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The German Alphabet

Are you ready to get started? Here we go then...

Learning the letters of the alphabet is not the most exciting way of starting to learn a new language, but knowing the sounds will help you to pronounce unfamiliar words. Let's dive in:

The letters in the German alphabet are the same as in English; however, there are four more letters which you will come across in the German language: Ä, Ö, Ü and ẞ. These extra four letters, however, are often not counted as part of the actual alphabet.

Below is the German alphabet. Be aware that the pronunciation of the letter by itself can differ from when it is used in German words.

Did you notice the many similarities between the German and English alphabets?

Now, that's good news, isn't it?

German Consonants

Apart from A, E, I, O and U, all the letters in the alphabet are called consonants. Most German consonants are pronounced similarly to those in English, but there are some differences. Let's go through them one by one.

B

B is pronounced like an English "B" when it appears at the start or in the middle of a word, but when it comes at the end of the word, it is pronounced similar to a "P." For example:

C

C is actually not a common letter in German, and is only usually seen at the start of imported words, where it will take a sound close to that used in the original language.

D

Like B, D in German sounds much the same way it does in English when it is at the start or in the middle of a word, but at the end of the word its sound changes: it is pronounced like a "T" when it appears at the end of the word. Take a listen:

F

F is pronounced the same in German as it is in English.

G

G is pronounced the same in German as in English when it appears at the start or in the middle of a word, but it sounds like a "K" when it appears at the end of the word. For example:

Note, however, that a G at the end of a word isn't always pronounced like a "K" in some parts of Germany. Sometimes, particularly if it is in an -ig ending, the G is pronounced as a hissing sound. We'll get more into that in the next lesson, which talks about letter combinations.

H

H is aspirated at the start of the word just like it is in English, as in this example here:

In the middle of the word, however, it may be either aspirated or omitted, depending on whether it signals the presence of a long vowel.

In this instance, the vowel is short, so the H is aspirated:

Here, however, the H is signaling a long vowel, and so is silent:

J

J is pronounced like a "Y." For example:

K

K is a piece of cake. It's pronounced like the English "K" in... well, "cake"!

Watch out for exceptions, though - the K takes on a very different sound in the word Ski "ski."

L

L in German is just like the English "L" in "lamp" - for example:

M

M is also the same as in English:

N

N in German is like the English "N" in "neck" - for example:

P

P is another friendly and familiar consonant: it sounds just like it does in English too.

Q

Like in English, in German you will usually see a U after a Q. However, that is where the similarities end, as in German the QU combination sounds like "kv" in English. Here's an example:

R

R is a tricky letter for English speakers learning German. It has two possible sounds: a rolled R and a vocalic R.

• The rolled R is made through friction in the back of the mouth/in the throat. It is often a rasping, gargling sort of sound similar to a French "R" (although in the south of Germany you'll hear Germans make a stronger rolling, trilling sound). You create the rolled R by raising the back of your tongue so that your throat is nearly closed and then pushing air through.

• The vocalic R sounds almost like an "A" and is normally used in words that end in -er. This one is easier: you position your tongue the same way that you would for a rolled R, but make a much softer sound by holding your tongue less tightly.

Not sure what we're talking about? Don't worry - we've got a few examples for you!

Before you try them out, though, remember this important note: If you want to trill your Rs like a German, keep in mind that it's not the same as when you roll your "R"s in Italian or Spanish. In those languages, you use the tip of your tongue; in German, you use the back of your tongue and your throat.

Did you notice that on the word Radfahrer "cyclist," the final R almost sounds like an "A"? That's because it's that vocalic R, due to the -er ending.

S

S takes two different sounds in German:

• a voiced sound similar to the English "Z" in "graze," and

• an unvoiced sound, as in "grace."

The voiced sound occurs at the start and in the middle of words, while the unvoiced sound happens at the end of words. Have a listen to these examples:

T

T in German is very similar to "T" in English, although in German the sound isn't quite as strong. Have a listen to the word for "animal":

V

Most often, the German V is pronounced like the English "F" in "fun." For example:

W

W is pronounced in German the same way that "V" is in English. Have a listen:

X

X is a rare consonant in German and is pronounced as "ks," as it often is in English.

Y

In German, the letter Y is actually pronounced like a French "U." Listen to it here:

Z

This is another letter that differs from English in its pronunciation. Z in German sounds like "ts" in English, as in "bats." It may take a little getting used to when you encounter this sound at the start of a word, as often happens in German. Practice it here:

German Vowels

Now that we've covered the consonants, it's time to move on to vowels: A, E, I, O and U, just like in English.

Vowels in German are pronounced differently according to whether the vowel is short or long - also just like in English. For example, the vowel "A" in the English word "cat" is short, while the "A" in "farmer" is long. In German, vowels are usually long when followed by an H or by another consonant. Use the short pronunciation when the vowel is followed by two or more consonants.

In the following example, you will see short vowels written like this: A. Long vowels will be written like this: A_.

Let's practice all of these vowel sounds in full words.

A

E

I

O

U

Example Words

Phew - that was a lot to cover! But now you're on your way to the proper pronunciation of German words. Practice, practice, practice what we covered above and then try out your new pronunciation skills on these German words:

Good work! Now you can move on and have a read of the Culture lesson below, where we talk about greetings in German.