The German alphabet consists of 26 letters, identical to the English alphabet, plus four special characters: ä, ö, ü (the umlauts), and ß (Eszett or sharp S). Pronunciation follows consistent rules, making it more phonetic than English. Each letter has a specific sound, and the umlauts represent modified vowel sounds, while ß denotes a sharp 's' sound.
- 26 letters + 4 special characters (ä, ö, ü, ß)
- More phonetic and consistent than English
- Umlauts modify vowel sounds; ß is a sharp 's'
26 letters plus 4 special characters: ä, ö, ü, and ß.
A1.1 - Regular Alphabet
A - ah
B - beh
C - tseh
D - deh
E - eh
F - eff
G - geh
H - hah
I - ee
J - yot
K - kah
L - ell
M - emm
N - enn
O - oh
P - peh
Q - ku
R - err
S - ess
T - teh
U - uh
V - fau
W - veh
X - iks
Y - üpsilon
Z - tsett
- Pronunciation is straightforward; each letter has one main sound.
- Some letters differ significantly from English (C, J, V, W, Z).
J is pronounced 'yot' in German.
Z is pronounced 'tsett'.
A1.1 - Umlaute & ß
- Ä/ä: like 'e' in "bed" but softer
- Ö/ö: no direct English equivalent, similar to 'i' in "bird" (without r)
- Ü/ü: like 'ee' in "see" but with rounded lips
- ß: sounds like a double 's' (sharp S)
| Letter | Example | Sound |
|---|---|---|
| Ä/ä | Mäne | like 'e' in "bed" |
| Ö/ö | Öl | like 'i' in "bird" (no r) |
| Ü/ü | Über | 'ee' sound with rounded lips |
| ß | Straße | sharp 's' (double 's') |
- Umlauts change both the sound and sometimes the meaning of words.
- ß is used after long vowels and diphthongs; in Switzerland, it’s replaced by "ss".
'ß' is a sharp 's' sound, like 'ss'.
Å is not a German umlaut.
A1.1 - Basic Pronunciation Rules
- Vowels: A (ah), E (eh), I (ee), O (oh), U (oo)
- Diphthongs:
- ei/ey = "eye"
- ai = "eye"
- au = "ow" (as in "cow")
- eu/äu = "oy" (as in "boy")
- Consonants:
- W = V sound
- V = F sound
- Z = ts sound
- R: guttural, pronounced in the back of the throat or rolled
| Group | Examples | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Vowels | A, E, I, O, U | Ah, Eh, Ee, Oh, Oo |
| Diphthongs | Ei, Ai, Au, Eu | Eye, Eye, Ow, Oy |
| Consonants | W, V, Z | V, F, Ts |
- German is very phonetic: words are pronounced as spelled.
- Stress is usually on the first syllable.
'au' is pronounced like 'ow' in 'cow'.
They are pronounced 'oy', like in 'boy'.
The German alphabet is nearly identical to English, but with four special characters and a more logical, phonetic pronunciation system.
- 26 letters plus 4 special characters (ä, ö, ü, ß)
- Umlaute alter vowel sounds; ß is a sharp 's'
- Pronunciation rules for letters, vowels, and diphthongs are very consistent
Including the umlauts and ß, there are 30 letters.
The umlauts are ä, ö, ü.
'ß' is a sharp 's', and 'Z' is pronounced 'ts'.