German Pronunciation Keys
German letters often sound different than in English.
Here are the most important pronunciation rules with examples.
Vowel Sounds
| Letter |
Sounds Like |
Example |
| A | ah | Apfel (apple) |
| E | ay | Esel (donkey) |
| I | ee | Igel (hedgehog) |
| O | oh | Obst (fruit) |
| U | oo | Uhr (clock) |
Special Vowel Combinations
| Letters |
Sounds Like |
Example |
| EI | eye | mein (my) |
| IE | ee | sieben (seven) |
| EU / ÄU | oy | neu (new) |
Consonant Sounds
| Letter |
Sounds Like |
Example |
| W | v | Wasser (water) |
| V | f | Vater (father) |
| J | y | Jahr (year) |
| Z | ts | Zeit (time) |
| CH | soft h / kh | ich (I), Bach (brook) |
| ß | ss | Straße (street) |
💡 Note: In German, every letter is usually pronounced. Unlike English, you don’t “skip” letters.