German Pronunciation for Beginners: A1 Basics
Ich komme aus Deutschland. Ich spreche Deutsch. How do you say these sentences correctly? In this A1 lesson, Johannes from YourGermanTeacher teaches you the most common pronunciation rules for German letter combinations, with easy A1 words. Each example is read twice, so you can pause the video and say the word out loud.
Vowel Combinations
| Letters | Sound | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| ie | a long "ee" sound (the first letter is longer) | Bier (and similar words with ie) |
| ei | "eye" | Ei (egg), heißen (Ich heiße Johannes), klein (small), Eis (ice) |
| au | "ow", as in "cow" | bauen, laut, Auto |
| eu / äu | "oy" (same sound for both spellings) | teuer (expensive), heute (today), Bäume (trees) |
Long and Short Sounds
- Vowel + h (a, e, i, o, u or ä, ö, ü): make the vowel slightly longer. Examples: fahren, sehr, Stuhl.
- Double vowels (aa, ee, oo): also long, the same as above. Examples: Haare, leer (empty), Boot (boat).
- Double consonants (nn, mm, ff, ss ...): the opposite. Make the sound shorter and faster. Examples: kommen (Ich komme aus Deutschland), offen (open), Wasser.
sch, ch and ck
| Letters | Sound | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| sch | "sh" | schreiben, schön, Deutsch |
| ch after a, o, u | the back-of-the-throat "ach" sound | machen, hoch, Buch |
| ch after other vowels (e, i, ö, ü) or after a consonant | the softer "ich" sound, made further forward in the mouth | ich, rechnen (to calculate), Bücher |
| ck | like a short, harder "k" | backen, dreckig, Drucker |
The easy memory trick: you only need to remember that a, o, u + ch gives the "ach" sound. Everything else is the "ich" sound.
sp and st
- sp at the beginning of a word is pronounced "schp": sprechen, Spanien, Spiel.
- st at the beginning of a word is pronounced "scht": studieren, Straße, aufstehen.
- st at the end of a word is pronounced "st": Obst, fast. Careful: fast is a false friend and means almost.
A trick to check the rule: split the word right before the s. If the rest is a word on its own (Spiel, stehen), pronounce it "schp" or "scht". For Kosten the st is in the middle of the word and the split does not give a word that stands alone, so you simply say "st": Kosten.
Word Endings
- -e at the end of a word sounds like "uh": Frage, leise, Lampe. In Switzerland you may hear a different sound, which is a regional difference and also correct.
- -er at the end of a word sounds a bit like "ah": besser, super, Vater.
- -ig has two correct options: "ik" or "ich". Examples: vierzig, richtig, König. Johannes recommends that beginners start with "ik".
- -tion is pronounced "tsion": funktionieren, Station, Position. You only find it in the middle or at the end of a word.
pf
Do not separate the two letters. The sound is "pff", with a very soft p. Examples: pflegen, Pferd, Pfund, Apfel.
Bonus Tips
chs = "ks"
Wachsen is pronounced like "k" plus "s". The same is true for the number sechs.
ch at the Beginning of a Word
There are no simple rules here, so memorise the words. The words Chemie, China and Chef each start with a different sound, so listen to the video and repeat after Johannes. Chef does not mean cook, it means boss. Checken (to check) and chatten (to chat) start with "tsch", similar to English. When Germans say chatten, they mean typing messages, for example on WhatsApp, not talking.
What to Learn Next
Review the letters in The German Alphabet: Pronunciation Guide and practise in The German Alphabet: Pronunciation Practice. Then say your first sentences with How to Introduce Yourself in German.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you pronounce ei and ie in German?
Ei sounds like "eye" (Ei, heißen, klein). Ie is a long "ee" sound (Bier).
How do you pronounce ch in German?
After a, o and u it is the back-of-the-throat "ach" sound (machen, hoch, Buch). After other letters it is the softer "ich" sound (ich, rechnen, Bücher).
When is sp or st pronounced schp or scht?
At the beginning of a word: sprechen, Spanien, studieren, Straße. At the end of a word st is pronounced as it is written: Obst, fast.
How do I pronounce the German endings -er, -e and -ig?
Final -e sounds like "uh" (Frage). Final -er sounds like "ah" (besser). The ending -ig can be "ik" or "ich" (richtig). Beginners can start with "ik".
How do you pronounce tion and pf?
Tion is "tsion" (Station, Position). Pf is a single sound "pff" with a very soft p (Pferd, Apfel).
Want to build a clear German accent from the start? Our A1 online course combines videos, worksheets and tests for complete beginners.
