Consonants
|
IPA |
Examples |
English approximation
|
b
|
Ball[1] |
ball
|
ç
|
ich, durch |
hue
|
d
|
dann[1] |
done
|
f
|
Fass |
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 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])
|
|