Beautiful letters of the German alphabet. German letters in pictures - coloring and coloring. German alphabet pronunciation

The German alphabet was created from the Greco-Romance alphabet. It consists of 26 letters represented in the German alphabet table. As a rule, it includes lowercase and uppercase letters of the German alphabet, pronunciation, the Russian analogue of the pronunciation of the letters of the German alphabet, and examples of German words in which one or another letter is clearly audible and pronounced.

When learning the German alphabet, it is important to pay attention to specific letters. umlaut (umlaut, Umlaut), which are not in the standard Latin alphabet. We are talking about the letters ä, ö, ü, ß.

Lowercase letters of the German alphabet

german letter

Russian analogue

Transcription

Examples

A a

der A pfel (apple)
a rm (poor)
der Fall (case)
der A bend (evening)
scha ffen (create)

Bb

bae

der Bus (bus)
b auen (to build)
neb en (close)
das Sieb (sieve)
sieb en (seven)

c c

ce

der C character (character)
die C hemie (chemistry)
ac ht (eight)
die C reme (cream)
der C hef (Chief)

D d

de

der Dill (dill)
Donau (Danube)
leid en (suffer)
Das Lied (song)
der Bod en (soil)

e e

die E he (marriage)
der Berg (mountain)
der Tee (tea)
gern (willingly)
der Rabe (raven)

F f

ef

[εf]

fein (thin)
der Freund (friend)
die Hilf e (help)
Das Schiff
funf (five)

G g

ge

gut (good)
das Geld (money)
mog en (to love)
der Zug (train)
wegg ehen (leave)

H h

h ier (here)
h aben (to have)
der Hofh und (yard dog)
der Rauch (smoke)
h undert (one hundred)

I i

der I gel (hedgehog)
Wi en (Vienna)
fi nden (find)
mobile (mobile)
di e Kopi e (copy)

Jj

iot

der Jew (Jew)
Benjamin (Benjamin)
jetzt (now)
j a (yeah)
das Jod (iodine)

Kk

ka

der K amm (comb)
der Rock (skirt)
klein (small)
back en (furnace)
denk en (think)

l l

email

[εl]

laufen (to run)
bl ind (blind)
die Insel (island)
der Himmel (sky)
die Lampe (lamp)

M m

Em

[εm]

malen (draw)
der Mensch (person)
komm en (come)
der Baum (tree)
dumm (stupid)

N n

en

[εn]

nur (only)
die N acht (night)
konn en (to be able)
wohn en (live)
n eun (nine)

O o

oben (top)
die So nne (sun)
die Flora (flora)
also (so)
for rmlo s (shapeless)

Pp

pe

die Presse (press)
tipp en (print)
p lump (clumsy)
die P flanze (plant)
der Typ (type)

Q q

ku

die Q uelle (source)
q uadraticsh (square)
der Quark (cottage cheese)
verq uält (exhausted)
der Quatsch (nonsense)

R r

er

[εr]

rufen (to call)
die Gruppe (group)
die Kir sche (cherry)
hier (here)
das beer (beer)

S s

es

[εs]

der Sohn (son)
sieben (seven)
die Nas e (nose)
interest ant (interesting)
was (what)

T t

te

der Tisch (table)
die T ant e (aunt)
gott lich (divine)
satt (satiated)
das Brot (bread)

U u

die U hr (hours)
die Ursache (reason)
wu nderbar (wonderful)
genau (exactly)
mu rmeln (to mumble)

Vv

fau

der Vater (father)
v on (from)
der Karnev al [-v-] (carnival)
herv orgehen [-f-] (to occur)
der Nerv [-v] (nerve)

Ww

ve

wollen (to wish)
der Wein (wine)
die Wohnung (apartment)
bew eisen (prove)
die Anw endung (application)

X x

X

Xanten (Xanten)
die Hex e (witch)
die Tax e (dachshund)
das Max imum (maximum)
das Fax (fax, message)

Y y

upsilon

der Y eti (yeti, snowman)
dy namisch (dynamic)
der Zy niker (cynic)
die Lyrik (lyrics)
die Phy sik (physics)

Zz

tset

der Zoo (zoo)
ziehen (pull)
sit en (sit)
der Kranz (wreath)
das Holz (wood)

Ä ä

[ε]

ä hnlich (similar)
der Bär (bear)
gähnen (to yawn)
der Ka se (cheese)

Ö ö

Ö sterreich (Austria)
lo sen (decide)
bö se (evil)
dasÖl (oil)

Ü ü

ü blich (regular)
ü ber (over)
die Bu hne (stage)
die Tür (door)

Es

der Fu ß (leg)
drauss en (outside)
reiß en (tear)
beiß en (to bite)

For those who are starting to learn German, it is important to know capital letters of the German alphabet.

Das Deutsche Alphabet fur Kinder

But still, at a certain stage in the study of any language, it is necessary to learn the alphabet. Let's try to make this process more interesting for children!

German alphabet

The spelling and names of letters (namely letters, not the sounds that they can convey in writing):

german letter Russian analogue Transcription Examples

A a

a der A pfel (apple)
a rm (poor)
sch a ffen (create)

Bb

bae der B us (bus)
b auen (to build)
sie b en (seven)

c c

ce die C hemie (chemistry)
a c ht (eight)
die C reme (cream)

D d

de der D ill (dill)
lei d en (to suffer)
das lie d(song)

e e

uh der B e rg (mountain)
der Te e(tea)
g e rn (willingly)

F f

ef [εf] der F round (friend)
die Hill f e (help)
f un f(five)

G g

ge g ut (good)
der Zu g(train)
we gg ehen (leave)

H h

ha h aben (to have)
der H und (dog)
h undert (one hundred)

I i

and der I gel (hedgehog)
f i nden (find)
mob i l (movable)

Jj

iot der J ude (Jew)
j etzt (now)
j a (yes)

Kk

ka der K amm (comb)
der Ro ck(skirt)
k lane (small)

l l

email [εl] l aufen (to run)
der Himme l(sky)
die L ampe (lamp)

M m

Em [εm] m alen (draw)
der M ensch (person)
der Bau m(wood)

N n

en [εn] die N acht (night)
woh n e n(live)
n eu n(nine)

O o

about o ben (top)
die S o ne (sun)
als o(so)

Pp

pe die P resse (press)
ti pp en (print)
die P flanze (plant)

Q q

ku die Q uelle (source)
der Q uark (cottage cheese)
der Q utsch (nonsense)

R r

er [εr] r ufen (to call)
die Ki r sche (cherry)
hie r(here)

S s

es [εs] der S ohn (son)
intere ss ant (interesting)
wa s(what)

T t

te der T isch (table)
die T an t e (aunt)
das bro t(bread)

U u

at die U hr (hours)
w u nderbar (wonderful)
gena u(exactly)

Vv

fau der V ater (father)
der Karne v al [-v-] (carnival)
der Ner v[-v] (nerve)

Ww

ve w ollen (to wish)
der W ein (wine)
die W ohnung (apartment)

X x

X die He x e (witch)
die Ta x e (dachshund)
Das Ma x imum (maximum)

Y y

upsilon d ynamisch (dynamic)
der Z y niker (cynic)
die Ph y sik (physics)

Zz

tset der Z oo (zoo)
sit z en (sit)
Das Hol z(wood)

Ä ä **

and umlaut ä hnlich (similar)
der B ä r (bear)
der K ä se (cheese)

Ö ö **

o umlaut Ö sterreich (Austria)
l ö sen (decide)
b ö se (evil)

Ü ü **

u umlaut ü blich (regular)
ü ber (over)
die T ü r (door)

ß

Escet [s] der Fu ß (leg)
drau ß en (outside)
bei ß en (bite)

Poems about the German alphabet

A B C D E —
alle lutschen Schnee.
F G H I J —
Dann Schlecken sie Kompott.
K L M N O P —
der Bauch tut ihnen weh.
Qu R S T U —
sie legen sich zur Ruh.
V W X Y Z —
sie schnarchen um die Wett.

ABCDE > Lernen tut nicht weh
FGHIJ > Geht runter wie Kompott
KLMNO > Macht uns immer froh
PQRST > Schmeckt wie süsser Tee
UVWXYZ > so geht's leicht mit dem Alphabet

A B C D E F G
so beginnt das ABC!
H und I und J und K,
jetzt ist die zweite Gruppe da !
L M N und O und P,
ich die dritte Gruppe seh!
Q und R und S und T,
immer night kein End, oh weh!
U und V und noch ein W,
bald kann ich ganz das ABC!
X and Y and Z,
ich kann es ganz, das Alphabet!

A ls ich das Licht nicht kannte,
B ang im Dunkel rannte,
C hamäleonmäßig leben wollte,
D onner dennoch grolte,
E rlebte ich so manches down,
Fünfzig Brücken wollt ich baun.
G anze vierzig brachen zusammen.
Häuser standen schon in Flammen.
I ch wusste nicht: Wohin soll ich gehn?
J emand muss mich doch verstehn.
K einer schien mir nah zu sein.
Lächeln, Lachen nur zum Schein.
M ochte mich selbst nicht leiden.
N ur noch Hass und Streitigkeiten.
O hne eine Hilfe, ohne einen Halt.
P robleme auf dem Rücken, fühlte mich alt.
Q uatsch geredet, ohne Sinn.
R uhig kamst du zu mir hin.
S treicheltest mein wirres Haar.
T röstetest mich wunderbar.
U nter deiner Vaterhand
V erlass ich jetzt das dürre Land.
W ohnst in mir, in meinem Herzen.
X Kusse, tausend helle Kerzen.
"Y ou are my Lord!", das weiß ich nun.
Zeitlos will ich in deinen Armen ruhn.

Naturwirtschaftliches Alphabet

Im Ameis'haufen wimmelt es,
Der Aff' frisst nie Verschimmeltes.

Die Biene ist ein fleissig' Tier,
Dem Bären kommt das spaßig für.

Die Ceder ist ein hoher Baum,
Oft schmeckt man die Citrone kaum.

Das wilde Dromedar man koppelt,
Der Dogge wächst die Nase doppelt.

Der Esel ist ein dummes Tier,
Der Elefant kann nichts dafür.

Im Suden fern die Feige reift,
Der Falk am Finken sich vergreift.

Die Gems' im Freienübernachtet,
Martini man die Gänse schlachtet.

Der Hopfen wächst an langer Stange,
Der Hofhund macht dem Wand'rer Bange.

Trau ja dem Igel nicht, er sticht,
Der Iltis ist auf Mord erpicht.

Johanniswürmchen freut uns sehr,
Der Jaguar weit weniger.

Den Kakadu man gern betrachtet,
Das Kalb man ohne weiter's schlachtet.

Die Lerche in die Lufte steigt,
Der Lowe brüllt, wenn er nicht schweigt.

Die Maus tut niemand was zuleide,
Der Mops ist alter Damen Freude.

Die Nachtigall singt wunderschön,
Das Nilpferd bleibt zuweilen steh'n.

Der Orang-Utan ist possierlich,
Der Ochs benimmt sich unmanierlich.

Der Papagei hat keine Ohren,
Der Pudel ist meist halb geschoren.

Das Quarz sitzt tief im Berges-Schacht,
Die Quitte stiehlt man bei der Nacht.

Der Rehbock scheut den Büchsenknall,
Die Ratt' gedeihet überall.

Der Steinbock lange Horner hat,
Auch gibt es Schweine in der Stadt.

Die Turteltaube Eier legt,
Der Tapir nachts zu schlafen pflegt.

Die Unke schreit im Sumpfe kläglich,
Der Uhu schläft zwölf Stunden täglich.

Das Vieh sich auf der Weide tummelt,
Der Vampir nachts die Luft durchbummelt.

Der Walfischstört des Herings Frieden,
Des Wurmes Lange ist verschieden.

Die Zwiebel ist der Juden Speise,
Das Zebra trifft man stellenweise.

Games with the German alphabet

It will be very good if you play all the games with your child in German. Let it be the most simple sentences but in German.

1. Draw a few letters on paper, and then, together with your child, draw their eyes, mouth, ears, hair, arms, legs, clothes. They can be turned into humans or animals. The names of these creatures will be the names of the corresponding letters. Then the letters can participate in various skits, visit each other. For example, you can play around with the word “family” (Familie): let each letter be one of the family members, they will be dressed differently and of different sizes, and together they form the word family.

Examples of possible phrases:

  • Das sind unsere Buchstaben. Diese Buchstabe heiβt A und diese Buchstabe heiβt B (These are our letters. This letter is called A, and this letter is called Be)
  • Lass uns noch mit diesen Buchstaben kennenlernen. Wie heibet du? Ich heiβe B. Sehr angenehem, B! Ich heiβe C. (Let's get acquainted with these letters. What is your name? My name is Bae. Very nice, Bae. My name is Tse)
  • Guck mal! Diese Buchstabe ist wie ein Hase. (Look! This letter looks like a hare!)

2. You can also sculpt letters from plasticine (let, for example, funny multi-colored worms turn into letters), you can make crafts from paper and other materials.

3. You can buy letters with magnets, draw letters (just letters, words or whole sentences) on a magnetic board with a washable felt-tip pen, and then the child must put the corresponding letter in the right place on the board. The same can be done with paper and glue, fabric and Velcro.

4. The variety of word games with letters depends on the number of words the child knows in German. You can call with the child in turn for each letter:

  • Food
  • items in the house
  • body parts
  • objects on the street
  • animals, etc.

If the child only learns words or does not know how they are spelled, name the words from such a list yourself.

I offer you a list with tips. Friends! Who will have ideas what words can be entered in the empty fields, write in the comments ... my fantasy is over 🙁

Letters Animals, birds, insects, fish House, furniture, dishes Food clothing
A Affe (monkey) Auto (car) Apfel (apple) Anzug (suit)
B Bär (bear) Bett (bed), Boden (floor), Bild (painting), Buch (book) Birne (pear), Banana (banana) Brot (bread) Butter (butter)
C Computer (computer)
D Dinosaurier (dinosaur) Dach (roof)
E Elefant (elephant), Enten (duck), Eisbär (polar bear), Elch (moose), Esel (donkey) Eisen (iron) Egg (egg), Eis (ice cream)
F Fuchs (fox), Flusspferd (hippo), Fisch (fish), Frosch (frog) Fernseher (TV) Fenster (window) Fleisch (meat) Fisch (fish)
G Gans (goose), Girafe (giraffe) Garten (garden), Garage (garage) Gemuse (vegetables)
H Hund (dog), Hase (hare), Huhn (chicken), Hahn (rooster) Haus (house), Herd (stove) Hemd (shirt) Handschuhe (gloves) Hose (trousers)
J Jaguar (jaguar) Journal (magazine) Jacke (jacket), Jeans (jeans)
I Igel (hedgehog)
K Katze (cat), Kuh (cow) Kühlschrank (refrigerator) Kuchen (pie), Käse (cheese), Kartoffeln (potatoes), Karotten (markovy) Kappe (cap), Kleid (dress)
L Löwe (lion), Leopard (leopard) Lampe (lamp) Löffel (spoon) Lemon (Lemon)
M Maus (mouse) Messer (knife)Mikrowelle (microwave) Milch (milk), Melone (melon) Mantel (coat), Mütze (hat)
N Nashorn (rhinoceros)
O Orange (orange), Obst (fruit)
P Pferd (horse), Panda (panda) Pfanne (frying pan) Pasta (macaroni) Pelzmantel (fur coat) Pajama (pajamas)
Q Quark (cottage cheese)
R Ratte (rat) Regal (shelf) Radio (radio) Reis (rice) Rock (skirt)
S Schwein (pig), Schildkröte (turtle), Schmetterling (butterfly), Schaf (sheep) Stuhl (chair) Sofa (sofa) Sessel (armchair) Schrank (wardrobe)

Spielzeug (toys)

Saft (juice) Salz (salt) Shorts (shorts)Socken (socks)Shuhe (shoes)Schal (scarf)

Stifel (boots)

T Tiger (tiger) Tisch (table), Tür (door), Teppich (carpet) Tee (tea) T-Shirt (t-shirt)
U Uhr (hours) Unterhose (panties), Unterwäsche (underwear)
V Vogel (bird) Vorhange (curtains)
W Wal (whale), Wolf (wolf) Wand (wall) Wasser (water) Wasserlemon (watermelon) Weintrauben (grape)
X
Y
Z Ziege (goat), Zebra (zebra) Zimmer (room), Zeitung (newspaper) Zucker (sugar), Zwiebeln (onion)
Ö Öl (oil)

German letters in pictures this is exactly what the German alphabet in pictures can be taught from a very early age. All letters are presented below, after the article. If German will be one of your child's main languages ​​(or even the main one), then after a year the German letters in the pictures will come in handy for learning. Otherwise, of course, it is better to wait a little.

Do not be surprised, but after a year, German letters in pictures are quite possible to learn. Because the child now remembers everything like a sponge. German letters in pictures will become something bright for him, colorful - and therefore memorable. Hang one letter today on a wall or on a closet, and tell your child that this is such and such a German letter. Then, after some time, when you see that the child already clearly remembers exactly how the German letter sounds, hang another letter. This is both a game, and also the development of the baby.

Older children can color the German letters in the pictures, putting them in order, like the alphabet. The German letters in the pictures make up the German alphabet. Sooner or later, you will also have to learn it if you want your child to know German. Coloring is something that can help in learning each individual German letter. The child will color today the first letter of the German alphabet, tomorrow the second, the day after tomorrow the third, and so on.

It just seems like it will take a long time. In fact, one month - and the German alphabet in coloring pages will be ready. The main thing is to start repeating it again, and possibly already from the end. It is important to remember here that the German alphabet can also be forgotten, while we are learning one thing, we forget another. Therefore, every day repeat the German letters in pictures with your child, according to what you have already colored, learned. Thus, the German alphabet is easier and more fun to learn. It's not as dry as in the book - the German letters in the coloring pictures give creative freedom.

On the other hand, maybe the child does not need such freedom. Then print out for yourself the German letters in the pictures already painted by us. And the child will ALREADY be able to learn the German alphabet from the finished material. Even if you yourself do not know German, it does not matter. In our pictures, German letters are depicted with Russian transcription. So you can easily help your child, learn a new, German language.

The German alphabet is represented by high-quality A4 format pictures

The first letter of the German alphabet is A, click on it to see the coloring page.

The second letter of the German alphabet is B to see the coloring you need to click on the letter.

The third letter of the German alphabet is C, click on it to see the coloring page.

The fourth letter of the German alphabet D, click on it to see the coloring page.

Fifth letter of the German alphabet E, click, the coloring page will open.

The sixth letter of the German alphabet F, click and the coloring page will open.

The seventh letter of the German alphabet G, click and the coloring page will open.

The eighth letter of the German alphabet H, click to open the coloring page.

The ninth letter of the German alphabet I, click to open the coloring page.

The tenth letter of the German alphabet is J, click and the coloring page will open.

The eleventh letter of the German alphabet is K, click and the coloring page will appear.

The twelfth letter of the German alphabet L, click and the coloring page will appear.

The thirteenth letter of the German alphabet M, click and the coloring page will appear.

The fourteenth letter of the German alphabet N, click and there will be a coloring.

The fifteenth letter of the German alphabet is O

The sixteenth letter of the German alphabet is P, click on it and there will be a coloring.

The seventeenth letter of the German alphabet Q, click on it - the coloring will appear.

The eighteenth letter of the German alphabet R, click and the coloring will appear.

The nineteenth letter of the German alphabet S, click and the coloring page will open.

The twentieth letter of the German alphabet T, click and the coloring page will open.

The twenty-first letter of the German alphabet U, click and the coloring page will open.

The twenty-second letter of the German alphabet V

The twenty-third letter of the German alphabet W, click and the coloring page will open.

X is the twenty-fourth letter of the German alphabet., click and the coloring page will open.

The twenty-fifth letter of the German alphabet Y, click and the coloring page will open.

The twenty-sixth letter of the German alphabet Z, click and the coloring page will open.

It's time to reinforce this skill on the other hand - learn how to write German letters by hand. Moreover, not printed letters, namely written ones.

What is it for?

  1. First, by writing words by hand, we connect motor memory to the learning process. It is a valuable resource when learning foreign language, you should definitely use it!
  2. Secondly, you are learning German not for virtual purposes, but for real life. But in real life, you really may need to fill out some forms, questionnaires in German, perhaps handwritten applications, etc.
But - you ask - are not those Latin letters that we know from mathematics or from English lessons enough? Aren't they the same letters?

And you will be partly right: of course, these are the same letters, but, as it should be for original cultures, there are some features in the German written font. And it is useful to know them so that when faced, to be able to read what is written.

And for many people, handwriting is far from the school norm, to put it mildly. And in order to understand this kind of handwritten "fonts", it is important to have your own writing skill that has evolved through different situations - writing in a hurry, on scraps of paper, in uncomfortable positions, on a school board with chalk or marker, etc. But most importantly, you need to clearly imagine to himself the original, which each hand-writer undergoes his own individual changes. This original will be discussed later.

German written fonts

At the moment, there are several written German scripts that are used for teaching in elementary school, and, accordingly, are used later in life. In Germany alone, for example, there are several "standards" adopted in different time. Some federal states have clear guidelines for the use of a certain font in elementary school, while others rely on the choice of the teacher.

latin script(Lateinische Ausgangsschrift) was adopted in Germany in 1953. In practice, it differs little from its predecessor of 1941, the most noticeable is the new look of the capital letter S and the new cursive spelling of the letters X, x (the horizontal dash in the center also left the capital X), plus the "loops" were abolished - in the center of capital letters E, R and in connecting dashes (arcs) of the letters O, V, W and Ö.


The GDR also made adjustments to learning programs for elementary school, and in 1958 the script type Schreibschrift-Vorlage was adopted, which I do not show here, since it repeats the above version almost exactly, except for the following innovations:

  • new cursive lowercase t (see next font)
  • slightly modified spelling of the letter ß (see next font)
  • the right half of the X, x is now slightly separated from the left
  • dots over i and j became dashes, similar to dashes over umlauts
  • the horizontal line at the capital Z disappeared
And 10 years later, in 1968, in the same GDR, in order to make it easier for schoolchildren to write, this font was modified further, radically simplifying writing capital letters! Of the lowercase, only x has been changed, the rest is inherited from the 1958 font. Once again, note the spelling of ß and t, as well as the slight differences in f and r compared to writing in the "Latin" font. As a result, the following happened.

school writing font(Schulausgangsschrift):


Germany also went in the direction of simplification, having developed its own version of a similar font in 1969, which they called “simplified”. The innovation and feature of this font was that all connecting dashes were brought to the same level, to the rather "line" of small letters.

Simplified written font(Vereinfachte Ausgangsschrift):


In general, it is not the same as the "school" font above, although there are some stylistic similarities. By the way, dots over i, j have been preserved, while strokes over umlauts, on the contrary, have become more like dots. Notice the lowercase s, t, f, z (!), as well as the ß.

It is worth mentioning one more option, under the solid name "base font" (Grundschrift), all the letters of which, both lowercase and uppercase, are more similar to printed ones, and they are written separately from each other. This variant, developed in 2011, is being tested in some schools and, if adopted at the national level, could replace the above three fonts.

Austrian script fonts

To complete the picture, I will give two more variants of the capital German alphabet, which are used in Austria. I will leave them without comment, for independent comparison with the above fonts, drawing your attention only to a couple of features - in the 1969 font in lowercase t and f, the crossbar is written the same way (with a "loop"). Another feature no longer concerns the alphabet itself - the spelling of the number 9 differs from the version to which we are accustomed.

Austrian school font 1969:


Austrian school font(Österreichische Schulschrift) 1995:

What written German font should I use?

With such a variety of "standard" fonts, a reasonable question is which one to follow in writing? There is no definitive answer to this question, but some recommendations can be made:
  • If you are learning German with the aim of applying it to a specific country, such as Austria, choose between the written samples of that country. Otherwise, choose between the German variants.
  • For independent learners of German at a conscious age, I would recommend the "Latin" written script. This is a real classic and traditional German writing. For an adult, it will not be difficult to master it. One way or another, you can try each of the above options and choose the one that you like best.
  • For children who are just learning to write letters and it is important to learn them faster, you can choose between "school" and "simplified" fonts. The latter is perhaps more preferred.
  • For language learners in general education school this question is not particularly worth it, you need to follow the pattern that the teacher or textbook gives (and requires you to follow). As a rule, in our schools this is the "Latin" script. Sometimes - his GDR modification of 1958, which gives out the way the lowercase t is written.
What should be the outcome of this lesson:
  1. You must decide on the German font that you will follow on the letter. Try different options and make your choice.
  2. You must learn to handwrite all the letters of the alphabet, uppercase and lowercase. Repeat the lesson, then practice writing all the letters of the alphabet (in order) from memory. When self-checking, carefully compare each of your strokes with the sample. Repeat this paragraph until you make a single mistake - neither in the spelling of the letters, nor in their order.
In the future, when doing writing assignments, from time to time compare your notes with a font sample, try to follow it always (including drafts), correct your handwriting. However, I will remind you of this.


Every language starts with an alphabet, and German is no exception! To learn how to read German correctly, you must first become familiar with all German letters and sounds.
The German alphabet is a Latin-based alphabet with 26 letters:

A a[a], Bb[be], c c[tse], D d[de], e e[e], F f[ef], G g[ge], H h[Ha], I i[and], Jj[yot], Kk[ka], l l[el], M m[Em], N n[en], O o[about], Pp[ne], Q q[ku], R r[er], S s[es], T t[te], U u[y], Vv[fau], W w[ve], X x[X], Y y[upsilon], Zz[tset].

German alphabet (listen)

Listen to the alphabet:

There are also three umlauts (Ä, Ö, Ü) in the German alphabet.
Listen to umlauts:

Umlauts (two dots above vowels) denote a qualitative change in the sounds u, o, a.

The correct pronunciation of sounds in words with and without umlauts is very important, since the meaning of the word depends on it. For example, the word "schon" is pronounced firmly, with the sound "o" and means "already", while the word "schön" has a softer sound, close to the Russian "yo", and means "nice, sweet". Pay attention to the signs above the vowels to avoid misunderstanding!

To speak German correctly, pay attention to the pronunciation of German umlauts:
At the beginning of a word and after vowels, the umlaut "ä" is read as the sound "e", after consonants: as "e. To correctly pronounce the umlaut "ö", the position of the tongue should be like with "e", and the lips - like with "o". Thus, a sound will come out that is vaguely similar to the Russian "e". By the way, “e” can also be called an umlaut, because this is a qualitative change in the sound “e” in Russian. So, to pronounce the umlaut ü, the position of the tongue should be like with “and”, and the lips should be like with y. You will get a sound that is somewhat similar to the Russian "yu".
Umlauts are not so easy not only to pronounce, but also to type. If you do not have a German layout, you can use the generally accepted character substitution:
ä–ae
ö-oe
ü - ue

Another unusual sign of the German language is the ligature (i.e., the combination of letters) "escet" (ß).

Most often, “escet” is equated with the letters “ss”, however, in addition to the sound [s], it denotes the length of the previous sound, so you should not replace “ß” with “s” - “ss” signals the brevity of the previous sound, which is important to remember when studying the rules reading.
Like umlauts, "escet" is not part of the alphabet and is taken out of it. However, in dictionaries these letters follow alphabetical order: Ää follows Aa, Öö follows Oo, Üü follows Uu, and ß follows “ss”.

The rules for reading German words are quite simple and obey simple rules, and therefore there is no transcription in the German language - it appears only in some compound words, which most often came to German from other languages.
The emphasis is placed before stressed syllable, and a long sound is indicated by a colon.

From sound to letter. Learning to read in German

In German, different letters can make the same sound. The table below will help you figure out which letters and letter combinations are read the same way in German.

Remember! A syllable is considered open if it ends in a vowel: da. A closed syllable ends in a consonant: das.

Sound Pronunciation Letter Word position Examples
[a] [a] a in closed syllable das
Ah

in open syllable

[s] [With] s at the end of a word and after long vowels das, Nass
[z] [h] s before and between vowels Saat
f Fass
ff in the middle and end of a word paff
v at the beginning and middle of a word Vater
[v] [in] w at the beginning and middle of a word was
[n] [n] n at the beginning, middle and end of a word nah, an
nn wann
[d] [e] d at the beginning and middle of a word das
t At the beginning, middle and end of a word Tat
tt In the middle and end of a word satt
d at the end of a word Sand
[c] z at the beginning, middle and end of a word Zahn
tz in the middle and end of a word after short sounds Satz
[b] [b] b at the beginning and middle of a word between vowels Bahn
p at the beginning and middle of a word pass
pp in the middle and end of a word after short sounds knapp
b at the end of a word and before a consonant ab
[m] [m] m at the beginning and middle of a word Mann
mm Damm
[g] [G] g at the beginning and middle of a word Gast
[ŋ] [n] ng in the middle and end of a word after a short sound Sang
[ŋk] [nk] nk in the middle and end of a word after a short sound bank
k at the beginning and middle of a word cann
ck in the middle and end of a word after a short sound Sack
g at the end of a word Tag
[kv] qu Quant
[ks] x Axt
[i] [and] i in closed syllable East
i

in open syllable

ie
ieh
ih
[u] [y] u in closed syllable und
[at:] u

in open syllable

Rufen
uh Uhr
[ə] [e] e in final syllable Tasse

[R]
r at the beginning of a word or syllable Rat
rr after a consonant, short vowels and long Paar, Brust
[r] [a] r at the end of a word Vater, wir
[ɜ] [e] e in closed syllable Bett
[ɜː] [e:] ä in open syllable Kase, Bar,

[e:]
e

in open syllable

Rede, Weg, Tee, sehen
[ʃ] [w] sch at the beginning, middle and end of a word Schuh
[ʃt] [PCS] st at the beginning of a word Strasse
[ʃp] [w] sp at the beginning of a word spat
[ah] ei at the beginning, middle and end of a word ein, mein,
[about:] oh, oo in open syllable Brot, Boot,
[o] [about] o in closed syllable oft
[x] [X] ch after short sounds a, o, u Fach, doch, Buch
[ç] [xx] ch after a short sound ich, recht, weich
g in suffix -ig ruhig
[j] [th] j at the beginning of a word before vowels ja
[au] j before the vowels a, o, u in French. borrowings Journal, Jargon
g before the vowels e, i in French. borrowings Ingenieur
[pf] pf at the beginning, middle and end of a word Pfad, Apfel, Kampf
[oh] eu at the beginning, middle and end of a word Euch, neun, neu, Räume
Tasks for the lesson

Try to put your knowledge into practice by doing the following exercises. Do not be afraid to peek at the table, over time all the sounds will be remembered, and the need for hints will disappear by itself!

Exercise 1. Read the following words:

Mein, liegen, Freunde, Tasche, Tag, jetzt, Jacke, spielen, stehen, wachsen, zusammen, Stunde, Träume, täglich, ruhig, schon, Bitte, Spaß, selten, ziemlich, oft, neun, Brot, die, Baum, Nass.
Listen:

Answers to Exercise 1.
Mein [main], liegen ['li: gen], Freunde [; freynde], Tasche ['tashe], Tag [so], jetzt [ezt], Jacke ['yake], spielen ['shpi: linen], stehen ['shte:en], wachsen ['waxen], zusammen [tsu'zamen], Stunde ['shtunde], Träume ['troyme], täglich ['teglikh], ruhig ['ru: ih], schon [sho: n], Bitte ['bite], Spaß [shpa: s], selten ['selten], ziemlich ['tsimlich], oft [oft], neun [noin], Brot [brot], die [di:], Baum [baum], Naß [on: from].

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