German IPA

German

German is deceptively similar to English – English is derived from German, so many structures and words may look familiar, but the consonants in particular are consistently pronounced differently than in English. It is similar to Italian (and unlike English) in that the letter combinations very logically and consistently produce their specific sounds. Also as in Italian, the most difficult part about German vowels is determining whether they are open or closed.

The Vowels:

u - buch [bux], zu [tsu]

ʊ - lust [lʊst], mutter [mʊtɐ]

o - sohn [zon], boot [bot]

ɔ - noch [nɔx], sonne [zɔnə]

a - mann [man], vater [fatɐ]

ɛ - träne [trɛnə], wenn [vɛn]

e - sehr [zeɐ], dem [dem]

ɪ - bist [bɪst], ich [ɪç]

i - lied [lit], ihnen [inən]

y - brüder [brydɐ], fühlen [fylən]

Y - fünf [fYnf], füllen [fYlən]

ø - schön [ʃøn], frölich [frølɪç]

œ - können [kœnən], völlig [fœlɪç]

ə - sehnen [zenən], gegangen [gəgaŋən] note that the German schwa is closest to the vowel ɛ

ɐ - der [deɐ], mir [miɐ], herz [hɛɐts] note that the r-schwa is closest to the “–ea” in the English word “idea”

Diphthongs:

ao - aug [aok]

ɔø - treulich [trɔølɪç], träume [trɔømə]

ae - mein [maen]

German consonants not in English:

x - the “ach-laut” comes after any vowel on the lip side of the pyramid

ç - the “ich-laut” comes after any vowel on the tongue side of the pyramid, and after “n”

As they differ from English:

v = [f] vor [foɐ]

j = [j] ja [ja]

z = [ts] zwei [tsvae]

w = [v] willst [vɪlst]

d = [t] at the end of a word; und [ʊnt]

s = [z] so [zo]

b = [p] at the end of a word; treib [traep]

qu = [kv] quelt [kvɛlt]

kn = [kn] knie [kniə]

g = k after lip vowels, ç after tongue vowels, and g at the beginning of a syllable; ligt [likt], ewig [eviç], gegangen [gəgaŋən]

Notes:

All words beginning with vowels are articulated separately from the word preceding them. This glottal stroke is symbolized in IPA by a question mark. For example, “mein aug” is transcribed “maen ?aok” and the “n” does not elide into the following “a”.

If a vowel is followed by an “h”, it is closed.

ie = [i] and ei = [ae].

Doubled vowels are closed; seele [zelə]

Thanks to David Adams and his book, A Handbook of Diction for Singers 2^nd edition, Oxford University Press, 2008.