| 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])
|
|