Pronunciation: ä, ö, ü, ß, ch, sch, ei and ie
Read any German word aloud correctly by learning the fifteen letter combinations that sound different from English.
Sounds and letters · Start from zero · 20 min · 20 exercises · Start from zero, High school, College
German spelling is wonderfully regular: once you know about fifteen letter combinations, you can read any word aloud correctly, even one you have never seen. English spelling is a jungle; German spelling is a garden. This lesson walks you through the sounds that differ from English, from the three umlauts to ch, sch, ei and ie.
Umlauts and the sharp s
- das Mädchendie Mädchengirlä like the e in bed, then a soft ch
- spätlatelong ä
- schönbeautiful, niceö: say eh with rounded lips
- zwölftwelveshort ö
- fünffiveü: say ee with rounded lips
- die Türdie Türendoorlong ü
- überover, about
- die Straßedie Straßenstreetß after a long vowel
- heißento be called
- großbig, tall
- das Wortdie Wörterwordthe plural gets an umlaut
Inside the platform every word is read aloud by a German voice.
Consonants that trick English speakers
- das Wasserwaterw = English v, short a
- der Vaterdie Väterfatherv = English f
- vierfourv = f, ie = ee
- die Zeittimez = ts
- jayesj = English y
- das Buchdie Bücherbookrough ch after u
- ichIsoft ch after i
- die Schuledie Schulenschoolsch = sh
- die Stadtdie Städtecity, townst at the start = sht
- neinnoei sounds like eye
- die Bienedie Bienenbeeie sounds like ee
- das Beindie Beinelegei sounds like eye
Inside the platform every word is read aloud by a German voice.
Reading from the board
Ali reads words from the board with his teacher, Herr Braun.
ei and ie: say the English name of the second letter
The pair ei is pronounced like the English word eye (the English name of the letter I): nein, Zeit, heißen. The pair ie is pronounced ee (the English name of the letter E): Biene, vier, Wien. So look at the second letter and say its English name. This one trick separates die Biene (the bee) from die Beine (the legs).
The sounds that differ from English
| Spelling | Sounds like | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| ä | the e in bed, often held longer | spät, das Mädchen |
| ö | say eh, then round your lips | schön, zwölf |
| ü | say ee, then round your lips | fünf, die Tür, über |
| ß | a sharp s, as in sun | die Straße, heißen, groß |
| ch after a, o, u | a rough h from the back of the throat, as in Scottish loch | das Buch, acht (eight) |
| ch after i, e, ä, ö, ü | a soft hiss, like the h in huge | ich, das Mädchen, die Bücher |
| sch | English sh | die Schule, schön |
| sp, st at the start of a word | shp, sht | der Sport, die Stadt, die Straße |
| ei | the English word eye | nein, die Beine, die Zeit |
| ie | ee, as in see | die Biene, vier, Wien |
| w | English v | das Wasser, Wien, das Wort |
| v | English f (in German words) | der Vater, vier |
| z | ts, as in cats | die Zeit, zwölf |
| j | English y, as in yes | ja |
| r | rolled or made in the throat, never the American r | richtig, die Straße |
| -er at the end of a word | a light uh | der Vater, das Wasser |
| -en at the end of a word | a short un | heißen, die Beine |
| vowel + h, or a double vowel | a long vowel | die Uhr (clock), zehn (ten), das Boot (boat) |
| vowel + double consonant | a short vowel | das Wasser, die Stadt, die Mutter (mother) |
Long or short vowel?
A vowel followed by h or doubled is long: Uhr (clock), zehn (ten), Boot (boat). A vowel followed by a double consonant is short: Wasser, Stadt, Mutter. After a long vowel the sharp s is written ß (Straße, groß), after a short one it is ss (Wasser). You do not need this rule to speak; it just explains the spellings you will meet.
Minimal pairs: one sound changes the word
- die Biene / die Beinethe bee / the legsie = ee, ei = eye
- vier / wirfour / wev = f, w = v
- schon / schönalready / beautifulround your lips for ö
- die Stadt / der Staatthe city / the stateshort a / long a
- das Buch / die Bücherthe book / the booksrough ch after u, soft ch after ü
One language, many accents
Standard German (Hochdeutsch) is what you hear on the news and what every school teaches, but the r changes with the region: rolled in Bavaria, Austria and Switzerland, made in the throat in the north. Switzerland has no ß and writes ss everywhere: Strasse. In standard German a final -ig sounds like -ich (zwanzig), while the south says a hard g. Nobody expects a perfect accent: Germans are used to learners, and clear vowels matter more than a perfect r.
For ö and ü, start from a sound you already have. Say eh (as in day) and, without moving your tongue, round your lips as if to whistle: that is ö (schön). Say ee (as in see) and round your lips the same way: that is ü (fünf, Tür). Practice in front of a mirror; the lips do the work.
Four reflexes to unlearn. German w is never the English w: Wasser starts like vase. German v is f in German words: Vater, vier. German z is never a buzzing z: Zeit starts like cats. And st at the start of a word is sht: Stadt, Straße, Sport, not the English st in stop. Finally, never read ie as two sounds: Biene has one long ee.
The exercises of this lesson
20 corrected exercises in two sessions (discovery, practice), including listening items read aloud by a German voice: multiple choice (4), fill in the gap (5), matching (3), sorting (2), word order (1), translation (3), find the mistake (1), gap text (1). Every answer is corrected immediately, with the rule that applies.