| 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]) |
|
|
