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Lesson 1: German Alphabet & Pronunciation

Learn how German letters sound, including special vowels and common pronunciation patterns.

Lesson 1 of 8 20 minProgress: 10%

Learning Objective

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

  • Recognize all German letters
  • Understand special characters (Ä, Ö, Ü, ß)
  • Pronounce common sound patterns
  • Read simple beginner words confidently

The German Alphabet

Tap the speaker to hear each letter and example word.

A
Ah
Apfel
apple
B
Beh
Buch
book
C
Tseh
Café
café
D
Deh
Danke
thanks
E
Eh
Esel
donkey
F
Eff
Familie
family
G
Geh
Gut
good
H
Hah
Hallo
hello
I
Ih
Idee
idea
J
Yot
Ja
yes
K
Kah
Kind
child
L
Ell
Lampe
lamp
M
Emm
Mutter
mother
N
Enn
Nacht
night
O
Oh
Obst
fruit
P
Peh
Park
park
Q
Kuh
Quelle
source
R
Err
Rot
red
S
Ess
Sonne
sun
T
Teh
Tisch
table
U
Uh
Uhr
clock
V
Fau
Vater
father
W
Veh
Wasser
water
X
Iks
Xylophon
xylophone
Y
Üpsilon
Yoga
yoga
Z
Tsett
Zeit
time

Special German Characters

Umlauts and the eszett — unique to German.

Ä

similar to "eh" in "bed"

Mädchen
girl
Ö

lips rounded, like "ur" in "bird"

schön
beautiful
Ü

say "ee" with rounded lips

über
over
ß

sharp "ss" sound

Straße
street

Common Sound Rules

A few patterns unlock most German words.

Rule 1

"sch" = sh

Pronounced exactly like English "sh" in "ship".

Schule
Schwester
Tisch
Rule 2

"ch" = soft sound

A soft, breathy sound from the back of the throat. Similar to a gentle whisper.

ich
Buch
Nacht
Rule 3

"ei" = eye

Rhymes with the English word "eye" or "I".

mein
nein
Eis
Rule 4

"ie" = ee

Sounds like a long "ee" in "see".

Liebe
vier
Bier

Pronunciation Practice

Listen → repeat aloud → mark each word as practiced.

0 / 10 practiced ✓
  1. Word 1 · 1. Listen → 2. Repeat → 3. Mark ✓
    Hallo
    hello
  2. Word 2 · 1. Listen → 2. Repeat → 3. Mark ✓
    Danke
    thank you
  3. Word 3 · 1. Listen → 2. Repeat → 3. Mark ✓
    Wasser
    water
  4. Word 4 · 1. Listen → 2. Repeat → 3. Mark ✓
    Schule
    school
  5. Word 5 · 1. Listen → 2. Repeat → 3. Mark ✓
    Haus
    house
  6. Word 6 · 1. Listen → 2. Repeat → 3. Mark ✓
    Guten
    good
  7. Word 7 · 1. Listen → 2. Repeat → 3. Mark ✓
    Mädchen
    girl
  8. Word 8 · 1. Listen → 2. Repeat → 3. Mark ✓
    Straße
    street
  9. Word 9 · 1. Listen → 2. Repeat → 3. Mark ✓
    Liebe
    love
  10. Word 10 · 1. Listen → 2. Repeat → 3. Mark ✓
    Nacht
    night

Mini Quiz

Score: 0 / 5

1. How is "sch" pronounced?

2. What sound does "ei" make?

3. What sound does "ie" make?

4. Which letter is the eszett?

5. Ü is closest to which English sound?

Homework

Read the 10 practice words aloud. For each word, identify any special sound or character (Ä, Ö, Ü, ß, sch, ch, ei, ie). Repeat each word three times until it feels natural.

  1. Hallo — hello
  2. Danke — thank you
  3. Wasser — water
  4. Schule — school
  5. Haus — house
  6. Guten — good
  7. Mädchen — girl
  8. Straße — street
  9. Liebe — love
  10. Nacht — night

Tip: speak slowly first, then repeat at normal speed. Recording yourself helps a lot.

Learn the German Alphabet and Pronunciation Online

This German A1 beginner lesson walks you through the complete German alphabet from A to Z with sound guides and example words. If you are starting German from zero — especially as an Indian learner — this German pronunciation lesson gives you the core sounds you need to read and speak everyday words confidently.

You will also learn the umlauts (Ä, Ö, Ü), the eszett (ß), and the most common letter combinations like sch, ch, ei, and ie. Practice the ten beginner words, take the mini quiz, and complete the homework to lock in what you have learned. Once this lesson feels comfortable, move on to greetings and introductions in Lesson 2.

Back to A1 RoadmapNext Lesson: Greetings & Introductions

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