German pronunciation is based on two main elements: letters and letter combinations. Once you learn how both are pronounced, you’ll be able to read most German words correctly, even if you are seeing them for the first time.
This series is divided into three parts. In the first part, you’ll learn how to pronounce the letters of the German alphabet, from A to Z. In the following parts, you’ll learn about the umlauts (Ä, Ö and Ü) and the most important German letter combinations.
Part 1: The German Alphabet (A–Z)
The Letter A
The German a is pronounced almost like the a in the English word father. It can be short or long, depending on the word.
German: Anna arbeitet am Abend.
English: Anna works in the evening.
German: Andrea, der Apfel ist rot!
English: Andrea, the apple is red!
The Letter B
The German b is always pronounced clearly. At the end of a word, however, it is pronounced like p.
German: Bernd ist Beatas bester Freund.
English: Bernd is Beata’s best friend.
German: Das Baby bleibt gern im Babybett.
English: The baby likes to stay in the baby bed.
The Letter C
The letter c rarely appears by itself in German. It is mainly found in international words.
German: Claras Computer ist cool.
English: Clara’s computer is cool.
German: Christian kauft einen Computer.
English: Christian buys a computer.
The Letter D
The German d is always pronounced clearly. At the end of a word, it is pronounced like t.
German: Daniel duscht jeden Donnerstag.
English: Daniel takes a shower every Thursday.
German: Der Dieb ist dumm.
English: The thief is stupid.
The Letter E
The German e can be short or long. Its pronunciation depends on the word.
German: Egon lebt in Essen.
English: Egon lives in Essen.
German: Er fährt eher nach England als nach Estland.
English: He is more likely to travel to England than to Estonia.
The Letter F
The German f is pronounced just like the English f.
German: Frank fährt freitags Fahrrad.
English: Frank rides his bike on Fridays.
German: Frau Fischer fotografiert fünf Flamingos.
English: Mrs. Fischer photographs five flamingos.
The Letter G
The German g is always a hard g, like the g in go, even before e and i. It never sounds like the g in giant.
German: Gabi gibt Georg ein Geschenk.
English: Gabi gives Georg a present.
German: Der grüne Garten ist groß.
English: The green garden is big.
The Letter H
The German h is always pronounced at the beginning of a syllable. It is never silent like the h in the English word hour.
German: Hanna hat heute Hunger.
English: Hanna is hungry today.
German: Hans hilft Heidi heute.
English: Hans helps Heidi today.
The Letter I
The German i is pronounced like the ee in the English word see. It can be short or long.
German: Ina interessiert sich für Italien.
English: Ina is interested in Italy.
German: Im Winter ist Island interessant.
English: Iceland is interesting in winter.
The Letter J
The German j is pronounced like the English y in yes. In a few words borrowed from English, such as joggen, it is pronounced like the English j.
German: Jana joggt jeden Juli.
English: Jana goes jogging every July.
German: Julia jubelt: Ja!
English: Julia cheers, “Yes!”
The Letter K
The German k is pronounced like the English k in kite.
German: Klaus kauft keinen Kaffee.
English: Klaus does not buy coffee.
German: Karin kocht in der Küche Kartoffeln.
English: Karin cooks potatoes in the kitchen.
The Letter L
The German l is always pronounced clearly. Unlike English, it does not become a dark l at the end of a word, as in full.
German: Laura liebt Langlauf und Lesen.
English: Laura loves cross-country skiing and reading.
German: Lukas lernt langsam lesen.
English: Lukas is slowly learning to read.
The Letter M
The German m is pronounced just like the English m.
German: Maria mag Milch mit Marmelade.
English: Maria likes milk with jam.
German: Markus macht morgens Musik.
English: Markus makes music in the morning.
The Letter N
The German n is pronounced just like the English n.
German: Nina nimmt neun Nadeln.
English: Nina takes nine needles.
German: Norbert nennt nette Nachbarn.
English: Norbert mentions some nice neighbours.
The Letter O
The German o can be short or long. The long sound is similar to the o in more, but without pronouncing the r.
German: Otto organisiert Obst und Orangen.
English: Otto organizes fruit and oranges.
German: Oma öffnet ohne Otto den Ofen.
English: Grandma opens the oven without Otto.
The Letter P
The German p is pronounced just like the English p.
German: Paul putzt Peters Parkplatz.
English: Paul cleans Peter’s parking space.
German: Petra packt Pakete für Paula.
English: Petra packs parcels for Paula.
The Letter Q
In German, the letter q is always followed by u. Together they are pronounced like qu in the English word question.
German: Quentin quält Quallen.
English: Quentin bothers jellyfish.
German: Quirin trinkt Quellwasser.
English: Quirin drinks spring water.
The Letter R
The German r is usually pronounced in the back of the throat. It is different from the English r, which is pronounced with the tongue near the front of the mouth. In some regions of Germany, the r may sound slightly different.
German: Rita reitet regelmäßig.
English: Rita rides a horse regularly.
German: Robert repariert rote Räder.
English: Robert repairs red wheels.
The Letter S
The German s can be pronounced in different ways. At the beginning of a word before a vowel, it usually sounds like the z in zoo. Between vowels, it is also usually pronounced like z. In other positions, it normally sounds like the English s.
German: Sandra sammelt Sand und Socken.
English: Sandra collects sand and socks.
German: Sabine sagt, dass Sokrates sozusagen seine Suppe salzig esse.
English: Sabine says that Socrates, so to speak, eats his soup salty.
The Letter T
The German t is pronounced clearly. Unlike English, it is usually pronounced with very little puff of air (aspiration).
German: Thomas trinkt täglich Tee.
English: Thomas drinks tea every day.
German: Tina tanzt trotz Tennisschuhen.
English: Tina dances despite wearing tennis shoes.
The Letter U
The German u is pronounced like oo in the English word food. It can be short or long.
German: Udo und Uwe suchen Urlaub.
English: Udo and Uwe are looking for a holiday.
German: Ulla unternimmt mit Udo unglaublich viel in Ulm.
English: Ulla does an incredible number of things with Udo in Ulm.
The Letter V
In native German words, the letter v is usually pronounced like the English f. In many loanwords from other languages, however, it is pronounced like the English v.
German: Viktor verkauft viele Vasen.
English: Viktor sells many vases.
German: Vera vergisst den Vogel.
English: Vera forgets the bird.
The Letter W
The German w is pronounced like the English v.
German: Walter wohnt weit weg.
English: Walter lives far away.
German: Werner wartet am Waldrand.
English: Werner is waiting at the edge of the forest.
The Letter X
The German x is usually pronounced like ks.
German: Xaver spielt Xylofon.
English: Xaver plays the xylophone.
German: Xenia schreibt sechs Xenon-Experimente.
English: Xenia writes six xenon experiments.
The Letter Y
The letter y appears only rarely in German. It is mainly found in international words. Depending on the word, it may be pronounced like the German i or like the German j.
German: Yvonne macht Yoga.
English: Yvonne does yoga.
German: Yasmin mag Yoga nicht.
English: Yasmin does not like yoga.
The Letter Z
The German z is always pronounced like ts, as in the end of the English word cats.
German: Zara zeigt dem Zebra zehn Ziegen.
English: Zara shows the zebra ten goats.
German: Zita zahlt für die zwanzig Zentner schwere Zither zu viel.
English: Zita pays too much for the zither that weighs twenty hundredweight.
Part 2: The Letter ß, Umlauts and Vowel Combinations
In this second part, you’ll learn how to pronounce the German letter ß, the three umlauts (Ä, Ö and Ü), and the most important vowel combinations. These sounds and spelling patterns are essential for reading and pronouncing many German words correctly.
The Letter ß (Eszett or Sharp S)
The letter ß does not exist in English. In German, it is also called Eszett or sharp S. It is pronounced like the English s.
German: Die Straße ist groß.
English: The street is big.
German: Er heißt Weiß und schickt süße Grüße.
English: His name is Weiß, and he sends sweet greetings.
The Letter Ä
The German ä does not exist as a separate letter in English. It is usually pronounced like the e in the English word bed.
German: Äpfel hängen an den Ästen.
English: Apples are hanging from the branches.
German: Ärzte erklären Ängste.
English: Doctors explain fears.
The Letter Ö
The German ö does not exist in English. To pronounce it, say the e in bed while rounding your lips as if you were saying o.
German: Ömer öffnet die Öfen.
English: Ömer opens the ovens.
German: Österreich ist schön.
English: Austria is beautiful.
The Letter Ü
The German ü does not exist in English. To pronounce it, say the ee in see while rounding your lips as if you were saying oo.
German: Ümit übt überall.
English: Ümit practises everywhere.
German: Über fünf Türen hängen fünf Schlüssel.
English: Five keys are hanging above five doors.
Part 3: German Vowel Combinations
In this third part, you’ll learn the most important German vowel combinations. Once you know these pronunciation rules, you’ll be able to read and pronounce many German words correctly.
The Letter Combination IE
The letter combination ie is always pronounced like a long ee in the English word see.
German: Bienen lieben Wiesen.
English: Bees love meadows.
German: Dieter liest viele Briefe.
English: Dieter reads many letters.
The Letter Combination EI
The letter combination ei is pronounced like the i in the English word time.
German: Heidi heißt eigentlich Heike.
English: Heidi’s real name is Heike.
German: Ein kleines Eis ist fein.
English: A small ice cream is delicious.
The Letter Combination AI
The letter combination ai is pronounced exactly like ei. It sounds like the i in the English word time.
German: Der Kaiser reist nach Mailand.
English: The emperor is travelling to Milan.
German: Kai malt Kain auf dem Maisfeld.
English: Kai is painting Cain in the cornfield.
The Letter Combination EU
The letter combination eu does not exist in English. It is pronounced like oy in the English word boy.
German: Heute träumt Eugen von Europa.
English: Today Eugen is dreaming about Europe.
German: Neun Freunde freuen sich.
English: Nine friends are happy.
The Letter Combination ÄU
The letter combination äu is pronounced exactly like eu. It sounds like oy in the English word boy.
German: Claudia träumt von Bäumen vor Gebäuden.
English: Claudia dreams of trees in front of buildings.
German: Die Häuser stehen am äußersten Rand zwischen den Bäumen.
English: The houses stand at the outermost edge among the trees.
Part 4: German Consonant Combinations
In this fourth part, you’ll learn the most important German consonant combinations. Many of them do not exist in English or are pronounced differently. Once you know these rules, you’ll be able to read and pronounce many German words correctly.
The Letter Combination SCH
The letter combination sch is pronounced like sh in the English word ship.
German: Die schüchterne Shania schreibt mit schöner Schreibschrift.
English: The shy Shania writes in beautiful cursive handwriting.
German: Die Schule ist schon schön.
English: The school is already beautiful.
The Letter Combination CH after E, I, Ä, Ö and Ü
The letter combination ch after e, i, ä, ö and ü does not exist in English. It is pronounced as a soft sound made by pushing air gently over the middle of the tongue.
German: Ich möchte Milch und Brötchen.
English: I would like milk and bread rolls.
German: Richard spricht mit Michael über Bücher.
English: Richard is talking to Michael about books.
The Letter Combination CH after A, O and U
The letter combination ch after a, o and u does not exist in English. It is pronounced in the back of the throat, similar to the ch in the Scottish word Loch, but usually a little softer.
German: Ach, auch Opa kocht noch.
English: Oh, Grandpa is still cooking too.
German: Das Buch liegt auch noch auf dem Dachboden.
English: The book is still in the attic.
The Letter Combination SP at the Beginning of a Word
At the beginning of a word, the letter combination sp is pronounced like shp.
German: Der Sportler spielt nicht, er macht Sport.
English: The athlete is not playing; he is doing sports.
German: Das Spiel beginnt spät.
English: The game begins late.
The Letter Combination ST at the Beginning of a Word
At the beginning of a word, the letter combination st is pronounced like sht.
German: Stefan steht vor der Stadt.
English: Stefan is standing in front of the city.
German: Die Straße ist still.
English: The street is quiet.
The Letter Combination PH
The letter combination ph is pronounced like the English f.
German: Philipp fotografiert Elefanten.
English: Philipp is photographing elephants.
German: Sophie philosophiert mit Philipp.
English: Sophie is discussing philosophy with Philipp.
The Letter Combination PF
The letter combination pf does not exist in English. It is pronounced by saying p immediately followed by f.
German: Peter pflückt Pflaumen.
English: Peter is picking plums.
German: Der Pfeffer liegt in der Pfanne.
English: The pepper is in the frying pan.
The Letter Combination CK
The letter combination ck is pronounced like the English k.
German: Die dicke Jacke der glücklichen Schnecke liegt auf der dreckigen Brücke.
English: The thick jacket of the happy snail is lying on the dirty bridge.
German: Die dreckige Socke wird in den Rucksack gepackt.
English: The dirty sock is packed into the backpack.
The Letter Combination TZ
The letter combination tz is pronounced like the German z, that is, like ts in the English word cats.
German: Die trotzige Katze sitzt auf dem schmutzigen Platz.
English: The stubborn cat is sitting in the dirty square.
German: Moritz schwitzt mit den Netzstrümpfen.
English: Moritz is sweating while wearing fishnet stockings.
The Letter Combination NG
The letter combination ng is pronounced like ng in the English word sing. The g is not pronounced separately.
German: In England singen Engel.
English: In England, angels sing.
German: Wolfgang bringt Orangen nach Tübingen.
English: Wolfgang brings oranges to Tübingen.
The Letter Combination NK
The letter combination nk is pronounced like the nk in the English word thank.
German: Monika trinkt kalte Milch.
English: Monika is drinking cold milk.
German: Frank denkt an das Geschenk.
English: Frank is thinking about the present.
The Letter Combination TION
The letter combination tion is pronounced tsee-on.
German: Die Station ist neu.
English: The station is new.
German: Die Situation ist gut.
English: The situation is good.
The Letter Combination TH
The letter combination th is pronounced like a simple t.
German: Thomas trinkt Tee.
English: Thomas drinks tea.
German: Das Thema ist interessant.
English: The topic is interesting.
The Letter Combination IG at the End of a Word
At the end of a word, ig is usually pronounced like the soft German ch after e or i, although in some regions it is pronounced as ig.
German: Das Buch ist richtig lustig.
English: The book is really funny.
German: Heute ist es sonnig.
English: Today it is sunny.
The Letter Combination ER at the End of a Word
At the end of a word, er is usually pronounced as a weak uh sound rather than a clearly pronounced r.
German: Der Lehrer heißt Peter.
English: The teacher’s name is Peter.
German: Das Wasser ist sauber.
English: The water is clean.
The Letter Combination DT
The letter combination dt is pronounced like a simple t.
German: In der Stadt lädt der Bruder der Dame die anderen Verwandten ein.
English: In the city, the woman’s brother invites the other relatives.
German: Er wandte sich zu dem Stadtbewohner um.
English: He turned towards the city resident.
The Letter Combination CHS
The letter combination chs is pronounced like ks.
German: Sechs Füchse wechseln Blicke mit den Dachsen.
English: Six foxes exchange glances with the badgers.
German: Eine Eidechse wächst so schnell wie ein Lachs.
English: A lizard grows as quickly as a salmon.
Double Consonants
Double consonants are pronounced exactly like single consonants. They simply indicate that the preceding vowel is short.
German: Der Ball schwimmt auf dem Wasser.
English: The ball is floating on the water.
German: Im Keller sieht die Ratte den Himmel nicht, auch nicht mit Brille.
English: In the basement, the rat cannot see the sky, not even with glasses.
Conclusion
Congratulations! You have now learned the most important pronunciation rules of the German language—from the alphabet and the umlauts to the most common vowel and consonant combinations.
Now it’s time to put these rules into practice. The more you read, listen to, and speak German, the more natural your pronunciation will become.
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