Learning> Sound Sets> German Sound Set

German Sound Set for Lyric Diction
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IPA Symbol Description Example 1 IPA English Translation Example 2 IPA English Translation

Vowels

              
  Monophthongs            

[i]

Forward/Fronting and closed

Liebe

[liːbə]

Love

ihm

[iːm]

to him 

[e]

Forward/Fronting and closed

beten

[beːtən]

to pray

ewig

[eːvɪç]

forever

[ɪ]

Forward/Fronting and opened

ich

[ɪç]

I 

singen

[sɪŋən]

to sing

[ɛ]

Forward/Fronting and opened

Bett

[bɛt]

Bed

Städte

[ ʃtɛtə]

towns 

[ɛː]

Forward/Fronting and opened

Mädchen

[mɛːtçən]

Maiden/Young girl

wäre

[vɛːrə]

would be 

[aː]

Forward/Fronting

Staat

[ ʃtaːt ]

state

aber

[aːbɐ]

but

[a]

Forward/Fronting

Stadt

[ ʃat ]

town 

Wasser

[vasɐ]

water

[ɔ]

Back and opened

Gott

[ɡɔt]

God

Nonne

[nɔnə]

nun

[ʊ]

Back and opened

und

[ʊnd]

and

um

[ʊm]

around

[o]

Back and closed

Ohne

[oːnə]

without

Lob

[loːp]

praise

[u]

Back and closed 

Ruh

Ruh

peace

tut

[tuːt]

to do
  Mixed Vowels            

[y]

Closed

über

[yːbɐ]

above

kühl

[kyːl]

cool

[ʏ]

Open

küssen

[kʏsən]

to kiss

erfüllet

[ɛɐ̯ˈfʏlət]

fullfilled

[ø]

Closed

schön

[ ʃøːn]

beautiful

größer

[ɡrøːsɐ]

greater

[œ]

Open

können

[kœnən]

can

köstlich

[ˈkœstlɪç]

precious
  Diphthongs            

[ae]

 

mein

[maen]

my

Leid

[laet]

sorrow

[ɑo]

 

auch

[ɑox]

also

traurig

[ˈtrɑorɪç]

sad

[ɔø]

 

Träume

[trɔ͜ømə]

dreams

Freud

[frɔ͜øt]

joy
  Schwa            

[ə]

Schwa

meine

[maenə]

mine

gegangen

[ɡəˈɡaŋən]

gone

[ɐ]

Schwa "er"

Vater

[faːtɐ]

father

Müller

[mʏlɐ]

Miller

[ɐ̯]

Schwa "r"

erduldet

[ɛɐ̯ˈdʊldət]

suffers

er

[eːɐ̯]

he

Consonants

              
  Bilabial             

[b]

voiced

Bitten

[bɪtən]

plead

Liebe

[liːbə]

love

[p]

unvoiced

Lippen

[lɪpən]

lips

Paradies

[paraˈdiːs]

Paradise

[m]

voiced

mein

[maen]

my

muss

[mʊs]

must
  Labiodental            

[f]

unvoiced

von

[fɔn]

from

Propheten

[proˈfeːtən]

Prophets

[v]

voiced

Wasser

[vasɐ]

water

Wunder

[vʊndɐ]

wonder
  Dental            

[z]

voiced

Seele

[zeːlə]

Soul

Suche

[zuːxə]

to seek

[s]

unvoiced

Wasser

[vasɐ]

water

Gruß

[ɡruːs]

greeting

[l]

voiced

Lilien

[liːljən]

lilly

Lippen

[lɪpən]

lips
  Aveolar            

[d]

voiced

das

[das]

the

Tode

[toːdə]

dead

[t]

unvoiced

Tod

[toːt]

death

Staat

[ ʃaːt]

state

[ts]

unvoiced

Zagen

[tsaːgən]

to despair

Kreuz

[krɔ͜øts]

cross

[n]

voiced

Nonne

[nɔnə]

nun

Nicht

[nɪçt]

not

[r]

voiced

rauschen

[rɑoʃən]

rustle

tragen

[traːɡən]

carry
   Prepalatal             

[ ʃ ]

unvoiced

schön

[ ʃøːn]

beautiful

Stadt

[ ʃat]

town

[tʃ]

unvoiced

tscheche

[tʃɛçə]

Czech

Deutsch

[dɔ͜øtʃ]

German
  Palatal            

[ç]

unvoiced

ich

[ɪç]

I 

ewig

[eːvɪç]

eternal

[ j ]

voiced and glide

Ja

[ jaː ]

yes

Lilien

[liljən]

lily 
  Velar            

[ɡ]

voiced

gegen

[ɡeːɡən]

against

fliegen

[fliːɡən]

to lie

[k]

unvoiced

dunkel

[dʊŋkəl]

dark

kein

[kaen]

none

[x]

unvoiced

ach

[ax]

Ah

suche

[zuːxə]

to search

[ŋ]

voiced

gegangen

[ɡəˈɡaŋən]

went

dunkel

[dʊŋkəl]

dark
  Glottal            

[h]

unvoiced

hab’

[haːp]

have

Haus

[hɑos]

house

Other

              
ː Lengthen sound

Lieben

[liːbən]

to love

nach

[naːx]

after
ˈ Primary Stress

gegangen

[ɡəˈgaŋən]

went

erfüllet

[ɛɐ̯ˈfʏlət]

fulfilled
ˌ Secondary Stress

abbrechen

[ˈapˌbrɛçən]

break off

unschuldig

[ˈʊnˌʃʊldɪç]

innocent
| Separation (Glottal Stop)

verachtet

[fɛɐ̯|axtət]

to scorn      
_ Intensified Consonant

Nonne

[nɔnə]

nun

Wasser

[vasɐ]

water
Compiled by SingersBabel LLC            
Spoken by Nils Neubert