The Unrounded Vowels
In the video below, you will learn what an "unrounded" vowel is. Then you will know what the 11 unrounded German vowels are and how to pronounce them.
Below the video, I have attached word lists for you to tune your hearing to these sounds and recognize them in real German speech.
Below the video, I have attached word lists for you to tune your hearing to these sounds and recognize them in real German speech.
/i/
English: seat, feet, geese.
German: ihnen, sie, viel, wie, liegt, nie, liebe, liege, fliege, sieben, riesig
German: ihnen, sie, viel, wie, liegt, nie, liebe, liege, fliege, sieben, riesig
/ɪ/
English: sit, fit, gin
German: bitte, bisschen, dritte, finde, ich, in, sind, sich, dich, will, bis
German: bitte, bisschen, dritte, finde, ich, in, sind, sich, dich, will, bis
/e/
English: late, hate, made (actually pronounced differently in English as /eɪ/)
German: egal, weg, eben, gehen, sehen, zen, geben, jeder, neben, lebens, stehen
German: egal, weg, eben, gehen, sehen, zen, geben, jeder, neben, lebens, stehen
/ɛ/
English: head, bet, said
German: es, wenn, jetzt, sechs, denn, menschen, sprechen, schnell, männer, vergessen, Schwester
German: es, wenn, jetzt, sechs, denn, menschen, sprechen, schnell, männer, vergessen, Schwester
/u/
English: who, goo, crew (pronounced slightly differently in English with moving lips)
German: zu, genug, super, tut, du, gut, tun, suchen
German: zu, genug, super, tut, du, gut, tun, suchen
/ʊ/
English: good, wood, should.
German: und, Grund, unsere, muss, mutter, gefunden, unser, junge, Ahnung, stunde, hund
German: und, Grund, unsere, muss, mutter, gefunden, unser, junge, Ahnung, stunde, hund
/o/
English: note, glow, fro (pronounced differently as /oʊ/)
German: ohne, oder, oben, also, so, mexico, wohnung, brot, gros, rot, verboten
German: ohne, oder, oben, also, so, mexico, wohnung, brot, gros, rot, verboten
/ɔ/
English: dog, awe, flaw
German: voll, doch, koch, kopf, trotzdem, Tochter, getroffen, kommen, schloss, Gott, ob
German: voll, doch, koch, kopf, trotzdem, Tochter, getroffen, kommen, schloss, Gott, ob
/a/
German: Tag, mag, mal, fasst, hat, dachter, machen, alles, sagen, lachen, Nase
/ɐ/
English: was, the, above (tongue position for these words is actually in between German /ɐ/ and /ə/)
German: super, Wasser, kinder, Kleider, Vater, Mutter, Bruder, Schwester, fahrer, lieber, aber
German: super, Wasser, kinder, Kleider, Vater, Mutter, Bruder, Schwester, fahrer, lieber, aber
/ə/
German: fahre, Suppe, mache, sage, schlafe, ihnen, einige, andere, bitte, Heise, zweite
Part 1: Vowels
Lesson 1: What is a Vowel? << Lesson 2: Unrounded Vowels >> Lesson 3: Rounded Vowels
| Home | > | Unit 1: Sound Capacity |
Lesson 1: What is a Vowel? << Lesson 2: Unrounded Vowels >> Lesson 3: Rounded Vowels
| Home | > | Unit 1: Sound Capacity |
