Using the International Phoenetic Alphabet (IPA) for German

Simplified International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) for Sung German
SINGLE VOWELS
Note: Word stress is indicated by an apostrophe ( ' ) before the stressed syllable.
Symbol
Name
English*
a
a
car, father
sah (za), Vater ('fatɚ), alle (ʔalɛ), kann (kan)
ɛ
open e
red, set
Herr (hɛr), erkennen (ɛr'kɛnǝn), läßt (lɛst)
ɛ
half-open e (unstressed)
--
Liebe ('libɛ), getan (gɛ'tan), berührt (bɛ'ryrt)
e
closed e
Scottish day
den (den), Heer (her), lehre ('lerɛ), Erde ('erdɛ)
ǝ
schwa
able, token
tragen ('tragǝn), alles (ʔalǝs), singet ('zɪŋǝt)
ɚ
weak er
British later
unter (ʔʊntɚ), Männer ('mɛnɚ), aber (ʔabɚ)
ʌ
uh (sometimes used for r) up, love
der (deʌ), hier (hiʌ), werden ('veʌdǝn)
i
(closed) i
be, see, eat
hie (hi), viel (fil), siehe ('ziɛ), ihm (ʔim)
ɪ
(open) capital I
it, bin
mit (mɪt), Himmel ('hɪmǝl), ist (ʔɪst), hin (hɪn)
ɔ
open o
dog, awe
hoffe ('hɔfɛ), Gott (gɔt), vom (fɔm)
o
closed o
so, boat
so (zo), Trost (trost), ohne (ʔonɛ), froh (fro)
œ
open o-umlaut
--
Völker ('fœlkɚ), köstliche ('kœstlɪçɛ)
ø
closed o-umlaut
British herb
schön (ʃøn), Öl (ʔøl), trösten ('trøstǝn)
ʊ
(open) hooked u
full, book
muß (mʊs), um (ʔʊm), unseres (ʔʊnzǝrǝs)
u
closed u
do, zoo, you
zu (tsu), ruhen ('ruǝn), Blume ('blumɛ)
Y
open u-umlaut (big Y)
--
müssen ('mYsǝn), Jünger ('jYŋɚ), hübsch (hYpʃ)
y
closed u-umlaut (y)
French tu
über (ʔybɚ), würdig ('wyrdɪç), Brüder ('brydɚ)
German Examples
DIPHTHONGS
Symbol
Name
English
German Examples
aɪ
a-i (or “eye”)
my, tie
Mai (maɪ), sein (zaɪn), bleibet ('blaɪbǝt)
au
a-u (or “ow”)
now, house
auf (ʔauf), Haus (haus), Umlaut (ʔʊmlaut)
ɔɪ
o-i (or “oy”)
toy, oil
treu (trɔɪ), Häuser ('hɔɪzɚ), euch (ʔɔɪç)
German Examples
CONSONANTS
Symbol
Name
English
ʔ
glottal stop
pre-vowel break alle (ʔallɛ), ich (ʔɪç), um (ʔʊm), überall (ʔybɚʔal)
b
b
bib, ebb
ç
“ich” ch
(whisper) hue nichts (nɪçts), solche ('zɔlçɛ), richtig ('rɪçtɪç)
d
d
did, add
die (di), dunkel ('dʊŋkǝl), Ende (ʔɛndɛ)
f
f
for, off
von (fɔn), führen ('fyrǝn), hoffe ('hɔfɛ)
g
(hard) g
go, egg
Gold (gɔlt), giggeln ('gɪgǝln), grün (gryn)
h
h
him, ahead
Herrn (hɛrn), Heil (haɪl), geholfen (gɛ'hɔlfǝn)
j
j-glide
yes, mayor
ja (ja), Junge ('jʊŋɛ), jetzt (jɛtst), Jesus ('jezʊs)
*
bin (bɪn), aber (ʔabɚ), blau (blau), Ebbe (ʔɛbɛ)
English sounds are approximations.
JFC 12/2012
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Symbol
Name
English
German Examples
k
k
cab, kick
kommen ('kɔmǝn), Ecke (ʔɛkɛ), mag (mak)
l
(forward) l
low, all
laufen ('laufǝn), alle (ʔalɛ), Spiel (ʃpil)
m
m
mummy, am
mich (mɪç), Himmel ('hɪmǝl), am (ʔam)
n
n
no, inn
nein (naɪn), an (ʔan), nennen ('nɛnǝn)
ŋ
ng
singer, long
Wohnung ('vonʊŋ), verschlungen (fɛr'ʃlʊŋǝn)
p
p
pop, apple
Puppe ('pʊpɛ), Grab (grap), gibt (gɪpt)
r
(flipped) r
--
Recht (rɛçt), Frau (frau), Arbeit (ʔarbaɪt)
r
strongly rolled r
--
Herrlichkeit ('hɛrlɪçkaɪt), irren (ʔɪrǝn)
s
(unvoiced) s
sit, less, ace
bist (bɪst), des (dɛs), Fuß (fus), uns (ʔʊns)
ʃ
sh
she, mention
Schein (ʃaɪn), stets (ʃtets), gespürt (gɛ'ʃpyrt)
t
t
tot, mitt
tun (tun), Mutter ('mʊtɚ), Tod (tot), und (ʔʊnt)
v
v
vote, have
wo (vo), ewig (ʔevɪç), Qual (kval), wenn (vɛn)
x
“ach” ch
Scottish loch
nach (nax), hoch (hox), Frucht (frʊxt)
z
z, voiced s
zero,buzz, is
Sieg (zik), sind (zɪnt), gesungen (gɛ'zʊŋǝn)
GENERAL PRONUNCIATION RULES
1.
With very few exceptions, all letters are pronounced. Word stress often falls on the penultimate
syllable, with the ultimate syllable (-e, -el, -em, -en, -er, -es and -et) deemphasized. Words with
prefixes like be-, er-, ge- and ver- have the stress on the second syllable, e.g., bezahlen (bɛ'tsalǝn),
erkannt (ʔɛr'kant), gemacht (gɛ'maxt), and verkündigen (fɛr'kYndɪgǝn).
2.
Like British English, the single r is sometimes reduced to a neutral vowel (ʌ); e.g., der can be
pronounced (der) or (deʌ). It should not be strongly rolled, nor should the “American” r be used.
3.
Vowels: a and aa = (a), ai and ei = (aɪ), eu and äu = (ɔɪ), and ie = (i); the vowel ä (sometimes
spelled ae) = (ɛ), though when long it is more closed, depicted (ɛ2). Vowels followed by silent h are
closed and long, e.g., Ehre (ʔerɛ), ihnen (ʔinǝn), Ohren (ʔorǝn), Shuhe ('ʃuɛ). Vowels followed
by two consonants are usually open and short, e.g., brennen ('brɛnǝn), Topf (tɔpf), Hund (hʊnt).
4.
Consonants: ck, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, s, t, and x are usually pronounced approximately as in English.
After vowels, h is silent, e.g., gehen ('geǝn). The letter c = (k) before a, o, or u, and (ts) otherwise.
The letters chs = (ks), j = (j), qu = (kv), sch = (ʃ), v = (f), and w = (v); the double-s ß = (s). The
letter z = (ts), never (z), e.g., zu (tsu). The digraph ng = (ŋ), never (ng/ŋg), e.g., Dinge ('dɪŋɛ).
5.
Before a vowel, b, d, and g (always hard) are pronounced as in English. However, at the end of a
syllable (or before s or t), they are not voiced: d = (t), b = (p), and g = (ç) or (k), e.g., seid (zaɪt),
Stadt (ʃtat), ab (ʔap), bleibt (blaɪpt), heilig ('haɪlɪç) and liegt (likt). The digraph ch = (x) after
a, o, or uncombined u, e.g., suchen ('zuxǝn); otherwise ch = (ç), e.g., sicher ('zɪçɚ), euch (ʔɔɪç).
6.
Before a vowel, the letter s = (z), e.g., sollen ('zɔlǝn). When starting a syllable, sp and st = (ʃp) and
(ʃt), e.g., spricht (ʃprɪçt), Gestalt (gɛ'ʃtalt); otherwise sp and st = (sp) and (st), e.g., Gast (gast).
JFC 12/2012
2