Das Deutsche Alphabet/ The German Alphabet

Buchstabe/ Aussprache des

Letter
Buchstabenamens/
Pronunciation of
letter name

Aussprache
Beispiele/ Examples
des
Buchstaben wie in/ Sound
of Letter - as
in

A a

ah

astronaut

der Adler (eagle), Januar (January)

Bb

approximate: bay

baby

der Bruder (brother), aber (but)

Cc

approximate: tsay

creative,
Celcius (soft c
sound in
German
sounds like ts)

der Chor, der Christkindlmarkt(south

German term for der
Weihnachtsmarkt/ Christmas
market), Celcius

Dd

approximate: day

dollar

Dienstag (Tuesday), oder (or)

Ee

approximate: ay

elegant

essen (to eat), zuerst (first)

Ff

ef

efort

der Freund (friend), ofen (open)

G g

approximate: gay

gorgeous

gut (good), gemein (mean)

Hh

haa

hammer

der Hammer, dieMhle (mill)

I i

eeh

Igor

der Igel (porcupine),

der Imbiss(snack), sieben (seven)

J j

yot

yellow

das Jahr (year), jeder (each)

Kk

kah

camel

das Kamel, der Kuchen (cake)

Ll

ell

love

die Leute (people), das Land (land)

Mm

em

man

der Mann, die Ameise

Nn

en

nice

nicht (not), die Mnze (coin)

Oo

oh

oven

Ostern (Easter),rot (red)

Pp

approximate: pay

party

die Polizei (police), der Apfel

Qq

koo

coral

das Quadrat (square),

die Quelle(source)
Note: All German words start
with qu(kw - sound)

R r

approximate: er

rich

der Rcken (the back), der Stern(star)

S s

es

zoo, shine,
mouse

summen (to hum), schn (pretty,

nice), die Maus

Tt

approximate: tay

tyrant

der Tyrann, acht (eight)

U u

ooh

ou sound in
you

die Universitt (university),

der Mund(mouth)

V v

fow

father

der Vogel (bird), die Nerven (nerves)

W w ( )
approximate: vay

van

die Wange (cheek),

das Schwein(pig, wieviel (how much)

Xx

sounds like kz das Xylofon/ Xylophon, die Hexe(witch)

Note: There are hardly any German
words that start with X

ix

Y y ( )uep-si-lohn

yellow

die Yucca, der Yeti

Note: There are hardly any German
words that start with Y.

Z z

sounds like ts

die Zeitung (newspaper),

derZigeuner (gypsy)

tset

Umlaut +
Aussprache des Buchstaben/
Pronunciation of Letter

Beispiele/ Examples

sounds similar to the e in melon

hnlich (similar), ghnen (to yawn)

sounds similar to the i in girl

sterreich (Austria),
der Lwe(lion)

no equivalent nor approximate sound in

English

(esszet) double s sound

ber (over),mde (tired)

hei (hot),die Strae (street)