The letters \u00c4, \u00d6 and \u00dc look so similar to A, O and U… But, tempting as it might be, you can’t simply ignore those little dots\u2014the umlaut in German\u2014when writing or speaking.<\/p>\n
This simple guide will show you how to recognize and use umlauts in German<\/strong>, whether you’re typing them out<\/a>, conjugating verbs or trying to pronounce them the right way<\/a>.<\/p>\n [fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Below are four very common scenarios where you’ll need to recognize umlauts in German. These of course aren’t the only scenarios where you’ll encounter umlauts, but they’re a great starting point to get comfortable with the concept.<\/p>\n Plural nouns are often the first places that German learners encounter the umlaut. Most commonly, when the noun contains “u,” “au,” or “o” in the stem<\/strong>, the plural forms<\/a> have umlauts.<\/p>\n Or, sometimes the plural forms have an umlaut when the noun begins with a vowel.<\/a><\/p>\n \nWhen Are Umlauts Used in German?<\/h2>\n
1. Plural Nouns<\/h3>\n