learned how letters and certain combinations of letters are pronounced, you can read any word.<\/p>\n

Read on for my complete German pronunciation guide.<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

How to Pronounce the German Alphabet<\/h2>\n

Click on each letter in the chart to hear how to say the letter itself<\/strong> (so you can spell out things like your name and address).<\/p>\n

In the “Sound” column, you can see how the letter usually sounds when it appears in words,<\/strong> as based on American English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
German Letter<\/th>Sound<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
A <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>\"ah\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
B <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>\"b\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
C <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>\"k\" <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
D <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>\"d\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
E <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>\"eh\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
F <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>\"f\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
G <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>\"g\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
H <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>\"h\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
I <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>\"ee\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
J <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>\"y\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
K <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>\"k\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
L <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>\"l\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
M <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>\"m\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
N <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>\"n\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
O <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>\"oh\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
P <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>\"p\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Q <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>\"k\" <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
R <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>\"r\" <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
S <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>\"z\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
T <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>\"t\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
U <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>\"oo\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
V <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>\"f\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
W <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>\"v\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
X <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>\"kss\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Y <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>\"y\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Z <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>\"ts\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00c4 <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>\"eh\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00d6 <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>\"eh\" sound with rounded lips<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00dc <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>\"ee\" sound with rounded lips<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00df <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>\"sss\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

For additional information about pronouncing the German alphabet<\/a>, many German textbooks<\/a> contain helpful pronunciation charts and tips.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Let’s have a closer look at some of these letters in detail.\u00a0<\/p>\n

German Consonants<\/h2>\n

Letter \u00df<\/h3>\n

Let’s start with this letter that is unique to the German alphabet, called Eszett<\/em> or scharfes S<\/em> (sharp S). It’s usually pronounced as an S <\/em>sound.<\/p>\n

The word Stra\u00dfe<\/em> is also sometimes pronounced with a bit more of a “z” sound.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fu\u00dfball<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 soccer<\/p>\n

Spa\u00df <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 fun<\/p>\n

Gr\u00fc\u00dfe<\/em> <\/strong>\u2014 greetings<\/p>\n

Stra\u00dfe <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 street<\/p>\n

Letter R<\/h3>\n

When at the start of a word, the letter German R <\/em>is guttural.<\/p>\n

This is like the “ch” sound in the Scottish pronunciation of “loch,” or for a less pleasant analogy, the rasping sound you make at the back of your throat when you go to spit out your toothpaste.<\/p>\n

rot<\/strong> \u2014<\/em>\u00a0red<\/p>\n

Regen<\/em><\/strong> \u2014 rain<\/p>\n

Reise<\/em><\/strong> \u2014 journey\/travel<\/p>\n

At the end of a word, it’s generally not pronounced, like the “uh” sound in the British English “computer.”<\/p>\n

Winter<\/em> <\/strong>\u2014 winter\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lehrer<\/em> <\/strong>\u2014 male teacher<\/p>\n

Motor<\/em><\/strong> \u2014 engine<\/p>\n

Letter W<\/h3>\n

This letter might throw you a bit for a loop in that it’s pronounced with a “v” sound. A few of these words might look familiar, but remember to pronounce them the German way.<\/p>\n

Wunder <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 wonder<\/p>\n

Wind<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 wind<\/p>\n

Wolke<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 cloud<\/p>\n

Letter V<\/h3>\n

On the other hand, the letter V is pronounced more with an “f” sound.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Vogel<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 bird<\/p>\n

Vater<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 father<\/p>\n

vier<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 four<\/p>\n

Letter J<\/h3>\n

The letter J<\/em> in German is pronounced like the English sound “y.”<\/p>\n

Junge<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 boy<\/p>\n

Jacke<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 jacket<\/p>\n

Joghurt<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 yogurt<\/p>\n

If the word is from another language it will use the original sound.<\/p>\n

If it’s an English word then sometimes the “j” sound will still be used and if it’s a French word then you’ll pronounce the French J<\/em>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Job<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 job<\/p>\n

Jazz<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 jazz<\/p>\n

Jalousien<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 blinds<\/p>\n

German Vowels<\/h2>\n

German Umlauts \u00c4, \u00d6, \u00dc<\/h3>\n

Here are some unique German vowels, namely the umlauts<\/a>. The \u00c4<\/em> sound is pronounced like “eh” in English.<\/p>\n

M\u00e4dchen<\/em><\/strong> \u2014 girl<\/p>\n

B\u00e4r<\/em><\/strong> \u2014 bear<\/p>\n

S\u00e4nger<\/strong> <\/em>\u2014 male singer<\/p>\n

For the \u00d6<\/em> sound, first make the “eh” sound then round your lips into a circle.<\/p>\n

Fl\u00f6te<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 flute<\/p>\n

\u00d6l<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 oil<\/p>\n

M\u00f6hre<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 carrot<\/p>\n

The \u00dc<\/em> sound can be pronounced by saying a long \u201cee\u201d sound and then rounding your lips into a circle.<\/p>\n

\u00dcbung<\/em><\/strong> \u2014 exercise<\/p>\n

T\u00fcr<\/em><\/strong> \u2014 door<\/p>\n

K\u00fchlschrank<\/em><\/strong> \u2014 refrigerator<\/p>\n

Vowels A, E, I, O, U<\/h3>\n

The pronunciation of the German A<\/em> is similar to the “a” in “father”.<\/p>\n

Apfel<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 apple<\/p>\n

The letter E<\/em> is similar to the “e” in “met” but shorter and crisper.<\/p>\n

Elefant<\/em><\/strong> \u2014 elephant<\/p>\n

The way you pronounce the German I<\/em> is like “ee” in “see” but shorter.<\/p>\n

Igel<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 hedgehog<\/p>\n

The German O<\/em> is similar to the “o” in “go” but with rounded lips.<\/p>\n

Ozean<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 ocean<\/p>\n

The pronunciation of the German U<\/em> is like “oo” in “food” but with rounded lips.<\/p>\n

Uhr<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 clock<\/p>\n

How to Pronounce German Letter Combinations<\/h2>\n

Diphthongs and Consonant Combinations<\/h3>\n

While German letters will sound pretty similar in most words, some common letter combos<\/a> can get a bit tricky\u2014let’s take a look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
Letter
\nCombination<\/th>		Sound<\/th>Example<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
AU<\/em><\/td>\"ow\"<\/td> Haus <\/a>\n <\/em> (house)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00c4U<\/em><\/td>\"oy\"<\/td> H\u00e4user <\/a>\n <\/em> (houses, pl.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
EI<\/em><\/td>\"ai\"<\/td> Eis <\/a>\n <\/em> (ice)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
EU<\/em><\/td>\"oy\"<\/td> Eule <\/a>\n <\/em> (owl)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
IE<\/em><\/td>\"ee\"<\/td> Biene <\/a>\n <\/em> (bee)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
AH<\/em><\/td>\"aah\"<\/td> Fahrrad <\/a>\n <\/em> (bicycle)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
OH<\/em><\/td>long \"oh\"<\/td> Ohren <\/a>\n <\/em> (ears)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
UH<\/em><\/td>\"ooh\"<\/td> Uhr <\/a>\n <\/em> (clock)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
CH<\/em><\/td>\"kh\"<\/td> Buch <\/a>\n <\/em> (book)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
CK<\/em><\/td>\"k\"<\/td> Jacke <\/a>\n <\/em> (jacket)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
NG<\/em><\/td>\"ng\"<\/td> Junge <\/a>\n <\/em> (boy)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
PF<\/em><\/td>\"pf\"<\/td> Pfanne <\/a>\n <\/em> (pan)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
PH<\/em><\/td>\"f\"<\/td> Philosophie <\/a>\n <\/em> (philosophy)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
SCH<\/em><\/td>\"sh\"<\/td> Schule <\/a>\n <\/em> (school)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
SP<\/em><\/td>\"shp\"<\/td> Spiegel <\/a>\n <\/em> (mirror)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
ST<\/em><\/td>\"sht\"<\/td> Stra\u00dfe <\/a>\n <\/em> (street)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
TH<\/em><\/td>\"t\"<\/td> Theater <\/a>\n <\/em> (theater)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
DSCH<\/em><\/td>\"j\"<\/td> Dschungel <\/a>\n <\/em> (jungle) <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
TSCH<\/em><\/td>\"ch\"<\/td> Tsch\u00fcss <\/a>\n <\/em> (bye, casual)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
QU<\/em><\/td>\"kv\"<\/td> Qualit\u00e4t <\/a>\n <\/em> (quality)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

German Ch<\/h3>\n

Let’s have a closer look at the combo CH<\/em>.\u00a0After the open vowels A<\/em>, O<\/em> and U<\/em>, it sounds like the guttural “ahck” sound.<\/p>\n

Meine Toch<\/strong>ter such<\/strong>t ein Buch<\/strong> auf dem Dach<\/strong>boden.
\n<\/em>(My daughter is looking for a book in the attic.)\u00a0<\/p>\n

After the closed vowels E, I <\/em>and umlauts (\u00c4, \u00d6, \u00dc)<\/em> and diphthongs (EU, \u00c4U)<\/em> it has a sort of compressed hissing sound, like the letter “h” in the word “huge.”<\/p>\n

Ich l\u00e4ch<\/strong>le, wenn ich Deutsch sprech<\/strong>e!
\n<\/em>(I smile when I speak German!)\u00a0<\/p>\n

The same rule applies when CH<\/em> is preceded by a consonant.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ich trinke Milch<\/strong> in der Kirch<\/strong>e.
\n<\/em>(I drink milk in the church.)\u00a0<\/p>\n

This soft CH<\/em> is also found in the very common suffix -chen<\/em>. This is found at the end of some words ordinarily, like in the word for “girl,” M\u00e4dchen,<\/em> but it can also be added to the end of any word to make it sound small, cute or familiar.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Das M\u00e4dch<\/strong>en hat ein Problemch<\/strong>en.
\n<\/em>(The girl has a little problem.)\u00a0<\/p>\n

When your CH<\/em> is followed by an S<\/em>, however, it changes into a “ks” sound. This doesn’t apply to verbs, where -st<\/em> endings get added to the stem.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Der Fuch<\/strong>s wech<\/strong>selt sein Hemd.
\n<\/em>(The fox changes its shirt.)\u00a0<\/p>\n

How to Pronounce German Numbers<\/h2>\n

After all that, let’s see how we can put everything into practice with some words.\u00a0The German numbers<\/a> are actually an illustration of many German pronunciation rules.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
Number<\/th>Spelling<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
1 <\/a>\n <\/td>eins<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2 <\/a>\n <\/td>zwei<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3 <\/a>\n <\/td>drei<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4 <\/a>\n <\/td>vier<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5 <\/a>\n <\/td>f\u00fcnf<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
6 <\/a>\n <\/td>sechs<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
7 <\/a>\n <\/td>sieben<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
8 <\/a>\n <\/td>acht<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
9 <\/a>\n <\/td>neun<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10 <\/a>\n <\/td>zehn<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
11 <\/a>\n <\/td>elf<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
12 <\/a>\n <\/td>zw\u00f6lf<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

How to Pronounce Long German Words<\/h2>\n

Let’s finally get to some of those German compound words<\/a>.\u00a0Try to sound out the words yourself before you listen to the pronunciations!<\/p>\n

\u00dcbernachtungsm\u00f6glichkeiten <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

This word just means “accommodations” or “sleeping accommodations”\u2014it’s literally “overnight-possibilities.”<\/p>\n

Divide it into parts, and it’s basically got two words: nacht<\/em> (night)\u00a0and\u00a0m\u00f6glich\u00a0<\/em>(possible). The rest is just prefixes, suffixes<\/a>, noun endings and a bit of flair.<\/p>\n

Split into word parts, you get: \u00dcber-nacht-ungs-m\u00f6glich-keit-en<\/em>. Broken into syllables, you get:\u00a0\u00dc-ber-nacht-ungs-m\u00f6g-lich-keit-en<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Reiseziele <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

This one means “trip destinations,” which is actually longer if you write it out in English. To pronounce it, just say the parts, using what we learned above: Rei-se-zie-le<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Mitfahrgelegenheit <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

This word\u2014literally “with-drive-opportunities”\u2014is what you call when someone gives you a “ride.” Try out our pronunciation technique from above.<\/p>\n

Einheimischen <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Meaning “natives” or “locals,” this word has some good vowel sounds.<\/p>\n

Ausstrahlungszeiten <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

This means “broadcasting times.” Sound it out, then listen to the pronunciation. Once again, if it’s challenging, split it up into its individual words or syllables.<\/p>\n

5 Tips for Improving Your German Pronunciation<\/h2>\n

Hold your mouth more tightly shut<\/h3>\n

If you ever watch a German person speaking, you\u2019ll notice that they barely open their mouths.<\/strong>\u00a0There is visible tension pulling their lips to the side.<\/p>\n

When trying to speak German, native English speakers\u2014especially Americans\u2014normally have a loose lower lip that reminds Germans of someone chewing gum.<\/p>\n

Watch videos of Germans speaking and take note of their mouth shape while speaking. Put on your favorite German movies<\/a> and pay attention. Note how much tension they have in their cheeks, and try to replicate that yourself.<\/p>\n

Listen repeatedly and imitate the sounds<\/h3>\n

Listen to those German movies or TV shows<\/a> multiple times and imitate the speakers as closely as possible.<\/strong> Pick one sentence, play it a few times and try pronouncing it yourself. It may also help to read the captions or write it down, too.<\/p>\n

A website where you can hear native speakers pronounce words individually is Forvo<\/a><\/strong>. Its users contribute to the content so it’s an awesome way to hear how different people might say one word or phrase. You can also try HowToPronounce.com<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Watching videos also lets you hear words used in context, which will help you remember them better. Some video programs even allow you to study and quiz yourself on the new vocabulary you hear.<\/p>\n

FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app<\/a> or Android app.<\/a><\/p>\r\n

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/a><\/i>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\n \"FluentU\r\n

\r\n