The German Alphabet: A Comprehensive Guide
The German alphabet, or "Deutsches Alphabet," is based on the Latin script and consists of 26 standard letters, just like the English alphabet. However, it also includes additional characters that are unique to the German language. Understanding the German alphabet is essential for learning the language, as pronunciation and spelling rules differ from English.
The Letters of the German Alphabet
The German alphabet consists of the following 26 letters:
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
In addition to the standard letters, German includes four additional characters:
Ä (ä) – Pronounced as "ae," similar to the "e" in "bet."
Ö (ö) – Pronounced as "oe," similar to the "i" in "bird" (British English).
Ü (ü) – Pronounced as "ue," similar to the French "u."
ß (Eszett or sharp S) – Used instead of "ss" in certain words, such as "groß" (big).
Table of German letters with pronunciation and example words
Letter |
Pronunciation |
Example Word |
English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
A |
ah |
Apfel |
Apple |
B |
beh |
Brot |
Bread |
C |
tseh |
Computer |
Computer |
D |
deh |
Dorf |
Village |
E |
eh |
Ente |
Duck |
F |
eff |
Fisch |
Fish |
G |
geh |
Garten |
Garden |
H |
haa |
Hund |
Dog |
I |
ee |
Insel |
Island |
J |
yot |
Jahr |
Year |
K |
kah |
Katze |
Cat |
L |
el |
Lampe |
Lamp |
M |
em |
Maus |
Mouse |
N |
en |
Nacht |
Night |
O |
oh |
Ohr |
Ear |
P |
peh |
Papier |
Paper |
Q |
kuh |
Quelle |
Source |
R |
err |
Regen |
Red |
S |
es |
Sohn |
Son |
T |
teh |
Tisch |
Table |
U |
uh |
Uhr |
Clock |
V |
fow |
Vater |
Father |
W |
veh |
Wasser |
Water |
X |
iks |
Xylofon |
Xylophone |
Y |
ypsilon |
Yacht |
Yacht |
Z |
tset |
Zebra |
Zebra |
Umlaute |
|||
Ä |
eeh |
Äpfel |
Apples |
Ü |
ueh |
Über |
Over |
Ö |
oeh |
Öl |
Oil |
ẞ |
ess-tset or sharp S (scharfes S) |
groß |
big |
Pronunciation Differences
The pronunciation of some letters in German differs from English:
J is pronounced like the English "Y" (e.g., "Ja" sounds like "Ya").
V is often pronounced like an English "F" (e.g., "Vater" sounds like "Fater").
W is pronounced like an English "V" (e.g., "Wasser" sounds like "Vasser").
Z is pronounced as "ts" (e.g., "Zeit" sounds like "tsite").
S at the beginning of a word before a vowel is pronounced like "Z" (e.g., "Sonne" sounds like "Zonne").
German Alphabet in Everyday Use
The German alphabet follows similar writing conventions to English but has some specific rules:
Nouns are always capitalized, making it easier to distinguish them in a sentence.
The Eszett (ß) is used in formal writing but can be replaced by "ss" in all-uppercase text.
The umlauted vowels (Ä, Ö, Ü) significantly affect pronunciation and meaning.
Useful vocabulary
das Alphabet - alphabet
der Buchstabe (pl. Buchstaben) - letter, character
buchstabieren (hat buchstabiert) - spell (has spelt)
der Umlaut (die 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.)
Task for yourself to practise
Spell the following:
your name
city where you live
country of your birth
your favourite river/lake/sea
your cat’s name