German Pronunciation: Master the Basics

German pronunciation seems intimidating—all those compound words and guttural sounds. But German is actually more phonetic than English. Here's how to master the basics and sound natural.

German Pronunciation Rules (Simplified)

Vowels

• A — "ah" (Mann, Stadt)
• E — "eh" (Mensch, lernen)
• I — "ih" (Bild, Kind)
• O — "oh" (Kopf, groß)
• U — "ooh" (Buch, gut)

Umlauts

• Ä — Like "eh" with lips rounded (Mädchen)
• Ö — Like "uh" with lips rounded (schön)
• Ü — Like "ee" with lips rounded (über)

Consonants (The Tricky Ones)

• R — Guttural, throaty (roll it in the back: rot, rot)
• CH — Two sounds:
  • After a, o, u: throaty "ach" sound (Buch, auch)
  • After i, e, ä, ö, ü: soft "ich" sound (ich, mich)
• Z — Like "ts" not "z" (Zeit, Zimmer)
• W — Like English "v" (Wasser, weiß)
• V — Like English "f" (Vater, von)
• J — Like English "y" (Jahr, ja)

Common Pronunciation Patterns

Word Stress

German usually stresses the first syllable: FREItag, BÜcher, KINDer

Compound Words

Break them down: Haus + aufgabe = Hausaufgabe (homework). Stress the first part.

Final -E

Often silent or very soft: Hause, Komfortable

Essential Words to Practice

• Hallo — Hello (ha-lo)
• Guten Tag — Good day (goo-ten tahk)
• Danke — Thank you (dahn-keh)
• Bitte — Please/You're welcome (bit-teh)
• Entschuldigung — Excuse me (ent-shool-dee-goong)
• Wie geht es dir? — How are you? (vee geht es deer)

Practice Techniques

1) Shadow Native Speakers

Listen to German audio and repeat immediately. This trains your mouth muscles.

2) Break Down Long Words

German compounds look scary, but break them into parts:

• Lebensmittelgeschäft = Lebens + Mittel + Geschäft

3) Focus on the R Sound

The guttural R is key to sounding German. Practice words with R regularly.

4) Record Yourself

Compare your pronunciation to native speakers. Notice differences and adjust.

Common Mistakes

• Using English R (should be guttural)
• Mispronouncing CH sounds (ich vs ach)
• Stressing wrong syllables (usually first syllable)
• Pronouncing W like English W (should be V sound)

Daily Practice (10 Minutes)

1. Practice 5 words with tricky sounds (R, CH, Z)
2. Read 3 sentences out loud, focusing on pronunciation
3. Shadow a short German audio clip

Master German Pronunciation

The best way to master pronunciation isn't rules—it's practice with feedback. Speak daily, get corrections on sounds, and watch your accent improve. Try Parlai and practice German pronunciation through real conversations with instant feedback.