The German alphabet has a few special letters and sounds that are useful to learn from the start, especially for pronunciation and spelling.
Letters
The basic alphabet is same as English with 26 letters, and each letter has a typical sound in German.
| German Letter | English Letter | German Letter | English Letter | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | A | N | N | |
| B | B | O | O | |
| C | C | P | P | |
| D | D | Q | Q | |
| E | E | R | R | |
| F | F | S | S | |
| G | G | T | T | |
| H | H | U | U | |
| I | I | V | V | |
| J | J | W | W | |
| K | K | X | X | |
| L | L | Y | Y | |
| M | M | Z | Z |
Der Buchstabe B kommt zwischen A und C im Alphabet.
Umlauts
Umlauts are vowels with two dots that change the sound and meaning, and they appear in many common words.
| German Letter | English Sound | German Letter | English Sound | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ä / ä | like eh | Ö / ö | like ur | |
| Ü / ü | like oo |
ß (Eszett)
The ß represents a double s sound and appears after long vowels or diphthongs; it never starts a word.
| German Letter | English Sound | German Letter | English Sound | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ß | ss | s | s |
Pronunciation Tips
Each letter has a consistent sound in German, so learning the alphabet helps with reading aloud and spelling; practice saying the letters and sounds out loud.
Summary
Learn the 26 basic letters plus the umlauts (ä, ö, ü) and the ß to read and pronounce German words correctly from the start.
Last updated: Fri Oct 24, 2025