Before you do anything else.... FREE German Lessons. You'll Learn how to speak german |
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-How to carry an interaction with native speakers with ease -Pronunciation drills so effective, you'll be mistaken as a native speaker -How to speak the type of German native speakers use each day |
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German Pronunciation
Obviously, to learn a language you need to know how to pronounce things correctly. This will surely set you apart from the masses who never bother to learn proper pronunciation drills.
p |
[plan] |
Plan |
Plan |
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[gaRa: |
Garage |
Garage |
b |
[blu:m |
Blume (flower) |
Better |
ç |
ç |
[ |
ich |
Loch (Ness) |
t |
[ta:k] |
Tag |
tough |
x |
x |
[ |
acht |
Loch (Ness) |
d |
[du:] |
Du (you) |
Do |
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[ |
Rahm ( |
RRun |
k |
[katz |
Katze |
cat |
h |
h |
[haUs] |
Haus |
House |
g |
[gla:s] |
Glas |
glas |
m |
m |
[maUs] |
Maus |
mouse |
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[ |
Anna |
Father |
n |
n |
[naxt] |
Nacht (night) |
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f |
[fo:g |
Vogel |
vice |
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[va |
Wange (cheek) |
tongue |
v |
[v |
Welle |
Video |
l |
l |
[lIçt] |
Licht |
light |
s |
[bus] |
Bus |
bus |
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j |
[ja:] |
Ja |
yes |
z |
[ze:] |
See |
zoo |
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[ |
Schule |
champagne |
j |
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[
]
]
Iç]
axt]
os
]
]
ana]
l] 
[
[ 
]
l
] 
u:le]
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[ |
Igel |
Wind |
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[f |
Volk |
folk |
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[ |
Insel |
inside |
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[b |
Bock |
clock |
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i: |
[li:d] |
Lied (song) |
Hear |
u: |
[blu:m |
Blume |
loop |
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i |
[politIk] |
Politik |
politics |
u: |
[mu:s |
Museum |
cook |
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e: |
[ze:] |
See |
Zero |
u |
[musik] |
Musik (music) |
boot |
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e |
[metal] |
Metall (metal) |
Message |
U |
[bUs] |
Bus (bus) |
book |
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e: |
[we:g] |
Weg |
Wheather |
Y |
[mYl] |
Müll (trash) |
French „sur“ |
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[b |
Bett |
Better |
y: |
[ky:l] |
Kühl |
French „sur“ only longer |
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[k |
Käse (cheese) |
cat |
y: |
[hy:t |
Hütte |
French „sur“ |
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a |
[mann] |
Mann (man) |
carte |
Y |
[hYt |
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a |
[kan] |
Kann |
can |
y |
[kymogram] |
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a: |
[wa:gen] |
Wagen |
rather |
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a: |
[ta:k] |
Tag |
father |
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[ |
Schule |
shoe |
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ø: |
[ |
Öl |
Like „sir“ |
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[les |
Lesen |
endless |
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ø |
[hø:l |
Höhle |
Like a long „sir“ |
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œ |
[hœl |
Hölle |
Pronouce like „fur“ |
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[les |
Leser |
Ago |
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œ |
[kœln] |
Köln |
Like in „her“ |
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[mUt |
Mutter |
book |
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ø |
[ |
Ökonom |
Short as ecologists |
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o: |
[ko:l] |
Kohl |
goat |
aI |
[fraI] |
Frei |
Like |
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o: |
[bo:t] |
Boot |
Go (without u) |
aU |
[fRaU] |
Frau |
mouse |
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o |
[politik] |
Politik |
politics |
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[n |
Neu |
boy |
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i:
i:g
l]
lk] 
I
Inz
l]
k] 
] 
um] 
t] 
: 
:z
] 
] 
] 
]
ø:l]
n] 
]
] 
] 
] 
økono:m]
I 
I] Here is an alternative guide, for those of you not familiar with the above style.
The German Alphabet:
| A Ä B C D E F G H I |
aa ai bay tsay day ay ef gay haa ee |
J |
yot kaa el em en oa ur pay koo ehr |
S |
ess |
German Consonants
| b | At the end of a word, is pronounced like a p. Otherwise it is the same as in English. |
| c | Just as in English, it can sound either like an "s" or like c in Clock. |
| ch | This sound deserves special mention, as it is one sound that we do not have in English. Tricky at first, it is somewhere between "sh" and the English "ch". |
| d | At the end of words, turns into "t", otherwise, same as English. |
| g | At the end of words, takes on a "ck" sound, otherwise, like Gun. |
| j | Like a "y" in yo-yo. |
| r | Rolled in the back of mouth slightly. |
| s | In the middle of vowels, like "z", otherwise like "sh" in Shoulder |
| ß | Sounds the same as the English "s" |
| v | Usually sounds like English "f" |
| w | Pronounced like the English "v" |
| z | Sounds more like "ts" |
German Vowels
| a | Either short like in but, or long as in bar |
ä |
Can be short as in let or long like ay |
| e | Short like net or long like date |
| i | Short like bit, long like "ee" |
| o | Short like in got, long like in boat |
ö |
Has an "ur" sound |
| u | Sounds like the English "oo" |
ü |
Like a female sheep, an "ewe" |
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