![]() The combination of i and g becomes a problem for many German learners at the end of the word, where it is pronounced like the dreaded ch for example in richtig. Liechtenstein and Switzerland make it easy for you with ss being the only correct spelling for the “ scharfe s“. In every other case, the former ß turns into ss. A long vowel or diphthong that comes before the s-sound still asks for the ß for example in Straße. It is a ligature from old times and has been partially removed in a spelling reform in 1996. There is not much to say or worry about the ß, also called eszett. Then you need to roll the r as the Spanish do. Unless you are in Southern Germany, Bavaria, Austria or Switzerland. ![]() Think of the Scottish loch to get closer. There is no way around the raspy sound from the back of your throat to get it right. In the beginning or in the middle of the word, a hint is not enough. Don’t skip it altogether, that would sound strange. Just keep the position of your mouth and slightly bring the back of your tongue up. At the end of the word or a syllable, it doesn’t make much trouble as it is nearly silent: Mutter, Vater, der, hier. In case of the letter r, your luck depends on where in the word it is used. The combination ch is a very special case and one of the notoriously difficult ones to pronounce. In combination with a bright vowel e, i or an Umlaut ä, ö, ü it is pronounced like ts, close to the English pronunciation of circa. ![]() If it is followed by a dark vowel like a, o, u or a consonant, it is pronounced k like in the English word cream. At the beginning of the word, it is pronounced like the English z, in the middle or at the end, it is the same as the English s. There is not much to say about the letter s, but you should know that the pronunciation differs depending on the place of the letter in a word. The right pronunciation can make all the difference. And for some letters and combinations, we need a step-by-step guide to get there. At least they all have an English equivalent or an approximate sound to match them. As you can see, the regular 26 letters of the German alphabet are easy enough. Choose your plan German alphabet pronunciation: Unique sounds
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