Help:IPA/Standard German

Template:IPA key

The charts below show the way International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) represents Standard German language pronunciations in Wikipedia articles. For a guide to adding IPA characters to Wikipedia articles, see Template:IPA and Template:Section link.

See Standard German phonology and Template:Section link for a more thorough look at the sounds of German.

Consonants
Template:Flagicon DEU	Template:Flagicon AUT	Template:Flagicon CH	Examples	English approximation
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang". (AT, CH)^[1]	ball
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".^[2]	Scottish loch
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang". (DE)	hue
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang". (AT, CH)^[1]	done
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".	fuss
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang". (AT, CH)^[1]	guest
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".	hut
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".	yard
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang". (DE);^[1] Script error: No such module "Lang". (AT, CH)	cold
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".	last
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".	bottle
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".	must
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".	rhythm
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".	not
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".	sudden
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".	long
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang". (DE)^[1]	puck
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".	cupful
Template:IPA link	Template:IPA link		Script error: No such module "Lang".^[3]	DE: French Script error: No such module "Lang". AT, CH: Scottish red
Template:IPA link	Template:IPA link	Template:IPA link	Script error: No such module "Lang".^[4]	DE, CH: zebra AT: soup
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".	fast
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".	shall
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang". (DE)^[1]	tall
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".	match
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".^[4]	vanish
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".	cats
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "IPA".^[5]	uh-oh!
Non-native consonants
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".^[4]^[6]	jungle
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".^[4]^[6]	pleasure
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".^[7]	rice
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".^[8]	this
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".^[8]	think
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".^[9]	web
Stress
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "IPA".	battleship Template:IPAc-en
Template:IPA link				battleship Template:IPAc-en
Syllable break
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "IPA".	flower Template:IPAc-en (contrasting with flour Template:IPAc-en)

Vowels
Template:Flagicon DEU	Template:Flagicon AUT	Template:Flagicon CH	Examples	English approximation
Monophthongs
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".	pasta
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".	father
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".	bet
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".^[10]	RP hair
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".	Scottish mate
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".	sit
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".	seed
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".	off
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".	story
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".	somewhat like hurt; RP ugh
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".	somewhat like heard
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".	pull
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".	tool
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".	somewhat like cute
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".	somewhat like few
Diphthongs
Script error: No such module "IPA".			Script error: No such module "Lang".	high
Script error: No such module "IPA".			Script error: No such module "Lang".	vow
Script error: No such module "IPA".			Script error: No such module "Lang".	choice
Reduced vowels
Template:IPA link		Script error: No such module "IPA".	Script error: No such module "Lang".^[3]	DE, AT: frustration CH: Scottish letter^[11]
Template:IPA link	Template:IPA link		Script error: No such module "Lang".	DE: balance (but not sofa)^[11] AT, CH: bet^[12]
Semivowels
Script error: No such module "IPA".		Script error: No such module "IPA".	Script error: No such module "Lang".^[3]	DE, AT: sofa CH: Scottish far
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".	yard
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".^[13]	quite
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".^[13]	would
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".^[13]	somewhat like evaluation
Shortened vowels
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".^[14]	roughly like dress
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".^[14]	seat
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".^[14]	story, but short
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".^[14]	roughly like hurt
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".^[14]	cesspool
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".^[14]	like meet, but with the lips rounded
Non-native vowels
Script error: No such module "IPA".			Script error: No such module "Lang".^[15]	dog
Script error: No such module "IPA".			Script error: No such module "Lang".^[16]	face
Script error: No such module "IPA".			Script error: No such module "Lang".^[16]	goal
Script error: No such module "IPA".		Script error: No such module "IPA".	Script error: No such module "Lang".^[17]	roughly like RP bird
Script error: No such module "IPA".			Script error: No such module "Lang".^[18]	French Script error: No such module "Lang".
Script error: No such module "IPA".			Script error: No such module "Lang".^[18]	French Script error: No such module "Lang".
Script error: No such module "IPA".			Script error: No such module "Lang".^[18]	French Script error: No such module "Lang".
Script error: No such module "IPA".			Script error: No such module "Lang".^[18]	French Script error: No such module "Lang".
Shortened vowels (Non-native vowels)
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".^[18]	French Script error: No such module "Lang".
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".^[18]	French Script error: No such module "Lang".
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".^[18]	French Script error: No such module "Lang".
Template:IPA link			Script error: No such module "Lang".^[18]	French Script error: No such module "Lang".

Citations

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f In German Standard German, voiced stops Script error: No such module "IPA". are devoiced to Script error: No such module "IPA". at the end of a syllable.
↑ Cite error: Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".
↑ ^a ^b ^c Pronunciation of Script error: No such module "IPA". in German varies according to region and speaker. While older prescriptive pronunciation dictionaries allowed only Script error: No such module "IPA"., that pronunciation is now found mainly in Switzerland, Bavaria and Austria. In other regions, the uvular pronunciation prevails, mainly as a fricative/approximant Script error: No such module "IPA".. In many regions except for most parts of Switzerland, the Script error: No such module "IPA". in the syllable coda is vocalized to Script error: No such module "IPA". after long vowels or after all vowels, and Script error: No such module "IPA". is pronounced as Script error: No such module "IPA".. Also, in southern Germany, Script error: No such module "IPA". is alternatively realized as Template:IPAblink.
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d Cite error: Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".
↑ The glottal stop occurs in German Standard German. It is not transcribed phrase-initially, where it is just as likely to be used in English as it is in German. Word- and phrase-internal glottal stops are transcribed. Glottal stops are much rarer in Austrian or Swiss Standard German (Script error: No such module "Footnotes".).
↑ ^a ^b Many speakers lack the lenis Script error: No such module "IPA". and replace it with its fortis counterpart Script error: No such module "IPA". (Script error: No such module "Footnotes".). The same applies to the corresponding lenis Script error: No such module "IPA"., which also tends to be replaced with its fortis counterpart Script error: No such module "IPA".. According to the prescriptive standard, such pronunciations are not correct.
↑ Used in some loanwords from English, especially by younger speakers.
↑ ^a ^b Script error: No such module "IPA". and Script error: No such module "IPA"., occurring in English loans, may be substituted with any of Script error: No such module "IPA". and Script error: No such module "IPA"., respectively.
↑ Often replaced with Script error: No such module "IPA"..
↑ In northern Germany, Script error: No such module "IPA". often merges with Script error: No such module "IPA". into Template:IPAblink.
↑ ^a ^b As several other Germanic languages, Standard German has mid Template:IPAblink and open Template:IPAblink schwas. Care must be taken to clearly distinguish between the two. In English, the former appears in words such as balance, cannon and chairman and the latter variably in sofa, China (especially at the very end of utterance) and, in some dialects, also in ago and again, but one needs to remember that Standard German Template:IPAblink has no such free variation and is always open, just as Template:IPAblink is always mid. In some English dialects, an unstressed Script error: No such module "IPA". in words such as frustration and justiciable is a perfect replacement for Standard German Template:IPAblink. Also, especially in southern Germany, Script error: No such module "IPA". often merges with Script error: No such module "IPA". into Template:IPAblink.
↑ In Austria and Switzerland, the most common realization of syllable-final Script error: No such module "IPA". is Template:IPAblink (Script error: No such module "Footnotes".), here transcribed as Script error: No such module "IPA". for simplicity.
↑ ^a ^b ^c Script error: No such module "IPA". only occur in certain unadapted or partly unadapted loanwords.
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Script error: No such module "IPA"., the short versions of the long vowels Script error: No such module "IPA"., are used at the end of unstressed syllables before the accented syllable and occur mainly in loanwords. In native words, the accent is generally on the first syllable, and syllables before the accent other than prepositional prefixes are rare but occasionally occur, e.g. in Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "IPA"., Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "IPA"., Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "IPA". etc. In casual speech short Script error: No such module "IPA". preceding a phonemic consonant (i.e., not a Script error: No such module "IPA".) may be replaced with Script error: No such module "IPA"., e.g. Script error: No such module "IPA"., Script error: No such module "IPA". (Script error: No such module "Footnotes".).
↑ The long vowel Script error: No such module "IPA". occurs only in English loanwords, and is often replaced with the native short Script error: No such module "IPA". or long Script error: No such module "IPA"., according to the speaker and where it occurs in a word.
↑ ^a ^b The diphthongs Script error: No such module "IPA". occur only in loanwords (mostly from English), such as okay. Depending on the speaker and the region, they may be monophthongized to Script error: No such module "IPA". (or Script error: No such module "IPA". in an unstressed syllable-final position). Thus, the aforementioned word okay can be pronounced as either Script error: No such module "IPA". or Script error: No such module "IPA"..
↑ Script error: No such module "IPA". or Script error: No such module "IPA". is the German rendering of the English Template:Sc2 vowel Template:IPAc-en and sometimes the French stressed Script error: No such module "IPA". (Script error: No such module "Footnotes".), when it is not realized as Script error: No such module "IPA"./Script error: No such module "IPA"..
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h The nasal vowels occur in French loans. They are long Script error: No such module "IPA". when stressed and short Script error: No such module "IPA". when unstressed. In colloquial speech they may be replaced with Script error: No such module "IPA". irrespective of length, and the Script error: No such module "IPA". in these sequences may optionally be assimilated to the place of articulation of a following consonant, e.g. Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "IPA". or Script error: No such module "IPA". for Script error: No such module "IPA". (Script error: No such module "Footnotes".).

Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

General and cited references

Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

Script error: No such module "Navbox".

[devoicing-1] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f In German Standard German, voiced stops Script error: No such module "IPA". are devoiced to Script error: No such module "IPA". at the end of a syllable.

[dorsalfricatives-2] Cite error: Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".

[r-allophones-3] Pronunciation of Script error: No such module "IPA". in German varies according to region and speaker. While older prescriptive pronunciation dictionaries allowed only Script error: No such module "IPA"., that pronunciation is now found mainly in Switzerland, Bavaria and Austria. In other regions, the uvular pronunciation prevails, mainly as a fricative/approximant Script error: No such module "IPA".. In many regions except for most parts of Switzerland, the Script error: No such module "IPA". in the syllable coda is vocalized to Script error: No such module "IPA". after long vowels or after all vowels, and Script error: No such module "IPA". is pronounced as Script error: No such module "IPA".. Also, in southern Germany, Script error: No such module "IPA". is alternatively realized as Template:IPAblink.

[fortislenis-4] Cite error: Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".

[5] The glottal stop occurs in German Standard German. It is not transcribed phrase-initially, where it is just as likely to be used in English as it is in German. Word- and phrase-internal glottal stops are transcribed. Glottal stops are much rarer in Austrian or Swiss Standard German (Script error: No such module "Footnotes".).

[postalveolarlenis-6] Many speakers lack the lenis Script error: No such module "IPA". and replace it with its fortis counterpart Script error: No such module "IPA". (Script error: No such module "Footnotes".). The same applies to the corresponding lenis Script error: No such module "IPA"., which also tends to be replaced with its fortis counterpart Script error: No such module "IPA".. According to the prescriptive standard, such pronunciations are not correct.

[7] Used in some loanwords from English, especially by younger speakers.

[th-8] Script error: No such module "IPA". and Script error: No such module "IPA"., occurring in English loans, may be substituted with any of Script error: No such module "IPA". and Script error: No such module "IPA"., respectively.

[9] Often replaced with Script error: No such module "IPA"..

[10] In northern Germany, Script error: No such module "IPA". often merges with Script error: No such module "IPA". into Template:IPAblink.

[schwas-11] As several other Germanic languages, Standard German has mid Template:IPAblink and open Template:IPAblink schwas. Care must be taken to clearly distinguish between the two. In English, the former appears in words such as balance, cannon and chairman and the latter variably in sofa, China (especially at the very end of utterance) and, in some dialects, also in ago and again, but one needs to remember that Standard German Template:IPAblink has no such free variation and is always open, just as Template:IPAblink is always mid. In some English dialects, an unstressed Script error: No such module "IPA". in words such as frustration and justiciable is a perfect replacement for Standard German Template:IPAblink. Also, especially in southern Germany, Script error: No such module "IPA". often merges with Script error: No such module "IPA". into Template:IPAblink.

[12] In Austria and Switzerland, the most common realization of syllable-final Script error: No such module "IPA". is Template:IPAblink (Script error: No such module "Footnotes".), here transcribed as Script error: No such module "IPA". for simplicity.

[semivowels-13] Script error: No such module "IPA". only occur in certain unadapted or partly unadapted loanwords.

[shorttense-14] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Script error: No such module "IPA"., the short versions of the long vowels Script error: No such module "IPA"., are used at the end of unstressed syllables before the accented syllable and occur mainly in loanwords. In native words, the accent is generally on the first syllable, and syllables before the accent other than prepositional prefixes are rare but occasionally occur, e.g. in Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "IPA"., Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "IPA"., Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "IPA". etc. In casual speech short Script error: No such module "IPA". preceding a phonemic consonant (i.e., not a Script error: No such module "IPA".) may be replaced with Script error: No such module "IPA"., e.g. Script error: No such module "IPA"., Script error: No such module "IPA". (Script error: No such module "Footnotes".).

[15] The long vowel Script error: No such module "IPA". occurs only in English loanwords, and is often replaced with the native short Script error: No such module "IPA". or long Script error: No such module "IPA"., according to the speaker and where it occurs in a word.

[middiphthongs-16] The diphthongs Script error: No such module "IPA". occur only in loanwords (mostly from English), such as okay. Depending on the speaker and the region, they may be monophthongized to Script error: No such module "IPA". (or Script error: No such module "IPA". in an unstressed syllable-final position). Thus, the aforementioned word okay can be pronounced as either Script error: No such module "IPA". or Script error: No such module "IPA"..

[17] Script error: No such module "IPA". or Script error: No such module "IPA". is the German rendering of the English Template:Sc2 vowel Template:IPAc-en and sometimes the French stressed Script error: No such module "IPA". (Script error: No such module "Footnotes".), when it is not realized as Script error: No such module "IPA"./Script error: No such module "IPA"..

[nasalV-18] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h The nasal vowels occur in French loans. They are long Script error: No such module "IPA". when stressed and short Script error: No such module "IPA". when unstressed. In colloquial speech they may be replaced with Script error: No such module "IPA". irrespective of length, and the Script error: No such module "IPA". in these sequences may optionally be assimilated to the place of articulation of a following consonant, e.g. Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "IPA". or Script error: No such module "IPA". for Script error: No such module "IPA". (Script error: No such module "Footnotes".).

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Help:IPA/Standard German

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Help:IPA/Standard German

See also

Citations

General and cited references

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