Lesson 2: The German Alphabet
The German alphabet has the same letters as the English alphabet and a few extra characteristics.
- The Eszett “ß” – This letter is spoken like a double “s.”
- Umlauts – German has three additional vowels, ä, ö, and ü with Umlauts, or two dots above the letters. These letters are pronounced differently than a, o, and u.
You can hear examples of how to pronounce each letter in the German alphabet in the table below. Keep in mind that the vowels have long and short sounds when pronounced in words. Note that the names of the alphabet letters aren’t necessarily the same as the sound they make.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
In German, the letter “e” sounds more like the English “a,” and the German letter “i” sounds more like the English letter “e.”
Some German sounds can be particularly challenging to pronounce, like the rolling “R.” But, even if you can’t get the pronunciation just right, German speakers can still understand you.
Learning to speak German like a native can take a lifetime of practice, so don’t let imperfections stop you from trying. Try your best until you become more familiar with the language, and you’ll find that your German words start sounding better as you progress.
