Learning German Alphabets starts with the basics, and the best place to begin is with the alphabet and numbers. If you understand how German letters sound and how numbers work, everything else becomes easier. This guide walks you through the German alphabets, their pronunciation with simple sentences.
German Alphabet (Das deutsche Alphabet)
German uses the same 26 letters as English, plus four special letters.
Hier ist das deutsche Alphabet:
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z
- Ä
- Ö
- Ü
- ß
Below is a simple list of the alphabet with examples.
A — a
Sounds like “ah”
Example: Apfel (apple)
B — be
Sounds like “bay”
Example: Ball (ball)
C — ce
Used mostly in foreign words
Example: Computer
D — de
Sounds like “day”
Example: Dorf (village)
E — e
Sounds like a short “eh” or long “ay”
Example: Essen (food / to eat)
F — ef
Example: Fisch (fish)
G — ge
Soft “g” before i/e; hard “g” elsewhere
Example: Garten (garden)
H — ha
Always pronounced (unlike English)
Example: Haus (house)
I — i
Sounds like “ee”
Example: Igel (hedgehog)
J — jot
Pronounced like English “y”
Example: Jahr (year)
K — ka
Example: Kind (child)
L — el
Example: Lampe (lamp)
M — em
Example: Maus (mouse)
N — en
Example: Nase (nose)
O — o
Short “o” like in “hot”
Example: Orange
P — pe
Example: Papier (paper)
Q — ku
Always followed by u
Example: Quelle (spring / source)
R — er
Rolled or throat sound
Example: Radio
S — es
Sounds like “z” at the beginning of words
Example: Sonne (sun)
T — te
Example: Tisch (table)
U — u
Sounds like “oo”
Example: Uhr (clock)
V — vau
Sounds like “f”
Example: Vogel (bird)
W — we
Sounds like English “v”
Example: Wasser (water)
X — ix
Example: Taxi
Y — ypsilon
Used mainly in foreign words
Example: Yoga
Z — zet
Sounds like “ts”
Example: Zeit (time)
German Special Letters (Ä, Ö, Ü, ß)
Ä / ä
Similar to “e”
Example: Mädchen (girl)
Ö / ö
Round your lips while saying “e”
Example: Öl (oil)
Ü / ü
Round your lips while saying “ee”
Example: Über (over / about)
ß (Eszett / sharp S)
Sounds like a long “s”
Example: Straße (street)
The Complete German Alphabet Table
| Letter | German Name (Pronunciation) | English Sound Approximation | Example Word (with meaning) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A a | ah (/aː/) | like the “a” in “father” | Apfel (apple) |
| B b | beh (/beː/) | like “b” in “boy” | Buch (book) |
| C c | tseh (/tseː/) | like “ts” in “cats” | Computer (computer) |
| D d | deh (/deː/) | like “d” in “dog” | Dorf (village) |
| E e | eh (/eː/) | like “e” in “hey” | Eltern (parents) |
| F f | ef (/ɛf/) | like “f” in “friend” | Fenster (window) |
| G g | geh (/geː/) | like “g” in “go” | Garten (garden) |
| H h | hah (/haː/) | like “h” in “house” | Haus (house) |
| I i | ee (/iː/) | like “ee” in “see” | Insel (island) |
| J j | yot (/jɔt/) | like “y” in “yes” | Jahr (year) |
| K k | kah (/kaː/) | like “k” in “kite” | Kind (child) |
| L l | el (/ɛl/) | like “l” in “lamp” | Lampe (lamp) |
| M m | em (/ɛm/) | like “m” in “mother” | Mutter (mother) |
| N n | en (/ɛn/) | like “n” in “nice” | Name (name) |
| O o | oh (/oː/) | like “o” in “open” | Ohren (ears) |
| P p | peh (/peː/) | like “p” in “pen” | Papier (paper) |
| Q q | koo (/kuː/) | like “k” followed by “v” | Quelle (source) |
| R r | er (/ɛʁ/) | a guttural sound from the throat | Rot (red) |
| S s | es (/ɛs/) | like “z” in “zebra” before a vowel | Sonne (sun) |
| T t | teh (/teː/) | like “t” in “tea” | Tisch (table) |
| U u | oo (/uː/) | like “oo” in “food” | Uhr (clock/watch) |
| V v | fau (/faʊ/) | like “f” in “fish” | Vater (father) |
| W w | veh (/veː/) | like “v” in “van” | Wasser (water) |
| X x | iks (/ɪks/) | like “x” in “box” | Fox (fox) |
| Y y | ypsilon (/ˈʏpsilɔn/) | like “ü” (see below) | Yoga (yoga) |
| Z z | tset (/tsɛt/) | like “ts” in “cats” | Zeit (time) |
| Ä ä | äh (/ɛː/) | like “e” in “bed” | Äpfel (apples) |
| Ö ö | öh (/øː/) | like “i” in “girl” (rounded lips) | Öl (oil) |
| Ü ü | üh (/yː/) | like “ee” in “see” (with rounded lips) | Über (over/about) |
| ẞ ß | Es-zett (/ɛsˈtsɛt/) | sharp “s” sound, like “s” in “see” | Straße (street) |
Pronunciation Tips for German
1. Say every letter clearly
German pronunciation is very regular.
No silent letters (except h after vowels).
Example:
• Haus → every letter is spoken: H-a-u-s
2. Vowels are short or long
- Long vowels sound stretched.
- Short vowels sound quick.
Examples:
• Leben (long e)
• Bett (short e)
3. “R” is softer
German “R” is pronounced from the throat, especially at the end.
Examples:
• mir
• hier
• Bäcker
4. “V” sounds like English “F”
Examples:
• Vater → Fater
• Vogel → Fogel
5. “W” sounds like English “V”
Examples:
• Wasser → Vasser
• Welt → Velt
6. “S” at the beginning sounds like “Z”
Examples:
• Sonne → Zonne
• Super → Zuper
7. “Z” sounds like “ts”
Examples:
• Zeit → tsait
• Zwei → tsvai
8. Umlauts change the sound
- Ä like English “e” in bed
- Ö like saying “e” with rounded lips
- Ü like saying “ee” with rounded lips
Examples:
• Mädchen
• Öl
• Tür
9. ß = sharp S
It is pronounced like a long “s.”
Example:
• Straße (strasse)
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Confusing V and W: Remember, German V is pronounced like English F (Vater), and German W is pronounced like English V (Wasser).
- The Z Sound: The German Z always sounds like “ts,” never like a buzzy English “z.”
Viel Erfolg! (Good luck!)