German Alphabet

The German alphabet consists of 26 basic letters, plus four special characters: ä, ö, ü, and ß. Understanding the German alphabet is essential for proper pronunciation and spelling.

Most letters in German are pronounced similarly to English, but there are important differences you need to learn.

Explanation

The German alphabet uses the same 26 letters as the English alphabet, but with different pronunciations for many letters. Additionally, German has four special characters:

• ä (a-umlaut) - pronounced like 'e' in 'bed'

• ö (o-umlaut) - pronounced like 'i' in 'bird' (with rounded lips)

• ü (u-umlaut) - pronounced like 'ee' in 'see' (with rounded lips)

• ß (Eszett or sharp S) - pronounced like 'ss'

German letters are generally pronounced more consistently than in English, making it easier to read once you learn the sounds.

German Alphabet with Pronunciation

Letter	Pronunciation (IPA)	English Equivalent	Example Word
A a	/aː/	ah (as in 'father')	Apfel (apple)
B b	/beː/	bay	Buch (book)
C c	/tseː/	tsay	Computer
D d	/deː/	day	Deutsch (German)
E e	/eː/	ay (as in 'say')	Eis (ice)
F f	/ɛf/	ef	Fisch (fish)
G g	/geː/	gay	Garten (garden)
H h	/haː/	hah	Haus (house)
I i	/iː/	ee (as in 'see')	Ich (I)
J j	/jɔt/	yot	Jahr (year)
K k	/kaː/	kah	Kaffee (coffee)
L l	/ɛl/	el	Leben (life)
M m	/ɛm/	em	Mutter (mother)
N n	/ɛn/	en	Name (name)
O o	/oː/	oh	Oma (grandmother)
P p	/peː/	pay	Papier (paper)
Q q	/kuː/	koo	Quelle (source)
R r	/ɛr/	er (rolled)	Rot (red)
S s	/ɛs/	es	Sonne (sun)
T t	/teː/	tay	Tisch (table)
U u	/uː/	oo (as in 'moon')	Uhr (clock)
V v	/faʊ/	fow	Vater (father)
W w	/veː/	vay	Wasser (water)
X x	/ɪks/	iks	Xylophon
Y y	/ˈʏpsilɔn/	upsilon	Yoga
Z z	/tsɛt/	tset	Zahl (number)
Ä ä	/ɛː/	eh (as in 'bed')	Äpfel (apples)
Ö ö	/øː/	er (with rounded lips)	Öl (oil)
Ü ü	/yː/	ee (with rounded lips)	Über (over)
ß	/ɛsˈtsɛt/	ess-tset (like 'ss')	Straße (street)

Examples

[/aː/]

The letter A

[/beː/]

The letter B

[/ɛː/]

The letter Ä (a-umlaut)

[/øː/]

The letter Ö (o-umlaut)

[/yː/]

The letter Ü (u-umlaut)

[/ɛsˈtsɛt/]

The letter ß (Eszett)

Tips

Practice each letter individually before moving to words.
Pay special attention to the umlauts (ä, ö, ü) as they have unique sounds.
The letter 'ß' is always lowercase and represents a double 's' sound.
German 'R' is often pronounced in the back of the throat (guttural).
The letter 'V' is pronounced like English 'F' in most words.
The letter 'W' is pronounced like English 'V'.
Listen to native speakers to master the correct pronunciation.

Common Mistakes

❌ Incorrect: Pronouncing 'V' like English 'V'

✅ Correct: Pronounce 'V' like English 'F' (e.g., 'Vater' sounds like 'Fater')

In German, 'V' is typically pronounced as 'F', except in loanwords.

❌ Incorrect: Pronouncing 'W' like English 'W'

✅ Correct: Pronounce 'W' like English 'V' (e.g., 'Wasser' sounds like 'Vasser')

German 'W' is always pronounced as 'V' in English.

❌ Incorrect: Confusing umlauts with regular vowels

✅ Correct: Learn the distinct sounds of ä, ö, and ü

Umlauts have completely different sounds from their base vowels.

Umlauts CH Sound

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I pronounce German Alphabet correctly?

The German alphabet uses the same 26 letters as the English alphabet, but with different pronunciations for many letters. Additionally, German has four special characters:

What are common mistakes when pronouncing German Alphabet?

See the Common Mistakes section above for detailed examples of errors to avoid.

How can I practice German Alphabet pronunciation?

Practice by repeating the examples above, listening to native German speakers, and recording yourself to compare your pronunciation.