DER DEUTSCHE KLANG DES ABC – THE GERMAN SOUND OF THE ABC

One fact first: Other Germans understand you, even if you make mistakes!

If you want to train the German expression, this is how you express the ABC.

However only those letters with a blue addition are needed to speak German correctly. We have also summarized them for you at the end!

An example from the English language: in words the “th” is not spoken as “tea age” …

In order to train, you should start reading with the word in capital-letters, for example “ARKANSAS”. Than try it: A like in ARKANSAS - and so on.

A like in ARKANSAS - (in words right this way AMERICA = AMERICA)

B almost like in BELL - (in words like in English)

C like in YANGTSEKIANG - (in words right way CENT= CENT (TSENT) - (as long as it’s not connected in “ck” or “ch”)

D almost like in DENTIST - (in words like in English)

E almost like in ENEMY - (in words right this way ENGLISH = ENGLISCH)

F like F - (in words like in English too)

G almost like in GET - (in words like in English)

H like in HARD - (in words like in English)

I like in ILLINOIS - (in words right this way)

J almost like in IDIOT - (in words like the English “y” YOUTH = JUGEND (YOUGEND))

K like in CARD - (in words like in English)

L like L - (in words like in English)

M like M - (in words like in English)

N like N - (in words like in English)

O like O - (in words like in English)

P almost like in PET - (in words like in English)

Q like in COOL - (in words like in English)

R like in ??? – (the German “r” is not like the English “r”, but also not like the Spanish “rrr”)

S like S - (in words like in English)

T almost like in TERRIFIC - (in words like in English)

U like in OOPS - (in words like in English)

V like in FOUND - (in words like in English)

W almost like in VETERAN - (in words like in English)

X like in CHICKS - (in words like in English)

Y = ÜPSILON Just forget it ... - (… and anyhow actually not existent in German words at all)

Z like in ETCETERA – (in words only the “TCET” gets expressed ZOMBIE = ZOMBIE (TCOMBIE))

Ä like in AT - (in words right this way)

Ö almost like in EARTH - (in words right this way)

Ü like in ??? – maybe just stick to your normal English “u” here.

CH there are no examples for the two German CHs in English

Summary:

A like in ARKANSAS - in words right this way AMERICA = AMERIKA

E almost like in ENEMY - in words right this way ENGLISH = ENGLISCH

I like in ILLINOIS - in words right this way

J almost like in (IDIOT) - in words like the English “Y” YOUTH = JUGEND = (YOUGEND)

R like in ??? - just stick to your normal English “r”, don’t copy the Spanish “rrr”.

U like in OOPS - in words right this way

Z like in ETCETERA – in words only the “TCET” gets expressed ZOMBIE = ZOMBIE (TCOMBIE)

Ä like in AT - (in words right this way)

Ö almost like in EARTH - (in words right this way)

Ü like in ??? - maybe just stick to your normal English “u” here.