Exercise for practice :
Pronounce the following words –
German Word
Gut
Gelb
Magen
Freitag
Hut
Heben
Lehren
Haben
Jodler
Junge
Jahr
Jurist
Klein
Wecker
Kissen
Kurz
Mag
Muss
Pronunciation
Bahnk
Meaning
Good
yellow
Stomach
Friday
Hat
Lift
Teach
Have
Yodeler
Boy
Year
Lawyer
Little
Alarm
Clock
Short
Like
Must
Warm
Sturm
Nett
Nase
Donner
Gewinn
Warm
Storm
Nice
Nose
Thunder
Gain/win
Pronounce the following words –
German Word
Party
Preis
Tapete
Kupfer
Quark
Qualifizieren
Quitting
Quorum
Rollschuh
Recht
Fahren
Butter
Suppe
Sagen
Messen
Besen
True
Flirt
Flotte
Bart
Verkehrt
Voll
Vier
Vulgar
Warum
Wer
Verwendung
Anderswo
Zu
Blitz
Kratzen
Zeppelin
Pronunciation
Meaning
Party
Prize
Wallpaper
Copper
Curd cheese
Qualify
Receipt
Quorum
Roller
Skate
Right
Butter
Soup
Say
Measure
Broom
Loyal
Flirtation
Fleet
Beard
Wrong
Full
Four
Vular
Why
Who
Else
Elsewhere
To
Lightning
Scratch
zeppelin
Note: The combinations “sp” and “st” are always pronounced in a manner as if they begin with the
sound “sh”
i.e. sp pronounced as shp and st is pronounced as sht.
Ex. Sparen (Shpah-ren) and stehen(shtay-en)
Practice the following:
Spielen
Speise
Sport
Sprechen
Verstehen
Stuhl
Stechen
Strafe
Play
Food
Athletics
Speak
Understand
Chair
Sting
Punishment
VOWELS
German vowels are similar to English vowels and easy to pronounce.
1. A


“ah” sound before single consonant
“uh” sound before double consonant
German Word
Alt
Frage
Tragen
Fallen
Stehlen
Pronunciation
Ult
Frah-geh
Trah-gen
Fuh-len
Shtay-len
Meaning
Old
Question
Carry
Fall
Steal
Pronunciation
Ess-en
Laze-en
Ay-gahl
Bess-uh
Meaning
Eat
Read
No difference
Better
2. E

German Word
Essen
Lessen
Egal
Besser
Ey/eh
3. I


German Word
Italien
Isst
Wider
Bild
Long “ee” before single consonants
Short “ih” before double consonants
Pronunciation
ee-tah-lee-en
Isst
Wee-duh
Bilt
Meaning
Italy
Eats
Against
Picture
4. O


German Word
Oder
Soll
Bohnen
Monat
Stottern
Sound is “oh” before single consonant
“aw” before double consonants
Pronunciation
Oh-duh
Zawl
Bone-en
Mone-aht
Shtaw-tun
Meaning
Or
Should
Beans
Month
Stutter
5. U



German Word
Tun
Mutter
Schuh
Mund
Long U as in “oo” of moon.
Short U as in “oo” of look.
U sound is always long before the letter “h”
Pronunciation
Toon
Moo-tuh
Shoo
Moont
Meaning
Do
Mother
Shoe
Mouth
6. Y

German Word
Symbol
Gymnasium
Typ
UMLAUT
First say long “oo” and then add small”e”. i.e. “ue” sound
Pronunciation
Zuem-bole
Guem-nah-zee-oom
Tuep
Meaning
Symbol
Preparatory school
Type
Umlaut is used to alter the sound of 3 vowels.
1. A

German Word
Alter
Vater
Krahe
With umlaut added, the vowel sounds like “e”
Pronunciation
Ell-tuh
Fay-tuh
Kray-eh
Meaning
Older
Fathers
Crow
2. O

German Word
Mogen
Schlosser
Schon
“er” sound as in her
Pronunciation
m-(er)-gen
Shl(er)-suh
Sh(er)n
Meaning
Like
Palaces
Nice,pretty
3. U

German Word
Uber
Tur
Flusse
Like the German vowel Y
Pronunciation
Ue-buh
Tue-uh
Fluess-eh
Meaning
Over
Door
Rivers
Exercise: Pronounce the following –
German Word
Im Januar
Kaufen
Kleiner
Langsam
Lernen
Mein Bruder
Meine Frau
Sagen
Schon (umlaut)
Sehr bald
Sommer
Wann
Wo ist der Zug?
Zu Hause
Pronunciation
Meaning
In January
Sell
Smaller
Slow
Learn
My brother
My wife
Say
Nice,pretty
Very soon
Summer
When
Where is the train?
At home
Letter Combinations
Just like we combine “s” and “h” in English to make “sh” sound.
Or Just like we combine “t” and “h” in English to make “th” sound.
Similarly, we combine different letters in German also. Some are combinations of consonants and some
are combination of vowels.
1. CH

Ch-sh sound
c
Ach
Ich
Nach
Stechen
Pronunciation
Ahch
Eech
Nahch
Shtehch-en
Meaning
Oh
I
After, To
Sting
Note: words ending in “-ig” pronounce this letter combinations in many regions.
Ex. K önig : k(er)-nich : means king
Standing : shten-dich means constant.
2. SCH

Sound is “sh”
German Word
Schule
Waschen
Schicken
Tisch
3. TSCH


4. AA

German Word
Haar
Paar
5. AU
Pronunciation
Shoo-leh
Wush-en
Shick-en
Tish
Meaning
School
Wash
Send
Table
“ch” sound
Tschechien i.e. chehch-ee-en meaning Czech Republic
Long ah
Pronunciation
Hahr
Pahr
Meaning
Hair
Pair, couple

“ow” sound as in the English word “how”
German Word
Frau
Blau
Pronunciation
Frow
Blow
Meaning
Woman
Blue
6. ÄU

“oy” sound as in the English word toy
German Word
Fraulein
Braunen
Pronunciation
Froy-line
Broy-nen
Meaning
Young woman
Blue
Pronunciation
Tay
Shnay
Meaning
Tea
Snow
7. EE

German Word
Tee
Schnee
Long “ay” sound
8. EU

German Word
Freude
Scheu
Similar to ÄU and is pronounced as “oy”
Pronunciation
Froy-deh
Shoy
Meaning
Joy
Shy
9. EI

Pronounced like “y” as in try
German Word
Pronunciation
Frei
Fry
Neine
Nine

10. IE
 Pronounced as long “ee”
Meaning
Free
No
German Word
Sieben
Zieh
Meaning
Seven
Pull
11. OO
Pronunciation
Zee-ben
Tsee


Long “oh” sound
Ex. BOOT i.e. Bote meaning boat
Exercise: Pronounce the following –
German Word
Auf Wiedersehen
Bauen
Beere
Brauchen
Das ist scheu ßlich
Gute Musik
Guten Tag!
Ich auch
Im Frühling
K äfig
Neue Sportler
Sch önheit
S ü ßigkeiten
Tschau
Verkaufen
Pronunciation
Meaning
Good-bye
Build
Berry
Need
That is dreadful
Good music
Hello! Good Day.
Me (I) too
In the spring
Cage
New athletes
Beauty
Sweets
So long
Sell
ß
It is called as “ess-tset” (pronounced as esst-set)
Old printing form called “fraktur”
It is used in place of double “s” when it follows a long vowel sound.
A double “S” is written when it follows a short vowel sound.
Exercise: Pronounce the following –
German Word
Schloss
Kissen
Muss
Essen
hei ßen
Fu ß
aBen
Pronunciation
Meaning
Palace
Pillow
Must
Eat
Be called
Foot
Ate
reiBen
schie ßen
Kuss
gro ß
Lassen
Wissen
Biss
au ßer
flie ßen
Rip
Shoot
Kiss
Big
Let
Know
Bit
Except
Flow
Note: final Er or-er sounds like a uh
Exercise:
Rad
bruder
Ring
Rose
Krank
Frau
Freund
f r üh
sp äter
Lehrer
Rohr
st ören
Bringen
T ür
Wahrheit
Stra ße
Wheel
Brother
Ring
Rose
Sick
Woman
Friend
Early
Later
Teacher
Cylinder
Disturb
Bring
Door
truh
street