Pronunciation of vowels:
- short a like in "father", but short a: fassen
- long a like in "father", but long : Sahne
- ai is pronounced like i in "like, Mike, mile" : Hain, Main
- au like ou in "house, mouse"
- short ä is pronounced like e in "red" or "tell" : Kälber
- long ä is pronounced like e in "red", but long: Mähre, Fähre
- äu like oy in "boy", "toy": Knäuel
- short e pronounced like e e in "red": kennst, eng
- long e is long and prounounced like ay in "way": Lehre
- e in unstressed syllables (especially ending syllables) is pronounced as a shwa ( weak, reduced ö ): wohne, Sahne
- ei like i in "like, spike": klein, mein
- eu like oy in "boy, toy": Europa
- short i like i in "pit, tick, tin": Spinne, Rinne
- long i is pronounced like ee in "meet, seen": Igel
- ie is pronounced like ee in "meet, seen":: Ziegel
- short o like aw in "dawn", but short : Hoffnung
- long o like aw in "dawn": Mohn
- ö is the sound similar to "ir" in girl (without any r pronounced) ; examples:
short ö: können, Frösche
long ö: gewöhnen
- short u like u in "put" : knurren
- long u is pronounced like oo in "moon" : Wuhne
- ü is pronounced with the tongue placed for pronunciation of i, and lips - for pronunciation of u; ü can be long or short; examples:
short ü: Büsche
long ü: fühlen
y is pronounced usually like ü.