Complete German Alphabet, All 30 Letters
The following table lists all 26 standard letters plus the four special German characters. Each entry includes the letter's German name, its approximate pronunciation, and an example word.
Standard Vowels (A, E, I, O, U)
These five vowels form the foundation of German pronunciation. Each has both long and short versions that affect meaning.
Standard Consonants (B through Z)
Most German consonants follow familiar English patterns, with important exceptions like W, V, J, and Z.
Special German Characters
The umlauts and Eszett have no English equivalents and require focused practice.
| Term | Meaning | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| A a | Ah | /aː/ | Like 'a' in 'father', Apfel (apple) |
| B b | Beh | /beː/ | Like 'b' in 'bed', Buch (book) |
| C c | Tseh | /tseː/ | 'Ts' before e/i, 'k' otherwise, Celsius, Computer |
| D d | Deh | /deː/ | Like 'd' in 'dog', Deutsch (German) |
| E e | Eh | /eː/ | Like 'e' in 'hey' (long) or 'pet' (short), Erde (earth) |
| F f | Eff | /ɛf/ | Like 'f' in 'fun', Freund (friend) |
| G g | Geh | /ɡeː/ | Always hard 'g' as in 'go', Garten (garden) |
| H h | Ha | /haː/ | Like 'h' in 'hat'; silent after vowels, Haus (house) |
| I i | Ih | /iː/ | Like 'ee' in 'see', Idee (idea) |
| J j | Jot | /jɔt/ | Like 'y' in 'yes', Jahr (year) |
| K k | Ka | /kaː/ | Like 'k' in 'kite', Kind (child) |
| L l | Ell | /ɛl/ | Like 'l' in 'lamp', Liebe (love) |
| M m | Emm | /ɛm/ | Like 'm' in 'map', Mutter (mother) |
| N n | Enn | /ɛn/ | Like 'n' in 'net', Nacht (night) |
| O o | Oh | /oː/ | Like 'o' in 'go' (rounded lips), Opa (grandpa) |
| P p | Peh | /peː/ | Like 'p' in 'pen', Park (park) |
| Q q | Ku | /kuː/ | Always followed by 'u', pronounced 'kv', Quelle (source) |
| R r | Err | /ɛʁ/ | Guttural, from back of throat, Rot (red) |
| S s | Ess | /ɛs/ | Voiced 'z' before vowels, unvoiced 's' at end, Sonne (sun) |
| T t | Teh | /teː/ | Like 't' in 'top', Tag (day) |
| U u | Uh | /uː/ | Like 'oo' in 'food', Uhr (clock) |
| V v | Fau | /faʊ/ | Usually 'f' sound; 'v' in foreign words, Vater (father) |
| W w | Weh | /veː/ | Like English 'v', Wasser (water) |
| X x | Iks | /ɪks/ | Like 'ks', Taxi (taxi) |
| Y y | Ypsilon | /ˈʏpsilɔn/ | Like German 'ü', Yoga (yoga) |
| Z z | Tsett | /tsɛt/ | Like 'ts' in 'cats', Zeit (time) |
| Ä ä | Ah-Umlaut | /ɛː/ | Like 'e' in 'bed', Ärger (anger) |
| Ö ö | Oh-Umlaut | /øː/ | Round lips for 'o', say 'e', Öl (oil) |
| Ü ü | Uh-Umlaut | /yː/ | Round lips for 'u', say 'ee', Über (over) |
| ß | Eszett / scharfes S | /s/ | Sharp 's', never voiced, Straße (street) |
Umlauts, How to Pronounce ä, ö, and ü
The three umlauted vowels give German its distinctive sound character. They are not optional marks. Changing a vowel to its umlaut version changes the word's meaning entirely. For example, 'schon' means already, but 'schön' means beautiful.
Umlauts are 'fronted' versions of their base vowels. Your tongue moves forward in your mouth while your lip rounding stays the same.
Ä: The Easiest Umlaut
Pronounce ä like the 'e' in English bed or air. This is the most straightforward umlaut for English speakers since this sound already exists in your native language. Examples include Mädchen (girl) and Käse (cheese).
Ö: The Medium-Difficulty Umlaut
Start by saying 'o' with rounded lips, then try to say 'e' without changing your lip shape. The result is a sound that has no English equivalent but resembles the 'eu' in French peu. Examples include Öffnen (to open) and Löwe (lion).
Ü: The Most Challenging Umlaut
Start by saying 'oo' with rounded lips, then try to say 'ee' without changing your lip shape. This is the hardest umlaut for English speakers. It exists in French tu. Examples include Über (over) and Grün (green).
Typing Umlauts on Non-German Keyboards
When you cannot type umlauts, add an 'e' after the vowel. Use 'ae' for ä, 'oe' for ö, and 'ue' for ü. This substitution is common in email addresses, URLs, and when using non-German keyboards.
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Ä (ah-umlaut): Pronounce like the 'e' in English 'bed' or 'air.' It is the most straightforward umlaut for English speakers since this sound already exists in English. Example: Mädchen (girl), Käse (cheese).
- 2
Ö (oh-umlaut): Start by saying 'o' with rounded lips, then try to say 'e' without changing your lip shape. The result is a sound that does not exist in English. Example: Öffnen (to open), Löwe (lion).
- 3
Ü (uh-umlaut): Start by saying 'oo' with rounded lips, then try to say 'ee' without changing your lip shape. This is the hardest umlaut for English speakers. Example: Über (over), Grün (green).
- 4
When you cannot type umlauts, the standard substitution is to add an 'e' after the vowel: ae for ä, oe for ö, ue for ü. This is common in email addresses, URLs, and when using non-German keyboards.
Eszett (ß), The Sharp S
The Eszett (ß), also called 'scharfes S' (sharp S), is a letter unique to German. It represents a voiceless 's' sound, like the 's' in English sun, never like the 'z' in rise. The Eszett appears after long vowels and diphthongs: Straße (street), Fuß (foot), heißen (to be called).
German Spelling Reform and Current Rules
After the 1996 German spelling reform, ß was replaced with 'ss' after short vowels. So 'daß' became 'dass', and 'muß' became 'muss'. However, ß remains after long vowels and diphthongs. Switzerland and Liechtenstein do not use ß at all. They always write 'ss' instead.
The Capital Eszett
A capital Eszett (ẞ) was officially added to the German alphabet in 2017. This resolved a long-standing issue about how to write ß in all-caps text. Previously, 'STRASSE' was the only option. Now 'STRAẞE' is also acceptable.
Quick Reference for Usage
Remember these key guidelines: ß always makes an unvoiced 's' sound, never voiced. ß comes after long vowels like Straße or Fuß. ß comes after diphthongs like heißen or außen. After short vowels, use 'ss' instead, like dass or muss. If you cannot type ß, substitute 'ss', which is universally understood.
- 1
ß always makes an unvoiced 's' sound, never a 'z' sound.
- 2
ß comes after long vowels: Straße, Fuß, Maß, Grüße.
- 3
ß comes after diphthongs: heißen, außen, beißen.
- 4
After short vowels, use 'ss' instead: dass, muss, Fluss, Schloss.
- 5
If you cannot type ß, substitute 'ss', this is universally understood.
German Letter Combinations You Need to Know
Beyond individual letters, German has several important letter combinations (digraphs and trigraphs) that produce specific sounds. Knowing these is essential for reading German words correctly. These combinations do not follow English pronunciation patterns, so deliberate practice helps.
Common Consonant Combinations
German's most distinctive combinations are 'ch', 'sch', 'sp-', and 'st-'. These appear frequently and change how you read words.
Vowel Combinations
Diphthongs (two-vowel combinations) in German have consistent pronunciations that differ from English patterns.
| Term | Meaning | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| ch | Two pronunciations | /ç/ or /x/ | Soft 'ich-laut' after e/i (ich), hard 'ach-laut' after a/o/u (Buch) |
| sch | Sh sound | /ʃ/ | Like 'sh' in 'ship', Schule (school) |
| sp- | Shp at start of word | /ʃp/ | Pronounced 'shp', Sport, Spaß (fun) |
| st- | Sht at start of word | /ʃt/ | Pronounced 'sht', Straße, Stein (stone) |
| ei | Eye sound | /aɪ/ | Like 'eye', Eis (ice), Wein (wine) |
| ie | Ee sound | /iː/ | Like 'ee' in 'see', Liebe (love), Tier (animal) |
| eu / äu | Oy sound | /ɔʏ/ | Like 'oy' in 'boy', Deutsch, Häuser (houses) |
| au | Ow sound | /aʊ/ | Like 'ow' in 'cow', Haus (house), Frau (woman) |
Tips for Mastering German Pronunciation
German pronunciation is more regular than English, so learning the rules pays off quickly. Small, consistent practice works better than infrequent long sessions. Here are evidence-based strategies to develop accurate pronunciation from day one.
Priority: The Hardest Sounds First
Focus your early practice on sounds that do not exist in English. These require the most deliberate effort and benefit most from repetition.
Using Technology and Feedback
Modern tools make it easy to compare your pronunciation to native speakers instantly. Use these resources daily.
Building Automaticity
The goal is to recognize and produce German sounds without thinking. Spaced repetition flashcards help create this automatic response.
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Master the umlauts early: ö and ü do not exist in English, so they require deliberate practice. Record yourself and compare to native speakers.
- 2
Learn the two 'ch' sounds: The soft 'ich-laut' (after front vowels e, i, ä, ö, ü) and the hard 'ach-laut' (after back vowels a, o, u) are distinct sounds that can change meaning.
- 3
Practice the German 'r': Unlike the English 'r,' the standard German 'r' is a guttural sound produced in the back of the throat, similar to gargling.
- 4
Remember that 'w' = English 'v' and 'v' = English 'f': This is the most common source of pronunciation errors for English speakers.
- 5
Use FluentFlash pronunciation flashcards: Spaced repetition helps you build automatic sound associations for each letter and combination.