The German alphabet consists of 26 standard letters (the same as the English alphabet) plus three special characters: ä, ö, ü (called Umlauts) and the ß (Eszett or sharp S). German pronunciation is mostly consistent and rules-based, making it easier to learn once the basic principles are understood.
German Alphabet
| Letter | Name (German) | Example (German) | Example (English) |
|---|
| A a | a | Apfel | apple |
| B b | be | Buch | book |
| C c | ce | Café | café |
| D d | de | Dame | lady |
| E e | e | Elefant | elephant |
| F f | ef | Fisch | fish |
| G g | ge | Garten | garden |
| H h | ha | Haus | house |
| I i | i | Insel | island |
| J j | jot | Junge | boy |
| K k | ka | Katze | cat |
| L l | el | Lampe | lamp |
| M m | em | Maus | mouse |
| N n | en | Nase | nose |
| O o | o | Ohr | ear |
| P p | pe | Apfel | apple |
| Q q | qu | Quelle | spring (water) |
| R r | er | Rose | rose |
| S s | es | Sonne | sun |
| T t | te | Tisch | table |
| U u | u | Uhr | clock |
| V v | vau | Vogel | bird |
| W w | we | Wasser | water |
| X x | ix | Xylophon | xylophone |
| Y y | ypsilon | Yoga | yoga |
| Z z | zett | Zoo | zoo |
| Ä ä | ä | Ärger | trouble |
| Ö ö | ö | Öfen | ovens |
| Ü ü | ü | Über | over |
| ß | Eszett | Straße | street |
Pronunciation Rules
Vowels
| Letter | German Pronunciation | English Equivalent | Example (German) | Example (English) |
|---|
| A a | ah | father | Apfel | apple |
| E e | eh / short e | bed / hey | Elefant | elephant |
| I i | ee | see | Insel | island |
| O o | oh | go | Ohr | ear |
| U u | oo | moon | Uhr | clock |
Umlauts
| Letter | German Sound | English Approximation | Example (German) | Example (English) |
|---|
| Ä ä | like "e" in "bed" | bed | Ärger | trouble |
| Ö ö | like "i" in "bird" | bird | Öfen | ovens |
| Ü ü | like "ue" in "blue" but rounded | no exact equivalent | Über | over |
Consonants
| Letter | German Sound | English Approximation | Example (German) | Example (English) |
|---|
| B b | b | b | Buch | book |
| D d | d | d | Dame | lady |
| F f | f | f | Fisch | fish |
| G g | g (hard) | g as in "go" | Garten | garden |
| H h | h (always pronounced) | h | Haus | house |
| J j | y | y in "yes" | Junge | boy |
| K k | k | k | Katze | cat |
| L l | l | l | Lampe | lamp |
| M m | m | m | Maus | mouse |
| N n | n | n | Nase | nose |
| P p | p | p | Apfel | apple |
| Q q | kv | qu in "quick" | Quelle | spring |
| R r | guttural or rolled | gargled r in throat | Rose | rose |
| S s | s / z | s in "sun" or z in "zone" | Sonne | sun / Schule | school |
| T t | t | t | Tisch | table |
| V v | f / v | f (usual) or v | Vogel | bird |
| W w | v | v in "victory" | Wasser | water |
| X x | ks | x in "box" | Xylophon | xylophone |
| Y y | üpsilon | y in "yes" | Yoga | yoga |
| Z z | ts | bits | Zoo | zoo |
| ß | ss | ss | Straße | street |
Special Combinations
| Combination | Pronunciation | Example (German) | Example (English) |
|---|
| ch | guttural or soft hiss | Bach / ich | brook / I |
| sch | sh | Schule | school |
| sp / st | shp / sht (at word start) | Spiel / Stadt | game / city |
| ei | eye | Eins | one |
| eu / äu | oy | Euro / Bäume | euro / trees |
| ie | ee | sie | she |
Tips for Learners
- Practice Umlauts: These are important for meaning (e.g., schon vs. schön).
- Roll or Gargle R: R is pronounced in the throat, not rolled with the tongue.
- ß vs. ss: ß is used after long vowels; ss after short vowels.
- Listen and Repeat: German spelling is consistent, so good listening helps.
- Use IPA Charts: Look up International Phonetic Alphabet symbols for exact sounds.
With this foundation, you can start pronouncing German words more confidently and accurately.
