The sound of German letters. Rules for reading in German

As a rule, it is a good idea to start learning foreign languages ​​from the very basics, i.e. from the alphabet and reading rules. The German language is no exception. German alphabet, like English, is based on the Latin alphabet, but it also has some differences that you need to know.

So, German alphabet contains 26 letters. A distinctive feature is considered to be umlauts (vowel letters with dots, for example: Ä-ä, Ü-ü, Ö-ö) and the ligature ß. Visually it looks like this:

German alphabet pronunciation

Just knowing the alphabet is not enough, since in some combinations not all letters are read as they are written. Here are some solid rules for reading German:

Well, we’ve sorted out the reading rules a little. I would also like to give advice on pronunciation in German. But this is in other articles on our website.

Reading and pronunciation of German words is quite simple and does not cause any difficulties for a Russian speaker. The main thing here is to know a few firm rules for reading German, since in some combinations not all letters are read the same way as they are written. Let's present them in the form of a visual table.

Rules for reading individual German letters and their combinations

In conclusion, it is necessary to note several general points typical for the German language:

all German double consonants convey one sound when read, indicating the brevity of the preceding vowel sound, for example: re nn en - rush, rush;

all doubled German vowels convey one long sound, for example: der Aa l [a:l] - eel;

if the letter h stands after vowels, it is never read, but only indicates the length of the previous vowel; letter h usually heard only at the beginning of a syllable/word, for example: se h r - very (not pronounced), h ier - here (pronounced);

for transmitting Russian letters I, yo, yu the letter uses combinations of German letters ja, jo, ju, for example: Yura - Ju ra, Yasha - Ja scha;

In the German language there are several variants of reading the letter r: at the beginning of words - burr [r], which is pronounced like a long Russian sound [x], but only with the participation of the voice; at the beginning of words, a rolling forelingual [r] is also possible; in the middle of words [r] is noticeably quieter, but quite distinguishable, but at the end the letter r conveys a sound that is completely different from the previous two in its essence, since it is vocalized [α], that is, closer to a vowel sound. Example: der R abe - raven (loud [r]), leh r en - to teach, teach (muffled, but quite distinguishable [r]), der Zuschaue r- spectator (vocalized [α]);

the combination of two or more consonants indicates the shortness of the previous vowel sound, even in cases where these consonants indicate one sound, for example lö sch en - go out, fade, erase;

vowel sounds that appear at the beginning of a root or word are always pronounced much sharper, with a so-called hard attack, for example: der Alter [ `a ltәα], this gives German speech a more abrupt and clear character compared to smooth Russian speech;

all German consonants are hard, all voiced consonants are muffled and pronounced half-voiced, and at the end of words they are always completely devoiced, for example: der D ie b thief (the consonant d is semi-voiced, and the b at the end of the word is completely muted);

The stress in German words predominantly falls on the first syllable. The exceptions are:

1. words with unstressed prefixes ( be-, ge-, er-, ver-, zer-, ent-, emp-, miss-). In this case, the stress falls on the second syllable;
2. loanwords (der Comp u ter); and the suffix -tion is always stressed and is read with the emphasis falling on O(die Kontribu tio n);
3. some other exceptions (war u m).

An important aspect of learning any language is pronunciation - start German with phonetics. The Germans have a very bad attitude towards incorrect pronunciation. There were examples when a person who spoke correctly and fluently, but with some accent, was asked by officials to go learn German, which they say is necessary for him to get a normal job. About pronunciation - there is a fundamentally different position of the speech apparatus; if you “tune” it, it will turn out very well.
Different foreign languages ​​use different sets of sounds - the main difference lies in the position of the tongue. In Russian, the position of the tongue is predominantly raised, while in German the root of the tongue and the middle part are pressed down.
The vowel sounds of the German language have two features:
1. At the beginning of a word or root, vowels are pronounced with a strong attack, reminiscent of a light click, which gives German speech a jerky sound that is not characteristic of the Russian language.
2. Vowels are divided into long and short, which explains their greater number compared to the Russian language.
Long vowels are pronounced more intensely than the vowels of the Russian language, and do not change their character throughout the entire duration of sounding. The consonant sound following a long vowel is freely adjacent to it, as if with a slight pause. When transmitting German sounds in Russian letters, the length of vowels is indicated by a colon after the corresponding letter.
Short vowels are pronounced more briefly than Russian vowels. The consonant sound following the short vowel is closely adjacent to it, as if cutting it off.
The stress in German falls, as a rule, on the root of the word or on the prefix, that is, on the first syllable. When a word is changed, the stress does not change. The pronunciation of German words is conveyed in this manual in Russian letters without the use of generally accepted transcription signs. The transcription of the word and the stressed vowel are highlighted in different fonts. This transcription allows (with some exceptions) to pronounce German words and sentences quite correctly.

Video on the topic:

How to learn German pronunciation using German tongue twisters.

Learning any language begins with the basics, namely its alphabet. Some people have been familiar with it since school, but even for those who have never learned it but have some knowledge of English, it will not be difficult to figure it out. The fact is that these two languages ​​are similar in many ways, moreover, they contain the same characters as English, but their pronunciation is different. Therefore, phonetics will not seem too difficult.

All characters are based on the Latin alphabet. In total it has 26 letters. It is worth noting that the German alphabet and pronunciation are easier than English. Grammar may be difficult to understand at first, but this will not be a big problem.

For Russian-speaking citizens, it is comfortable to study in Russian, the table of which is presented below.

Why is it worth learning German?

Connection with tourism

As you know, in countries such as Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Luxembourg, people speak predominantly German. However, knowing the German alphabet with pronunciation in Russian, you can also easily communicate with people from Liechtenstein, Poland, Denmark, the Czech Republic, northern Italy, eastern Belgium and some other countries.

German language is important for tourism

New useful acquaintances

You should be more confident in a foreign country. Knowing the language will greatly simplify communication with local residents. Knowing the language for beginners with pronunciation, you can easily meet new people, learn their character and interests.

Education and self-development

Many people strive to become more educated, expand the range of their knowledge and skills, and what could be better in this matter than learning one or more foreign languages? It is worth noting that not only the quantity is taken into account, but also the level of mastery of them. The alphabet in German with pronunciation will help solve this problem.

Work abroad

It's no secret that even the minimum wage in Europe can exceed Russian standards. With knowledge of at least one foreign language, you can choose more than one prestigious profession, or try to open your own. Russian-speaking citizens will benefit from the German alphabet with Russian pronunciation.

Educational literature

Approximately 18% of the world's books are published in German. Of these, only a tiny part has been translated into Russian. Reading works in their original form allows a person to enrich himself with invaluable knowledge, learn more about the culture of a given country, and better understand the specifics of its language. The German alphabet with pronunciation will help you appreciate the fullness of works of art.

Consonants. Pronunciation

For beginners with pronunciation, it is advisable to remember such an important nuance that all German consonants are hard. The voiced ones are slightly muffled in pronunciation. The final consonant of the word is completely deafened.

Phonetics offers clear examples for analysis. The word dieb is thief. As can be seen from the transcription, the letter “d” is semi-voiced, and “b”, since it is at the very end, is significantly muted.

1. The letter “h” at the root or the first one in a word is read as “x” with a little aspiration. For example, herz, which translates as heart. Inside and at the end, it lengthens the vowel that comes before it: fahren - to go; froh – cheerful or joyful.
2. The letter "j" is similar to the Russian "y". It is worth remembering the phrases “ja” and “ju”, which sound like “ya” and “yu”. For example, jahr, which translates as year or juni - June.
3. The letter “l” is always slightly softened: blume – flower.
4. The letter “s” preceding the vowel is converted into the sound “z”: sonne - sun, verb lesen - read.
5. The letter "ß" is pronounced like "s". For example, groß – big.
6. The consonants k, p, t should be pronounced with a slight aspiration: park - park, torte - cake, ko†fer - suitcase.
7. It is important to note that the letter “v” is read not as “v”, but as “f”: vater - father. However, in borrowed words it can be pronounced as “in”: vase - vase.
8. The letter “w” must be pronounced by analogy with the Russian “v”: wort – word.
9. You should remember a small rule: double consonants sound like single consonants, shortening the vowel in front of them: rennen - rush, sommer - summer, mutter - mother.

Letter "r". Pronunciation Features

The German alphabet with pronunciation will help you master the alternative pronunciation of "r".

• If she begins a word, the sound will be a little burry and drawn out, like the Russian sound [x], but in this case the voice will play a direct role.
• Another pronunciation option is possible if the letter is at the beginning of the word. The sound will become more rolling and front-lingual [r].
• Toward the middle of the word, the [r] becomes much quieter, but still audible.
• It is worth noting that at the tail of the word the letter loses its original sound and is transformed into a vocalized [α], which is closer to a vowel.

The German alphabet with Russian pronunciation provides an opportunity to practice comparative analysis. For example, in the word der rabe, which means raven, the sound [r] is predominantly loud and rolling. In the verb to teach – lehren, this sound will be more muffled, but will not lose its color. As for the word spectator - der zuschauer, in its example you can see how [r] turns into a vocalized [α].

Pronunciation of vowels

To convey the Russian letters ya, ё and yu, the German language uses special letter combinations ja, jo, ju. They are able to most accurately convey the sound of analogue letters. For example, we can consider a couple of Russian names: Yura - Jura and Yasha - Jascha.

As for double vowels, they are read with one long sound. For example, eel – der Aal [a:l]. In the transcription you can see that the sound [a] is prolonged. The remaining vowels are read using the same principle: tee – tea; raar – pair; boot - boat.

If the vowel is located at the beginning or at the root of the word, the sound will be much sharper and harder, giving German speech a rougher character, abrupt phrases in comparison with the usual Russian speech. You can trace this intonation in the word der Alter [altә].

Letter combinations in vowels and consonants

The alphabet in German with pronunciation has its disadvantages. Not every sound is optimally described by a letter. Sometimes, to achieve the desired result, you have to resort to combining certain characters of the alphabet:

1. The combination of letters “ie” is converted into the drawn-out sound “i”. For example: bier – . And if you swap these symbols - “ei”, you get a short sound “ai”: heimat - homeland.
2. In combination with “u” the letter “e” makes the sound “oh”: heute – today. The same sound can be obtained by combining the letter “ä” with “u”: bäume – trees. The features of this symbol will be discussed further.
3. The letter combination “sp” at the root or beginning of a word should be pronounced as “shp”: sport, which in translation means sport.
4. There is another sound similar to this - “piece”. It is formed by combining the letters "s" and "t" by analogy at the beginning or root. Example word: stern – star.
5. The pure sound “sh” is formed using three letters at once: s, c, h, coming in a row one after another. As an example: schule - school, schwester - sister.
6. The letter combination “ck” is pronounced like a short “k”: backen – oven. This sound also has variations: “ks” and “kv”. The first of them is formed by three letters: c, h, s. For example: sechs – six. And the sound “kv” can be obtained by combining two elements “q” with “u”: quark - cottage cheese.
7. It is impossible not to note such sounds as “x” and “ch”. They are an integral basis of the German language. As a rule, combining “c” and “h” you can get a dull “x”: buch - book, machen - to do. And to get a short “h” you will need 4 letters at once: t, s, c, h. This combination is used in one very useful word: deutsch - German.

Unusual characters and their pronunciation

The German alphabet with pronunciation in Russian, the table of which is shown below, has specific letters that have a cap in the form of two dots. These characters also have their own pronunciation. For example, the sound of the letter “ä” is more similar to the Russian sound “e”: mädchen - girl.

The next letter is ö. It is very reminiscent of “ё” from the Russian alphabet and is read exactly like it. Example word: schön – beautiful.

And the last character is “ü”, by analogy with “yu”: müll - garbage.

Features of stress

In German, stress usually falls on the first syllable. In words with an unstressed prefix, the stress moves to the next syllable. As an example, consider the suffix –tion. It will always be stressed and pronounced like, where “i” is a short slipping sound, and the emphasis falls on “o”.

As for the letter combinations “ts”, they form the sound “ts”. For example, you can take the foreign word kommunikation, which means connection or communication.

Words where the stress falls on the first syllable: ausländer - foreigner or aufmachen - to open. An exception to the rule is the common borrowing from foreigners of the word computer and others.

It is worth noting words with an unstressed prefix, these include: be-, ge-, er-, ver-, zer-, ent-, miss-. The stress in words with such prefixes will be shifted to the next syllable. For example: verkaufen – sell, bekommen – receive.

Simple words to practice pronunciation

The German alphabet with pronunciation in Russian, a table for practicing simple words of which is presented below, allows you to practice reading them, while at the same time expanding your vocabulary.

• strand – beach;
• reise – journey;
• leute – people;
• zeit – time;
• frühling – spring;
• herbst – autumn;
• fleisch – meat;
• fisch – fish;
• wein – wine;
• kaffee – coffee;
• zwieback – cracker;
• radieschen - radish;
• richtig – correct;
• schule – school;
• volk ​​- people.

German alphabet with pronunciation in Russian: table, phonetics updated: June 3, 2019 by: Amazing-world!

The German language should begin with learning the alphabet. Get used to the way letters are written and pronounced. This short lesson covers the German alphabet with Russian transcription and pronunciation. Enjoy watching and good luck with your learning!

So, there are 30 letters in the German alphabet, 26 Latin, three umlauts ä, ö, ü and ligature ß. You already know all the Latin letters from the English alphabet, but you will need to get used to the umlauts and ligatures.

A section entirely dedicated to the German alphabet: German alphabet

Go to this section and read each article to reinforce the material. There you will find the alphabet in pictures, in words and much more.

Exercises:

1. Place the letters in order (take a piece of paper with a pen and rewrite the letters in the correct order):

G, H, R, A, S

L, Z, I, K, N

O, S, J, V, M

K, A, M, I, N

E, J, Z, A, C

P, T, G, B, M

J, F, D, V, D

A, S, D, F, G

J, K, G, B, T

O, I, T, E, R

L, B, N, F, X

P, L, C, Y, Z

2. Cut out the letters and glue or arrange them in the correct order.

ABCkleben.pdf

3. Write the names of fruits and vegetables in German in order. Don't worry if you don't know these words yet. Just rewrite them.

nemeckii-alfavit-uprazhnenie1.pdf

4. Write the names of the toys in order in German.