Guide to the German Alphabet (Deutsches Alphabet)

The German alphabet (Deutsches Alphabet) is based on the Latin script and contains 26 standard letters, just like the English alphabet. However, German also includes unique characters and umlauts that are essential for correct spelling and pronunciation.

If you want to learn German, understanding the alphabet is one of the first and most important steps, since many letters sound different from English.

The 26 Letters of the German Alphabet

Here are the standard German letters (A–Z):

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

Special Characters in the German Alphabet

1. Umlauts: Ä, Ö, Ü

Umlauts represent a change in vowel sound. For example:

• Ä – sounds like “e” in bet

• Ö – similar to British English “i” in bird

• Ü – similar to the French “u”

2. ß (Eszett or Sharp S)

The ß is used instead of “ss” in certain words. For example:

• groß (big)

• Straße (street)

German Alphabet Pronunciation with Examples

Here’s a table of German letters with pronunciation and examples:

Key Pronunciation Differences in German

Some German letters are pronounced differently than in English:

• J → like English Y (e.g., Ja = Ya).

• V → usually sounds like F (e.g., Vater = Fater).

• W → sounds like English V (e.g., Wasser = Vasser).

• Z → pronounced ts (e.g., Zeit = tsite).

• S → before vowels, pronounced like English Z (e.g., Sonne = Zonne).

German Alphabet in Everyday Use

When reading and writing in German, keep these rules in mind:

• Nouns are always capitalized (e.g., Hund, Haus).

• ß (Eszett) is used in formal writing but often replaced with ss in all-caps text.

• Umlauts (Ä, Ö, Ü) change the meaning of words (e.g., schon vs. schön).

Useful German Vocabulary about the Alphabet

• das Alphabet – alphabet

• der Buchstabe (pl. Buchstaben) – letter, character

• buchstabieren – to spell

• der Umlaut (pl. Umlaute) – umlaut

• das Wort (pl. Wörter) – word

Example Sentences with Keywords

• Das Alphabet: Das deutsche Alphabet besteht aus 26 Buchstaben. (The German alphabet consists of 26 letters.)

• Der Buchstabe (pl. Buchstaben): Der Buchstabe „ß“ existiert nur in der deutschen Sprache. (The letter "ß" exists only in the German language.)

• Buchstabieren (hat buchstabiert): Können Sie bitte Ihren Namen buchstabieren? (Can you please spell your name?)

• Der Umlaut (pl. Umlaute): Die deutschen Umlaute sind ä, ö und ü. (The German umlauts are ä, ö, and ü.)

• Das Wort (pl. Wörter): Ich habe ein neues deutsches Wort gelernt. (I learned a new German word.)

Fun Facts About the German Alphabet

• The letter ß does not exist in Switzerland. Instead, Swiss German always uses “ss.”

• Some German surnames replace umlauts with letter combinations:

  • Ä → Ae (e.g., Müller → Mueller)

  • Ö → Oe

  • Ü → Ue

• German is one of the few languages where all nouns are capitalized, which makes texts look unique.

🎶 The German Alphabet Song (ABC-Lied)

Yes! Just like in English, there is a German alphabet song, called the "ABC-Lied". It’s often sung to the same melody as the English "Twinkle,Twinkle, Little Star" or "ABC Song".

🎤 Lyrics of the German Alphabet Song

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
Jetzt hast du das Alphabet!
(Now you have the alphabet!)

🔠 Pronunciation Tips

Here is how each line is pronounced (phonetically, for English speakers):

1️⃣ A, B, C, D, E, F, G
➡️ Ah, Beh, Tseh, Deh, Eh, Eff, Geh

2️⃣ H, I, J, K, L, M, N
➡️ Hah, Ee, Yot, Kah, El, Em, En

3️⃣ O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V
➡️ Oh, Peh, Kuh, Err, Ess, Teh, Uh, Fau

4️⃣ W, X, Y, Z
➡️ Veh, Iks, Ypsilon, Tset

5️⃣ Jetzt hast du das Alphabet!
➡️ Yetzt hahst doo dahs Alphabet!

💡 What Does "Jetzt hast du das Alphabet!" Mean?

It means:
👉 "Now you have (learned) the alphabet!"

It’s the cheerful ending to the song and lets learners feel proud of themselves.

Practice Task: Spell in German

To practice spelling in German, try spelling aloud:

• Your name

• The city where you live

• Your country of birth

• Your favorite river, lake, or sea

• Your pet’s name