Getting Started
German is refreshingly phonetic — once you know the sounds, you can read almost any word aloud. Here is the full alphabet with audio, plus the special letters and sound combinations that trip up beginners.
Key takeaways
- German uses the 26 Latin letters plus four extras: ä, ö, ü and ß.
- German spelling is highly phonetic — words are pronounced almost exactly as written.
- Master a handful of tricky combinations (ch, ei, ie, eu, w, v, z, r) and you can read anything.
- The umlauts (ä, ö, ü) change a vowel’s sound; ß is a sharp “ss.”
- Tap any letter or example in this guide to hear it spoken.
The German alphabet
German uses the same 26 letters as English — plus four extras you will meet in a moment. The best news? German is refreshingly phonetic: once you know the sounds, you can read almost any word aloud. Tap any letter below to hear its name spoken by a German voice.
The four special letters
Beyond A–Z, German adds three umlauted vowels and one special consonant. The umlaut (the two dots) changes a vowel’s sound; the ß (called Eszett or “sharp s”) is simply a sharp “ss.” Tap to hear each:
A few examples: Äpfel (apples), schön (beautiful), über (over), Straße (street).
Sound combinations that trip up beginners
Most letters sound close to their English cousins, but a handful of combinations follow their own rules. Learn these and you can pronounce virtually any German word correctly:
| Letters | Sounds like | Example (tap to hear) |
|---|---|---|
| ei | “eye” | mein |
| ie | “ee” | Liebe |
| eu / äu | “oy” | Deutsch |
| au | “ow” | Haus |
| ch | soft (ich) or hard (Buch) | Buch |
| sch | “sh” | schön |
| sp / st | “shp” / “sht” at the start | Straße |
| v | “f” | Vater |
| w | “v” | Wasser |
| z | “ts” | Zeit |
| s | “z” before a vowel | Sonne |
| r | guttural, from the throat | rot |
| j | “y” | ja |
The good news: German is phonetic
This is worth repeating because it is such an advantage. In English, spelling and sound are only loosely related. In German, they line up almost perfectly — which means that once you have the sounds above, you can pick up a German newspaper and read it aloud correctly, even without understanding every word. That is a huge confidence boost early on.
How to practise your pronunciation
Listen and repeat out loud — imitation is everything. Read our vocabulary lists and graded stories aloud (both have audio), and get feedback from a native speaker: a tutor on italki can gently fix your ch and r in a single session. Ready for the next step? See how to learn German from here.
The fastest way to turn learning into real speaking is regular practice with a native tutor. On italki you can book affordable one-to-one German lessons.
Find a tutor on italki →Frequently asked questions
How many letters are in the German alphabet?
German has 26 base letters, the same as English, plus four special characters: the umlauted vowels ä, ö and ü, and the ß (Eszett or sharp s). That gives 30 characters in total.
How do you pronounce ä, ö and ü?
Ä sounds like the “e” in “bed.” Ö is close to the “i” in “bird” said with rounded lips. Ü is like “ee” but with tightly rounded lips — there is no exact English equivalent. The umlaut always shifts the vowel towards the front of the mouth.
What is the ß in German?
The ß, called Eszett or “sharp s,” is pronounced like a sharp, voiceless “ss.” It appears after long vowels and diphthongs, as in Straße (street). Switzerland does not use it, writing “ss” instead.
Is German pronunciation hard?
Not really — it is one of the easier parts of German. Because the language is phonetic, words are pronounced as written, so once you learn the alphabet and a few sound combinations, you can read almost anything aloud correctly. The trickiest sounds for English speakers are the guttural “r,” the “ch,” and the ü.