January 2004
Page Title:
Pronunciation Resources.
Some Tips for Troubling Sounds!
German is a logical language and contains many similar words to English (verwandte Wörter) because English is a Germanic language. The German language is notorious for the use of compound words, which is an advantage to German language learners. For example, the word Schrank means cabinet. When you combine it with the adjective kuhl (cool), you get Kuhlschrank or refrigerator.
The pronunciation follows this logic because the spelling reflects the sounds of the alphabet. Moreover, every vowel (unless it is a dipthong) requires a syllable, so you can count the number of syllables in a word by counting the number of vowels. For example, the German word Weltanschauung has three vowels and one dipthong (au), so it has four syllables. Like English, the first syllable of a German word is usually stressed.
The German alphabet shares many similar letters with English and most of them are pronounced the same such as the letters b and d . However, there are a few surprises that you have to memorize. The letter j is pronounced like the y in the English word yet. The w is pronounced like the v in vase, and the letter v is pronounced like the f in fast. Z/tz are pronounced like the ts in its.
The vowels are probably the most troublesome of the sounds because they are pronounced quite differently from English vowels. The short a in Affe sounds like the a in bat and the long a in Schaf sounds like the a in bah. The short e in Feld sounds like the e in bet and the long e in der sounds like the ai in fair. The short o in Rock sounds like the o in got and the long o in Hose sounds like oh! The short u in Hund sounds like the u in but; the long u in Hut sounds like the oo in zoo.
Check back soon for more information on pronunciation.
*This is the first step toward THE One World Language.
Step Back: Balderdash and bombast in a binomial!
Planet Deutsch is ruled by Planetary WebMistress Frau Freddie Bowles, an instructor of German language and English as a Second Language at the University of Central Arkansas. An independent entity in the CornDancer consortium of planets, Planet Deutsch is dedicated to the study and exploration of the German language and culture. CornDancer is a developmental website for the mind and spirit maintained by the circle of sharers at Cricket Song, a haven of goodwill on the Planet Earth. Submissions are invited.
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