Consonants
|
---|
IPA |
Examples |
English approximation
|
---|
b
|
Ball[1] |
ball
| ç
|
ich, durch |
hue
| d
|
dann[1] |
done
| f
|
Fass, Vogel |
fuss,
| ɡ
|
Gast[1] |
guest
| h
|
hat |
hut
| j
|
ja |
yard
| k
|
kalt |
cold
| l
|
Last |
last
| m
|
Mast |
must
| n
|
Naht |
not
| ŋ
|
lang |
long
| p
|
Pakt |
pack
| pf
|
Pfahl |
p + f
| ʁ
|
Rast[2] |
like a French R
| ʀ
|
like a French trilled R
| r
|
like an Italian R
| s
|
Hast |
fast
| ʃ
|
schal, Stein |
shall
| t
|
Tal |
tall
| ts
|
Zahl |
cats
| tʃ
|
Matsch |
match
| v
|
was |
vast
| x
|
Bach[3] |
loch (Scottish)
| z
|
Hase[1] |
hose
| ʔ
|
beamtet[4] ([bəˈʔamtət]) |
the glottal stop in uh-oh!
| Non-native consonants
|
---|
dʒ
|
Dschungel[1] |
jungle
| ʒ
|
Genie[1] |
beige, Zsa Zsa
| Stress
|
---|
ˈ
|
Bahnhofstraße ([ˈbaːnhoːfˌʃtʁaːsə])
|
as in ˈbattleˌship
| ˌ
|
|
Vowels
|
---|
IPA |
Examples |
English approximation
|
---|
Monophthongs
|
---|
a
|
Dach |
bra (but shorter)
| aː
|
Bahn |
bra
| eː
|
Beet |
face
| ɛ
|
Bett, hätte |
bed
| ɛː
|
wähle[5] |
as above but longer; like RP English bared
| iː
|
viel |
meet
| ɪ
|
bist |
sit
| oː
|
Boot |
bone
| ɔ
|
Post |
caught (but shorter)
| øː
|
Öl |
somewhat like hurl; French deux
| œ
|
göttlich |
somewhat like hurt; French sœur
| uː
|
Hut |
true
| ʊ
|
Putz |
took
| yː
|
Rübe |
French rue
| ʏ
|
füllt |
somewhat like the above
| Diphthongs
|
---|
aɪ
|
weit |
tie
| aʊ
|
Haut |
how
| ɔʏ
|
Heu, Räuber |
boy
| Reduced vowels
|
---|
ɐ
|
Ober[2] |
fun
| ə
|
halte |
comma
| Semivowels
|
---|
ɐ̯
|
Uhr[2] |
fun
| i̯
|
Studie |
studio
| u̯
|
aktuell |
actual
| Non-native vowels
|
---|
e
|
Methan |
(short [eː])
| i
|
vital |
city (short [iː])
| o
|
Moral |
(short [oː])
| ø
|
Ökonom |
(short [øː])
| u
|
kulant |
(short [uː])
| y
|
Psychologie |
(short [yː])
| ã
|
Pensee[6] |
(nasalized [a])
| ãː
|
Gourmand[6] |
(long nasalized [a])
| ɛ̃
|
timbrieren[6] |
(nasalized [ɛ])
| ɛ̃ː
|
Teint[6] |
(long nasalized [ɛ])
| ɔ̃
|
Fondue[6] |
(nasalized [ɔ])
| ɔ̃ː
|
Fond[6] |
(long nasalized)
| œ̃
|
Lundist[6] |
(nasalized [œ])
| œ̃ː
|
Parfum[6] |
(long nasalized [œ])
|
|