Most German consonants are pronounced similar to English, but there are some differences. These German consonants are fairly easy to pronounce, and easier to master than the vowel sounds, as long as you remember the rules.
Resources for further reading:
Let's check out the German consonants!
How to pronounce German consonants
| Consonant | *Pronunciation | German Word (With translation) |
|---|---|---|
| B | p | Lieb (kind) |
| D | t | Bad (bath) |
| G | k | Tag (day) |
| St | sht | Student (student) |
| Sp | shp | Sprache (language) |
| J | y | Jacke (jacket) |
| W | v | Woche (week) |
| Z | ts | Zimmer (room) |
| Ch | k/kh | Bauch (stomach), Kirche (church), Chaos (chaos) |
Consonants 'b,' 'd,' and 'g' are pronounced like 'p,' 't,' and 'k' when at the end of a word.
When ‘ch’ follows the short/long vowel sounds of ‘a, o, u, or ‘au’, the sound is produced towards the back of the throat, similar to making a ‘k’ sound. However, it is less abrupt still letting through air, eg. Bauch (stomach), Tochter (daughter).
When ‘ch’ follows the short/long versions of the vowels ‘e, i, ä, ö, ü’ and ‘ei, eu, äu’ the sound is produced more at the front of the mouth, the tongue and the mouth being a lot flatter. Imagine the sound of gas leaking or a hissing cat, eg. ich (I), Kirche (church) 'Ch' can also be pronounced like a 'k', for example Chaos (chaos) or Wachs (wax).
More German consonants
Consonant: ß
Pronunciation: ss
Practice Your Pronunciation With Rocket Record
Consonant: Ig
Pronunciation: like "ich"
Consonant: Qu
Pronunciation: kv
Consonant: Ng
Pronunciation: like in "singer"
Consonant: Tion
Pronunciation: tsion
Consonant: Age
Pronunciation: like the French"j"
Here are a few recommended German lessons to try next!
- Check out this lesson on the German dative.
- Click here for a lesson on the German genitive.
- Know your German irregular verbs.
Bis bald!
Paul Weber: Rocket German