German Pronunciation

Learn to correctly pronounce the German alphabet, including the tricky umlauts (ä, ö, ü), with audio recordings.

For English speakers, the German alphabet is fairly easy to grasp. There's only one extra character (the esszett: ß), and three vowels can have an umlaut (two dots above the letter: ä, ö, ü), which changes their pronunciation.

What’s usually more challenging is the phonology - learning to pronounce certain sounds that might be unfamiliar to us. In this lesson, we’ll cover both the German alphabet and some key pronunciation rules. Let’s start with the alphabet!

How To Pronounce The Alphabet

First, let’s go over the basics by running through the alphabet, focusing on how each letter is pronounced. Click on the letters to hear their pronunciation.

Great! 🎉

Now, let’s take a closer look at the letters that may be new or unusual to us.

The German Umlaut

In German, the vowels A, O, and U can be modified with an umlaut—a pair of dots above the letter. These umlauted vowels have a different pronunciation from their original forms.

pastry

toad

garbage

Additionally, there’s an extra letter in the German alphabet called the esszett: ß, also known as the hard or double S.

street

sweets

flower bouquet

Let’s dive into how to pronounce these new letters in the next section.

The esszett can be replaced by a double S and is no longer used in some German-speaking countries. However, it’s still useful to learn, as you’ll often see it in books, newspapers, etc.

Umlaut Pronunciation: Ä, Ö & Ü

Tap the letters below to hear the pronunciation of the umlauts compared to the original vowels.

Now give it a try! Say the letters out loud, using the notes below to guide you.

The umlauted ä sounds like the “e” in “kept” or “get.”
The “ö” is like the “o” sound in “worm.”
To make the ü sound, say “ee” (like in “meet”) and, without moving your tongue, shape your lips into a tight O.

Here are some words with Ä, Ö, or Ü:

Pronunciation Exercise: The Umlaut

Test your pronunciation by reading the sentences out loud. Compare your pronunciation with the audio recordings.

Pay close attention to how you pronounce the vowels and their umlauted versions.

Don't worry about whether or not you understood the meaning of these sentences. The point here is simply to practise your pronunciation.

Well done 🎉

Now that you understand umlaut pronunciation, let’s move on to some tricky consonants.

Consonant Pronunciation: S/ß, R, Ch

Most German consonants are fairly easy to pronounce, but a few sounds can be tricky at first. In this section, we’ll cover the German S/ß, R, and Ch sounds, each with both a hard and soft version.

The German S

So far, we’ve learned about the esszett (ß or SS) and the standard S in the German alphabet.

ß / SS (double S):	hard sound
S (standard S):	soft sound

The esszett has a slightly sharper sound compared to the standard S.

ß Sound

The German ẞ sound is similar to the hissing sound a snake makes.

Here are some words that include the letter ß.

greeting

street

The standard S often sounds like the English “Z”.

cream

break

However, in some cases, it can sound like an esszett, especially at the end of a word:

house

mouse

Additionally, when an S is positioned at the beginning or middle of a word, and just before a T or P, it is pronounced SHT, or SHP:

bacon

beach

Lastly, when an S is followed by a CH, it is pronounced much like the English sound SH.

cupboard

cherry

In summary:

ß always has a hard S sound
S can be soft or hard
ST and SP at the beginning or middle of a word are pronounced SHT and SHP
SCH sounds like the English SH

Pronunciation Exercise: The German S

Try this tongue twister. Read it to yourself, then listen to the audio recording.

Ein Stachelschwein, ein Stachelschwein, das muss ein Schwein mit Stacheln sein, doch hat es keine Stachelein, so ist es auch kein Stachelschwein.

Now try saying it out loud. Take your time and think about how each word should sound based on what you’ve learned.

Great work! 🎉 Now let’s move on to the next consonant: the German R.

The German R

Like the S sounds, the German R has two variations: a hard R and a soft R. The hard R is the rolling R - one of the most recognizable sounds in German, like a revving engine:

R Sound

The German R sounds a little bit like a car engine.

To practice, focus on making the sound from the back of your throat, as if you’re gargling. This sound is used:

at the beginning of a word
after a consonant
before a syllable

Here are some examples:

rat

brother

office

The second R sound is softer, similar to the English A sound in “tap.” It’s used:

at the end of a word or syllable
between a vowel and a consonant

Here are some examples:

cake

butter

Now let's practice your pronunciation with another tongue twister!

Pronunciation Exercise: The German R

Slowly say the tongue twister out loud, paying attention to the R sounds. Then, compare it to the recording. Did it sound the same?

Bierbrauer Bauer braut braunes Bier.

Great Job 🎉

Let's move on to the last tricky consonant: the German Ch.

The German Ch

Like the R and S sounds, the German Ch has both a hard and soft version. The soft Ch sounds like the hissing of a cat:

Ch Sound

The German Ch sounds like the angry hissing of a cat.

This sound is used:

at the beginning of words
after the vowels I, E, Ä, Ö, Ü
after R and L

Here are a few examples:

chemistry

cherry

milk

The hard Ch, on the other hand, is similar to the hard R but produced with the tongue against the roof of the mouth, rather than the throat. It’s used: