German umlauts (ä, ö, ü) aren’t just decorative. They change vowel sounds entirely. Mispronounce them, and you might accidentally ask for a bear (Bär) instead of a berry (Beere). Let’s fix that.
1. Ä – The ‘eh’ that leans into ‘ay’
Ä
/ɛː/Like the ‘e’ in ‘bed’, but longer. In short syllables, it’s clipped (e.g., Männer). In long syllables, it stretches (e.g., spät).
- Short: Bälle (balls) – /ˈbɛlə/
- Long: Ähnlich (similar) – /ˈɛːnlɪç/
2. Ö – The ‘o’ that swallowed an ‘e’
Ö
/øː/ or /œ/Purse your lips like saying ‘o’, but try to say ‘e’ instead. Sounds impossible? Practice with schön (beautiful).
Tip: Start with ‘eh’, then round your lips mid-sound. Voilà – ö!
- Short: öffnen (to open) – /ˈœfnən/
- Long: Löwe (lion) – /ˈløːvə/
3. Ü – The ‘u’ that thinks it’s French
Ü
/yː/ or /ʏ/Like French ‘tu’. Pucker for ‘u’, but say ‘ee’. Key word: über (over).
- Short: Glück (luck) – /ɡlʏk/
- Long: Tür (door) – /tyːɐ̯/
4. Common pitfalls
- Don’t substitute with plain vowels. Mutter (mother) ≠ Mütter (mothers).
- Keyboard shortcuts: Alt + 0228 (ä), 0246 (ö), 0252 (ü) on Windows.
- No umlauts? Write ae, oe, ue (e.g., Fussball → Fußball).
5. Practice words
| Word | IPA | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Häuser | /ˈhɔʏzɐ/ | houses |
| König | /ˈkøːnɪç/ | king |
| Brücke | /ˈbʁʏkə/ | bridge |
Still stuck? Try minimal pairs: Schon (already) vs. schön (beautiful).
For more German pronunciation hacks, see our guide on why German pronunciation is simpler than you expect.
