Learning a new alphabet might feel like learning how to ride a bike all over again—wobbly at first, but with the right guidance you’ll regain your balance in no time.
The 30-letter German alphabet shares many similarities with the English alphabet with a few unique twists and turns, from the classic Ä to the iconic ẞ. Fortunately, newcomers to the alphabet in German will find that the 26 letters shared with English make it easier to learn German. This guide breaks down every letter to get you started!
Table of Contents
The 26 familiar letters in the German alphabet
You’ll be relieved to know that the German alphabet shares 26 of the same letters with English. The two alphabets look the same, except for four extra German letters. German and English have almost identical alphabets because they both grew from the roots of the Latin alphabet in the 6th century B.C. to the modern languages studied today.
Since the German alphabet is nearly identical to English, you won’t have to relearn how to write or recognize letters like you would if you studied Russian, for example. This is a reassuring starting point for fledgling linguists looking to expand their language skills. Familiarity with the letters allows you to focus on other aspects of the language like pronunciation or grammar, and provides an excellent kick-off point on your journey to full German fluency.
Navigate these 26 familiar letters with the below pronunciation table:
| Letter | German Name & Sound | German Example | English Example |
| a | ah (a) | Apfel (apple) | call |
| b | bay (b) | Buch (book) | book |
| c | tsay (c) | Café (café) | cat |
| d | day (d) | Deutschland (Germany) | dad |
| e | eh (e/aye) | Essen (food) | elephant/resumé |
| f | eff (f) | Fisch (fish) | frog |
| g | gae (g) | Garten (garden) | giraffe |
| h | hah (h) | Haus (house) | hat |
| i | ee (i) | Ich (I) | ice |
| j | yot (y) | Jahr (year) | jump |
| k | kah (k) | Kind (child) | kite |
| l | ell (l) | Leben (life) | lion |
| m | emm (m) | Mutter (mother) | moon |
| n | enn (n) | Nacht (night) | nest |
| o | oh (o) | Obst (fruit) | octopus |
| p | pay (p) | Papier (paper) | penguin |
| q | koo (q) | Qualität (quality) | queen |
| r | air (rolling or soft r) | Rot (red) | rabbit |
| s | ess (s) | Sonne (sun) | snake |
| t | tay (t) | Tisch (table) | tree |
| u | oo (u) | Uhr (clock) | umbrella |
| v | fow (f) | Vogel (bird) | violin |
| w | vay (v) | Wasser (water) | water |
| x | eeks (x) | Xylophon (xylophone) | box |
| y | oopsilon (y) | Yacht (yacht) | yellow |
| z | tsett (ts) | Zeit (time) | zebra |
Tips for phonetic variations between German and English
Just because letters look the same doesn’t mean they’re pronounced the same. A phonetic variation is when a letter looks the same between two languages but is pronounced differently. Paying close attention to these phonetic variations will make your German sound more authentic.
The table below highlights some key letters that sound different in German alphabet pronunciation:
| Letter | English Pronunciation | German Pronunciation |
| j | “j” as in “jump” | sounds like the y in “yes” |
| w | “w” as in “water” | sounds like the v in “vine” |
| v | “v” as in “victory” | sounds like the f in “fox” |
| z | “z” as in “zebra” | sounds like the ts in “cats” |
Take your time getting used to these differences in pronunciation. Listening to native German speakers and mimicking their sounds can help you acclimate.
The letter “r” in German alphabet pronunciation
The “r” sound can be tricky in German alphabet pronunciation as it’s used differently than how it often sounds in English. In German, the “r” is pronounced in two main ways: the rolling “r” and the soft “r” sounds.
The rolling “r,” also known as the uvular trill, is usually used when the letter is at the start of a word or syllable like in the word Rot (red). Learning how to pronounce a rolling “r” is a challenge for English speakers since we don’t grow up with it in the same way speakers of other languages do. Try mimicking a cat’s purr—you can even say the word “purr” and practice trilling the “r” sound at the end of the word to master this new pronunciation skill.
On the other hand, the soft “r,” also known as the vocalized “r,” usually comes at the end of a word or after a vowel like in the word Mutter (mother). It’s more subtle than the rolling “r” and almost sounds like a vowel that blends into the preceding vowel. In many cases, this sounds like a soft “uh” or “ah” noise and isn’t usually audibly emphasized much by native German speakers.
Developing the muscle memory to use the two sounds the letter “r” can make will significantly improve your German pronunciation. Start practicing with shorter, simple words and work from there.
How to use the “extra” letters in the German alphabet
On top of the 26 familiar letters shared with English, the German alphabet includes a few unique ones. These “extra” letters are the umlaut vowels (Ä, Ö, Ü) and the Eszett (ß). While they may look difficult at first, they’re important to master because they play an important role in how you understand and pronounce words in German.
What are umlauts?
Think of umlauts like the special seasoning that changes the flavor of the word. Umlauts are the two dots located above the familiar vowels A, O, and U and are known as diacritical marks. They simply show you that the letters should be pronounced differently than usual and denote a different meaning to the word.
For example, schon means “already,” but if you add an umlaut to the “o”to get schön then you’ve got a word meaning “beautiful.” You wouldn’t want to mix those two words up!
Pronouncing these new vowels can be a challenge for new learners of the alphabet in German, so check out the chart below for explanations of how to adopt this German alphabet pronunciation:
| Letter | How to Pronounce |
| Ä | Sounds like the “eh” in bed |
| Ö | Form an “o,” with your lips and pronounce the sound similar to the “e” in “her.” |
| Ü | Say “ee” like in “cheese,” but round your lips to make an “o” sound. |
Understanding Eszett (ẞ): The sharp S
The Eszett, written as “ẞ,” is a stylized way to represent a sharp “s” sound in German words. You may also write this fancy “s” letter as “ss,” as shorthand. This letter sounds like the double “s” in the English words “pass” or “kiss,” so it’s easier for new learners to adopt than other new letters such as umlauted vowels.
So when should you write “ẞ” in a word and when should you write “ss” instead? It depends on the letters that come before it. Following long vowels or diphthongs, which are groupings of vowels, you should always use the Eszett, like in heißen (to be called). On the other hand, “ss” is used after short vowel sounds like in müssen (must). Just listen for that longer or shorter sound and you’ll have no issue getting used to the difference in writing.
Pronouncing diphthongs and consonant clusters like ch and sch
If you know about famous German-speaking composers like Bach and Mozart, then you know Germans love to play with sound! Nothing shows this quite like diphthongs and consonant clusters. These combinations of vowels and consonants look tricky on paper, but they roll off the tongue once you see how they compare to common sounds we use in English every day.
Diphthongs: Two vowels, one sound
A diphthong refers to two vowels side by side pronounced in one single, blended sound. Just like in English, where we have diphthongs like the “ou” in “house,” German has its own common vowel combos that you’ll encounter as you learn German.
Here are the most common German diphthongs and how to pronounce them:
| Diphthong | Pronunciation |
| au | Sounds like the “ou” in “house” |
| ei | Sounds like the “i” in “bike” |
| ie | Sounds like the “ee” in “see” |
| eu | Sounds like the “oy” in “toy” |
| äu | Sounds like the “oy” in “toy”. Think of it like the umlauted twin of “eu.” |
Pronouncing German consonant clusters
Consonant clusters are similar to diphthongs, but instead of two vowels side by side, there are two consonants crammed together to make one sound. While some might look like tongue-twisters, like the word Schmetterling (butterfly), the trick is to break the cluster down into manageable parts.
Check out the chart below of common German consonant clusters and how to pronounce them:
| Consonant Cluster | Pronunciation |
| sch | Sounds like “sh” in “shoe” |
| sp | Sounds like “sh” with the “p” sound after |
| st | Sounds like “sh” with the “t” sound after |
| ch (after a, o, and u) | Sounds like “ch” in “loch”. A throatier, guttural sound like clearing phlegm from your throat. |
| ch (after e and i) | Pronounced softer, like “h” with a hiss at the end. Imagine a cat hissing. |
| ck | Sounds like “k” in “kick” |
| tz | Sounds like “ts” in “cats” |
| pf | Pronounce “p” quickly followed by pronouncing “f” |
| ng | Sounds like “ng” in “sing” |
| qu | Sounds like “k” in “king” followed by pronouncing “v” as in “vase” |
| kn | A hard “k” closely followed by the “n” as in “night” |
| ts | Sounds like “ts” in “cats”. A twin to the cluster “tz.” |
| th | Pronounced like a hard “t” as in “time” |
With these clusters, remember to listen closely to native German speakers to get used to pronouncing some of the more difficult ones.
Perfect the German alphabet with Rosetta Stone
Learning the German alphabet and nailing down how to sound more natural while speaking German is difficult without the proper feedback. With the TruAccent speech recognition engine from Rosetta Stone, you’ll get direct pronunciation feedback and helpful information on how to fine-tune your words.
TruAccent guides you through tough new sounds like the rolling “r” or umlaut vowels, helping you polish your accent to sound more natural.
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