German alphabet pronunciation

Number of Letters in the German Alphabet

The German alphabet consists of 26 letters, similar to the English alphabet. However, it also includes four additional characters: ä, ö, ü, and ß. Including these extra characters, the total number of letters in the German alphabet is 30.

Basic and Additional Letters

Here’s a breakdown:

Basic Letters (26)	Additional Letters (4)
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z	ä, ö, ü, ß

Learning the Additional Characters

• ä (a-umlaut): Pronounced like the 'a' in "apple."
• ö (o-umlaut): Pronounced like the 'i' in "girl."
• ü (u-umlaut): Pronounced like the 'u' in "flute."
• ß (Eszett or sharp S): Pronounced like a sharp 's', similar to the 's' in "hiss."

Pronunciation Rules

The German language is known for its consistency in pronunciation. Unlike English, German follows strict phonetic rules. This means that once you learn the sounds associated with each letter, you can usually pronounce words correctly by sounding them out.

Letter	Pronunciation Example	Sound in English
A	Apfel	Apple
B	Ball	Ball
C	Computer	Computer
ä	Mädchen	Maiden
ö	Köln	Cologne
ü	München	Munich
ß	Straße	Street

German Alphabet: Basics and Extra Characters

Standard and Extra Letters in German

The German alphabet includes the same 26 letters found in the English alphabet. In addition, there are four extra characters: ä, ö, ü, and ß.

Understanding Umlauts

• Umlauts: The characters ä, ö, and ü are modified versions of the vowels a, o, and u. The two dots above these letters are called an "umlaut."
• Capitalization: These umlauted letters can also be capitalized (Ä, Ö, Ü), though it's rare since they don't usually start common words.

Letter	Pronunciation
ä	Like 'a' in "cat"
ö	Like 'i' in "bird"
ü	Like 'u' in "blue"

The Sharp S (ß)

• ß (Eszett or Sharp S): This character represents a double 's' and is used in place of 'ss' in certain contexts. It’s pronounced the same as 'ss'.
• Usage: If unsure, it's better to use 'ss' instead of ß, as using 'ss' is more commonly acceptable. Notably, Switzerland doesn't use the ß at all.

Character	Usage Example	Replacement
ß	Straße (Street)	ss (Strasse)

Typing German Characters

If you’re using a keyboard that doesn’t support these characters, you can type:

• ä as ae
• ö as oe
• ü as ue
• ß as ss

Tips for Learning the German Alphabet

• Practice Regularly: Consistency is key. Practice writing and pronouncing the letters daily.
• Use Audio Resources: Listen to German podcasts, language learning apps, or YouTube videos focused on the alphabet.
• Listen and Repeat: Listening to native speakers and repeating the sounds can improve your pronunciation.
• Engage with Content: Read German books, watch German shows, and write in German to apply what you've learned.
• Children’s Books: Start with simple German children’s books that use basic vocabulary.
• Language Apps: Use language learning apps that incorporate reading and listening exercises.
• Seek Help: Don’t hesitate to ask for assistance from teachers or language learning communities.
• Write Regularly: Write out the alphabet and example words to familiarize yourself with the letters and their sounds.
• Write the Alphabet: Practice writing the German alphabet in both uppercase and lowercase.
• Example Words: Write out example words for each letter to get familiar with common German vocabulary.
• Use Flashcards: Create flashcards with the letter on one side and its pronunciation and example word on the other.
• DIY Flashcards: Create flashcards with the letter on one side and its pronunciation and an example word on the other.
• Digital Flashcards: Use apps like Anki or Quizlet to practice on the go.
• Phonetic Guides: Use phonetic guides to understand the sounds associated with each letter.
• Consistent Practice: Practice sounding out words according to the phonetic rules to get the correct pronunciation.
• Language Meetups: Join local or online German language meetups to practice speaking and listening.
• Study Partners: Find a study partner to practice the alphabet and pronunciation together.
• Create Associations: Associate each letter with a word or image that helps you remember its sound.
• Visual Aids: Use visual aids like charts or posters of the alphabet with pictures.

Understanding the German Alphabet

Familiar and New Letters

The German alphabet has many letters that are similar to those in the English alphabet. It also has a few unique letters. Knowing which letters you already recognize and which ones are new will help you get started.

Letter	Pronunciation	Notes
A	ah	Similar to English "a"
B	beh	Similar to English "b"
C	tseh	Often pronounced like "ts"
D	deh	Similar to English "d"
E	eh	Similar to English "e"
F	eff	Similar to English "f"
G	geh	Hard "g", like in "go"
H	hah	Similar to English "h"
I	ee	Similar to English "i"
J	yot	Sounds like English "y"
K	kah	Similar to English "k"
L	ell	Similar to English "l"
M	emm	Similar to English "m"
N	enn	Similar to English "n"
O	oh	Similar to English "o"
P	peh	Similar to English "p"
Q	koo	Always followed by "u"
R	err	Slightly rolled "r"
S	ess	Similar to English "s"
T	teh	Similar to English "t"
U	oo	Similar to English "u"
V	fow	Pronounced like "f"
W	veh	Pronounced like "v"
X	iks	Similar to English "x"
Y	ypsilon	Similar to English "y"
Z	tset	Sounds like "ts"

Unique German Letters

German also has a few letters that are not found in the English alphabet:

Letter	Pronunciation	Notes
Ä	eh	A variation of "a"
Ö	er	A variation of "o"
Ü	oo	A variation of "u"
ß	ess-tset	Used instead of "ss"

How Many Letters Are in the German Alphabet?

If you're curious about the number of letters in the German alphabet, you're not alone. There's some debate among experts, with opinions ranging from 26 to 30 letters.

The Basics: 26 Letters Like English

The German alphabet shares 26 letters with the English alphabet. These are:

Letter	Pronunciation
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	koo
R	err
S	ess
T	teh
U	oo
V	fow
W	veh
X	iks
Y	ypsilon
Z	tset

The Additional Letters: ä, ö, ü, and ß

German includes four additional characters:

Letter	Pronunciation	Notes
Ä	eh	Variation of "a"
Ö	er	Variation of "o"
Ü	oo	Variation of "u"
ß	ess-tset	Used instead of "ss"

Including these brings the total to 30 letters.

German Alphabet with words And Phonetic Pronunciation

Learning the German alphabet is essential for mastering pronunciation and understanding written German. Here is a comprehensive guide to each letter, including its phonetic pronunciation and an example word.

German Alphabet Letters

Letter	Name (Pronunciation)	Example	English Translation
A	A (ah)	Apfel	apple
B	Be (bay)	Bein	leg
C	Ce (tsay)	CD	CD
D	De (day)	Donnerstag	Thursday
E	E (ay)	Elefant	elephant
F	Ef (eff)	Ferien	vacation
G	Ge (gay)	gehen	to go
H	Ha (hah)	Haus	house
I	I (eeh)	Ich	I
J	Jott or Je (yot)	Jahr	year
K	Ka (kah)	Kinder	children
L	El (ell)	lieben	to love
M	Em (em)	Mittwoch	Wednesday
N	En (en)	neu	new
O	O (oh)	Ohr	ear
P	Pe (pay)	Papier	paper
Q	Qu or Que (koo)	qualität	quality
R	Er (err)	rot	red
S	Es (es)	Sonne	sun
T	Te (tay)	Tag	day
U	U (ooh)	Uhr	clock
V	Vau (fow)	Vater	father
W	We (vay)	Woche	week
X	Ix (iks)	Xylofon	xylophone
Y	Ypsilon (oopsilohn)	typisch	typical
Z	Zett (tset)	Zeit	time
Ä	Ä (eh)	Mädchen	girl
Ü	Ü (uuh)	früh	early
Ö	Ö (ouh)	möchten	to want
ß	Eszett (ess-set)	Straße	street

How do you read Ä in German?

The German letter "ä" changes the sound of "a" to something similar to the English "eh" as in "bed" or "head." This is a common pitfall even for native speakers, particularly in Northern Germany, where words like “ähnlich” (similar) are often mispronounced as “ehnlich.”

Example Words with Ä

Here are some common German words that include the umlaut "ä," along with their IPA pronunciation and English translations.

German	IPA	English
Ähnlich	[ɛːn.lɪç]	Similar
Ägypten	[ɛːɡʏptən]	Egypt
Der Bäcker	[deːɐ̯ 'bɛkɐ]	Bakery
März	[mɛrts]	March
Mächtig	[ˈmɛːçtɪç]	Mighty
Der Käfer	[deːɐ̯ 'kɛːfɐ]	Bug
Der Bär	[deːɐ̯ 'bɛːɐ̯]	Bear
Näher	['nɛːɐ̯ɐ]	Closer
Wäre	[ˈvɛːʁə]	Would be
Zählen	[ˈtsɛːlən]	To count

Mastering the German Umlaut Ö

The German letter "ö" is a vowel that sounds similar to the "o" in the English word "occur." It is the most common umlaut in German, so you will encounter it frequently in everyday language.

Example Words with "Ö"

Here are some common German words that include the umlaut "ö," along with their IPA pronunciation and English translations.

German	IPA	English
Öffnen	['œfnən]	To open
Die Ölmalerei	[diː ˈœlmaˌlaːraɪ]	Oil painting
Die Öffentlichkeit	[diː ˈœfn̩t.lɪçkaɪt]	Publicity
Das Löwenmäulchen	[das ˈløːvənˌmɔʏlçən]	Snapdragon
Schön	[ʃøːn]	Beautiful
Fröhlich	[ˈfʁøːlɪç]	Cheerful
Das Gedöns	[das ɡəˈdœns]	Stuff
Der Körper	[deːɐ̯ ˈkœʁpɐ]	Body
Vögel	['fœːɡl]	Birds
Zöpfe	['tsœpfə]	Braids

Mastering the German Umlaut "Ü"

The German "ü" sound is unique and doesn't have a direct equivalent in English. Because of this, English speakers often mispronounce it. To get it right, start by saying the "o" in the English word "do" with a strong British accent, and you’ll be close to the "ü" sound.

Example Words with "Ü"

Here are some common German words that include the umlaut "ü," along with their IPA pronunciation and English translations.

German	IPA	English
Übermorgen	['yːbɐˌmɔʁɡn̩]	The day after tomorrow
Die Blüte	[diː ˈblytə]	Blossom
Der Schlüssel	[deːɐ̯ ˈʃlʏsəl]	Key
Der Frühling	[deːɐ̯ ˈfʁyːlɪŋ]	Spring
Die Würde	[diː ˈvʏɐ̯də]	Dignity
Liebe Grüße	[ˈliːbə ˈɡʁyːsə]	Kind regards
Gemütlich	[ɡəˈmyːtlɪç]	Cozy
Süß	[zyːs]	Sweet
Würzig	[ˈvʏʁtsɪç]	Flavorful
Die Übersetzung	[diː ˌyːbɐˈzɛtsʊŋ]	Translation

Understanding the German "ß" (Eszett)

The "ß," also known as "Eszett" or "scharfes S" (sharp S), is unique to the German language. Unlike umlauts, it doesn’t have an uppercase form and is used only in the middle or at the end of words. It represents a sharp ‘s’ sound and can be replaced with “ss” if needed.

Example Words with "ß"

Here are some examples of German words containing the "ß," along with their IPA pronunciation and English translations.

German	IPA	English
Spaß	[ʃpaːs]	Fun
Schließen	[ˈʃliːsən]	To close
Genießen	[ɡəˈniːsən]	To enjoy
Der Schoß	[ʃɔs]	Lap
Die Straße	[ˈʃtʁaːsə]	Street
Dreißig	[ˈdʁaɪ̯sɪç]	Thirty
Barfuß	[ˈbaʁˌfuːs]	Barefoot
Fleißig	[ˈflaɪ̯zɪç]	Diligent
Weiß	[vaɪ̯s]	White