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Read this guide to learn how to pronounce the German sounds incl. vowels (short and long), consonants and syllables and for correct use of stress and accents.
German umlauts indicate vowel sound changes and distinguish between different words, verb forms, or grammatical features. What Are Umlauts? Umlauts are a shift in vowel pronunciation that happens when vowels in a word are close together.
German vowels include the same basic vowels as in English, but there are also umlauts and dipthongs composed of two vowels. To learn them all, check out our comprehensive guide to vowels and their sounds in German.
The German alphabet, just like the English, has five main vowels: a, e, i, o, u. In addition, there are so called “umlaute”: ä, ö, and ü. Also, these vowels can be paired to form different sounds—just like in English: “boat” makes a different sound than “boot.”
Like in English, German vowels are pronounced with a pure sound when they are stressed, but they tend to glide towards the "schwa" sound when they are not. Take Regen for example: the first -e- is stressed, so it's a pure sound, but the second -e- is pronounced with a "closer" sound.
German alphabet contains three additional symbols for vowels, which are often misunderstood or mispronounced by learners whose mother tongue does not contain the sounds they represent. We will discuss each of them separately.
German has two kinds of vowel sounds: Unrounded and Rounded, where roundedness refers to the heavy rounding of your lips when you make these sounds (more on that later). For now, we will start with the 11 unrounded vowels.
CONTENT. The German Alphabet. German Pronunciation Guide. Listening Comprehension Training Can Be Fun. Final Thoughts. Most people agree that German is not the language that comes to mind when we’re thinking about the most beautiful sounding languages.
These are eight standard German vowels – the same five as in English plus the three umlaut vowels ä, ö and ü – and they each have a “long” and a “short” variant.
1. Enables Understanding. Proper pronunciation enables you and native German speakers to understand each other. Even small errors can muddle meaning. For example, ‘Hut’ (hat) versus ‘Hut’ (guard) differ only in vowel length. Mastering sounds allows fluid, enjoyable conversation. 2. Allows Expression.