Learn German - Lesson 5 - Pronunciation practice:

Herr Allen klingelt bei Herrn Wilson


(photo by  Mikka Luster used under terms of Creative Commons license.)
frankfurt


  

 



A. German sch

 

If you pronounce English 'shown' and ask your instructor to pronounce German schon, you will notice that the first sound of the German word is not quite the same as the English sound. To produce the German sound you will have to round and protrude your lips more than you do for the English sound.

 

Practice 1.


 

schon

schnitt

Böschung

lutschen

Mensch

losch

Scheck

Schlot

Wäsche

wünschen

falsch

Tisch

Schiff

schrieb

Mischung

fälschen

Klatsch

Fleisch

 

The same sound occurs in the following words. although here the German writing system uses the symbol s:

Practice 2.


 

Stadt

Spass

streng

springen

steht

Spiel

Strasse

Spross

 

 

 

 

B. German s

The symbol s is used in the German writing system to represent two more sounds: a voiceless sound as in English 'bus'. 'buss' or 'must', and a voiced sound as in English 'housing' or 'busy'. Practice first the voiceless sounds. Notice too, by the way, that German writing may have either s or ss representing this sound.

 

Practice 3. (voiceless)


 

des

Busse

wusste

wies

Musse

wüst

Schmiss

Wasser

Liste

Mus

schösse

weist

Hotels

schupse

Mast

Autos

hiessen

grast

Klops

essen

schupst

Boots

Rätsel

lotst

 

Practice 4 (voiced)


 

Sohn

besondere

singen

Muse

sende

Thesen

Sieg

Losung

 

C. German z

We have noted above that the cluster ts occurs in German in such words as Boots and Rätsel. The symbol z is used in the German writing system to represent the same cluster. Practice the following words with your instructor:


 

lotsen

Bozen

Rätsel

Brezel

miedst

siezt

 

This combination of sounds can also occur at the end and at the beginning of a word. Sometimes after a vowel tz is written. Now practice the sounds with your instructor in the following words:

 

Practice 5:


 

Klotz

Litze

Arzt

zehn

zwei

zusammen

Sitz

Münze

heizt

Zug

Zwerg

Zickzack

März

Heizung

putzt

Ziel

Zwang

Zimmers

ganz

Bolzen

tanzt

Zorn

zwölf

Zeche