Compiled and edited by Bonnie Yelverton
Vowels are generally pronounced long if they are followed by a single consonant or an h. Sometimes there is no rule, especially before st: Trost, Christ (long), Lust (short).
Accent is generally on the first syllable, so that final syllables are usually very weak.
One big exception to the accent rule is a group of very common prefixes: be [ba] ge [ga] er emp ent ver zer, which are unaccented. (gegében [gagayban], Geburt [gaboohrt]
Umlaut (sound change) is the term for two dots over vowels:
ä = [e]
ö = the vowel sound in "girl"
ü = the vowel in "yew" (or the sound you say when you see something disgusting) or French u. Try saying "oo" and thinking "i"
|
vowel |
long |
short |
exceptions |
||
|
a |
áh |
Tage, achte Vater |
ah |
Alle, Saft, Schatz |
(It’s hard to hear difference, just length.) |
|
ä |
ay |
täglich |
eh |
Hält, gefällst |
|
|
e |
den, wehret Leben, Seele Steht, wer |
Welt, wenn Mensch Herrlich |
des (short) in final syllable, usually short a [uh] : tobe = tóba prefixes: gamácht, gagében, bastellt |
||
|
i |
ee |
Ihm, Ihr |
Ich |
im, ist, nicht |
Christ, dir (long) |
|
o |
oh |
Lob, Sohn, tod(t) |
awe (short) |
Gott, soll, Hort, komm, Stolz |
Trost (long) |
|
ö |
i in girl |
böse |
e in her |
Göttlich, |
|
|
u |
oo in fool |
zu, nur durch, |
oo in book |
Wundert Lust, und, um |
|
|
ü |
French u |
Stürme |
ooi |
Sünden drückt |
|
|
au |
ow"how" |
Auge, auf, Frau, lauter, außer |
|
äu |
oy "boy" |
Äuglein, Freude, Fräulein, Bräutigam, euch |
|
eu |
||
|
ei |
eye (note: the English name of the second vowel) |
Leide, Seite, -keit, -heit |
|
ie |
ee (note: the English name of the second vowel) |
Sieg, lieben, betrieben, viel |
Most consonants are (more or less) as in English.
All consonants that end a word (or syllable), however, are pronounced voiceless.
"r" in German is usually spoken gutterally, but sung trilled with the tongue, in particular at the beginning and double at the of end of words: Rache, Herr.
"r" is much weaker with another consonant: sterblich or as a single r at the end of a word: lieber
|
consonant |
pronunciation |
examples |
|
b |
Final: p |
ob, Abgrund |
|
d |
Final: t |
Grund, seid, tod, Heiland, Kind |
|
g |
Final: k |
weg [wek], selig [k] or [ich], Gerechtigkeit [ich], |
|
s |
z, but final: s |
Saft, Seele, Sohn, Satan, so, sei, derselbige |
|
ß |
ss |
außer, daß, muß |
|
z |
ts |
Zier, Herz, zwar [tsvar], Zukker |
|
st, sp |
scht, schp but final: st, sp |
Steht, sterblich |
|
w |
v |
Welt, wundert, Wonne, wer |
|
v |
f |
Verdammliches, vor, verstummen, viel |
|
sch |
sh — with rounded mouth |
Schatz, Mensch, Fleisch |
|
ch, ig |
after front vowels, i, e, ü, before r |
Palatal, smiling (sound comes through teeth at side) |
|
After back vowels, a, o, u |
Gutteral, at back of mouth: |
|
|
ng |
ng — never ng-g |
Sing-en |
Last Modified July 14, 2003