The transcription of German words is not so much in demand as in the study of English, since the equality "letter = sound" is observed more often. However, discrepancies are still possible, therefore, it is necessary to know the notation of sounds.
The need to study transcription
Why do we need transcription and, in particular, German transcription? The pronunciation of words in a letter can be noted in different ways. The easiest way is to designate sounds with adequate Russian letters. This approach can be found in many sources, for example, the famous transcriptor from the studio of Artemy Lebedev works on this principle. This is convenient: no additional characters need to be learned. But this method has a serious drawback - it is not accurate enough. Not all sounds of a foreign language are in Russian; accordingly, it is far from always possible to choose a suitable letter. Below we consider all the sounds of the German language in the official transcription and the features of their pronunciation. German words with transcription and translation are given as an example.
Vowel sounds
In German there are:
- Three diphthongs - their transcription is rather indistinct, in different sources you can find different notations. Perhaps this is due to the fact that, in fact, they represent one long sound with special dynamics and coloring.
- 16 monosounds differing in longitude-brevity.
Long and short sounds can be grouped in pairs.
Sounds are briefly read in the following cases:
- The syllable ends in consonants (no matter how many, at least one, at least three).
- Before the combinations “ck” and “tz” in the next syllable.
Attention: there are exceptions, in this article we do not consider them.
Vowels are given in the table below, the transcription of German words illustrating the rule is attached in two versions - according to the IPA system (international phonetic alphabet) and Russian letters (just remember the disadvantages of this method):
Sound transcription | What letters are displayed on the letter | Pronunciation Features | Examples: The word [transcription] (approximate equivalent in Russian letters) is a translation. |
[a] | a | Looks like a Russian "a", the differences are insignificant. | Alter [altɐ] (alter) - age. |
[ɛ] | e, ä | The sound is similar to the Russian "e", but there is no complete identity. If you want to speak without an accent, you should practice it separately. | Kennen ['kɛnən] (kennen) - to know. |
[ə] | e | Also similar to “e”, but much less expressive. Listen carefully to the word Ende. This sound is often found at the end of words, in fast speech it can even fall out. | Ende [ˈɛndə] (ende) - the end. |
[ɪ] | i | A little shorter than the Russian “and”. | Fisch [ fɪʃ ] (fish) - fish. |
[ɔ] | o | Similar to Russian “o”, only pronounced more briefly. | Dorf [dᴐrf] (dorf) is a village. |
[œ] | ö | There is no analogue in Russian. Beginners often reproduce it as “”, which is a serious mistake. For these sounds, completely different muscles are involved, use the help of a phonetist if you can’t make a sound, relying on audio materials. | Schön [ʃœn] (sön) - beautiful. |
[ʊ] | u | A short, "explosive" sound, similar to the Russian "u". Attention to the lips - they do not stretch forward, only the sles are rounded. | Mutter [ ˈmʊtər ] (mutter) - mother. |
[ʏ] | ü, y | The sound is very remotely similar to the Russian "yu", rather, it is intermediate between [ɪ] and [ʊ]. | Glü ck [glyk] (glitch) - happiness. |
How to determine the longitude of a vowel
Sound should be read for a long time if there is one of the following symptoms:
- Doubling vowels.
- Unreadable "h" after the vowel.
- The combination of “ie,” which reads as a long “i” - [i:]
Sounds are read for a long time in an open syllable, that is, ending in a vowel, and in conditionally closed, that is, this syllable can become open when a word is changed (Tag - Tage).
Transcription of German words with long sounds:
Sound transcription | What letters are displayed on the letter | Pronunciation Features | Examples: The word [transcription] (approximate equivalent in Russian letters) is a translation. |
[aː] | a, aa, ah | The pronunciation technique is the same as when playing a similar brief sound. Many have difficulties with longitude. Imagine making two brief sounds. | Jahr [ jaːɐ̯ / jaːr ] (yar) - year. |
[ɛː] | ä, äh | Similar to short, only longer. | Gären [gɛ: rən] (geren) - to roam, ferment. |
[eː] | e, ee, eh | There are frequent mistakes with this sound. | Lehm [leːm] (lem) - clay. |
[iː] | i, ih, ie, ieh | A tense, long, distinct sound, similar to a short one, only longer. | Hier [hi: ə] (hie) is here. |
[oː] | o oo oh | Similar to short, only longer. | Vogel [ ˈfoːɡəl] (Vogel) - a bird.
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[øː] | ö, öh, oe | Difficult for Russian-speaking sound. There is no analogue in Russian. You can achieve its pronunciation by reproducing the correct [eː], at the end slightly rounding and lips extended (not too much!). | Löwe [ ˈløːvə] (left) - lion.
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[uː] | u, uh | A tense, long, distinct sound. | Huhn [hu: n] (hun) - chicken. |
[yː] | ü, üh, y | Similarly to a short one - it is not worth likening it to the Russian “u”, such pronunciations will not just give you a foreigner, but will sound very foreign to the German ear. Try to pronounce [iː], rounding your lips, as for [uː]. | Tür [ty: ɐ] (tür) -door. |
Diphthongs
Their transcription is rather indistinct, in the sources you can find different notations. Perhaps this is due to the fact that, in fact, they represent one long sound with special dynamics and coloring. The most common Russian-German words with transcription in the column on the right are also given as an example.
Transcription | Letter designation as read | Examples: The word [transcription] (approximate equivalent in Russian letters) - translation |
[aɪ̯] or [ai] | Ei, reads like “ah” | Rammstein [ramʃtain] (ramstein) - the name of the group, arbeiten ['arbaetən] (arbeiten) - work, reisen (travel) - travel, weit (white) - far. |
[aʊ̯] or [au] | au | Frauchen [fra͡ʊçən] (frauchen) - lover, brauchen - to need aus (aus) - from, auch (auch) - too, too. |
[ɔʏ̯] or [ᴐy] | eu / äu, separately “e” stands for the sound “e”, and “u” stands for the sound “y”, but together they read as “oh”. | Läufer ['lᴐøfǝɐ] (loifer) is a runner. bedeuten (poor) - mean neu is new heute (today), träumen (trimen) - to dream. |
German consonants and pronunciation features
There are 23 consonant sounds in German, almost all of them are easy to read, strict sound-letter correspondence is almost always observed, you can easily pick up an analogue in Russian, so transcribing German words from this point will not cause any particular difficulties. The simplest consonants are listed below. Also given is a transcription of German words for example:
- [b] - corresponds to the Russian "b". The letter displays: b, bb. Examples: Besser [ ˈbɛsɐ ] (Besser) is better.
- [d] - corresponds to the Russian "d". The letter displays: d, dd. Examples: Dame [ daːmə] (lady) is a lady.
- [f] - corresponds to the Russian "f". The letter displays: f, ff, v, ph. Examples: Apfel [ ˈap͡fəl] (apfel) is an apple.
- [g] - corresponds to the Russian "g". The letter displays: g, gg. Examples: G ebraten [gəbra: tən] (gebraten) - fried.
- [m] - corresponds to the Russian "m". The letter displays: m, mm. Examples: Kahm [k a: m] (kam) - mold.
- [n] - corresponds to the Russian "n". The letter displays: n, nn. Examples: Gären [gɛ: rən] (guerin) - fermentation.
- [p] - corresponds to the Russian "p". The letter displays: p, pp, b. Examples: Mappe [ ˈmapə] (mape) - portfolio.
- [k] - corresponds to the Russian "k". The letter displays: k, ck, ch, g. Examples: Kamm [ka m ] (kam) - comb.
- [s] - corresponds to the Russian "s". The letter displays: s, ss, ß. Examples: Straße [ ˈʃtraːsə] (strasse) - street.
- [t] - corresponds to the Russian "t". The letter displays: t, tt, th, d. Examples: Schritt [∫rit] (straight) - step.
- [v] - corresponds to the Russian "c". The letter displays: w, rarely - v. Examples: M ö we [mø: və] (meve) - a seagull.
- [z] - corresponds to the Russian "z". The letter displays: s. Examples: Saat [za: t] (zat) - sowing.
- [ʒ] - corresponds to the Russian "f". The letter displays: g, j. Characteristic for borrowed words. Examples: Genie [ʒeˈniː] (wife) is a genius.
- [ʃ] - corresponds to the Russian "w". The letter displays: sch, s, ch. Examples: Staat [ʃtat] (staff) - state.
- [l] - corresponds to the Russian "l". The letter displays: l, ll. Examples: Hölle ['hœlə] (hele) - hell.
- [j] - corresponds to the Russian "y". The letter displays: j, y. Examples: Jacke ['jakə] (yakke) - jacket.
- [h] - remotely corresponds to the Russian "x", rather, it looks like a breathing noise when exhaling. The letter displays: h. Examples: H usten ['hu: stən] (husten) - cough.
Of course, there are features when pronouncing them, for example, the sound [b] is not as sonorous as in Russian, the sound [p] is more expressive and aspirated, and [l] is an intermediate sound between soft and hard Russian “l” . Some more examples in the picture:
Complicated Consonants
Separately, in the table, we consider more complex consonants, a transcription of German words suitable for example, is attached:
Sound transcription | What letters are displayed on the letter | Pronunciation Features | Examples: The word [transcription] (approximate equivalent in Russian letters) is a translation. |
[r] [ʀ] [ʁ] [ɐ] | r, rr, rh, er | In some sources, you can find the likening of this sound to the Russian "p". But this is a very strong simplification. In fact, the sound is very complex, causing difficulties for most students. The last sound - [ɐ] can often be found in the endings of words. This reduced [r] is an indefinite vowel sound remotely similar to the sound between the Russian “a” and “e”. | Rabe ['ra: bə] (slave) is a raven. |
[x], [χ] | The letter ch after the vowels a, o, u and diphthong au. | These are two different sound techniques, although they are heard the same way. Looks like a Russian "x". | Lachen [ˈlaxən] (lachen) - laughter. |
[ç] | ch, g | This sound is also similar to the Russian "x". Attention: both sounds are not the same as in the Russian "x", and differ from each other. | Furcht [fʊrçt] (furht) - fear.
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[ŋ] | ng, n | Beginners often confuse it with the sound [n], similar to the Russian "ng", but these are different sounds. To get [ŋ], try saying “n” to send a stream of air into your nose. | Singen [ˈzɪŋən] (singen) - to sing.
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Below are the most important common differences in pronunciation:
- Consonants sound more intense and expressive.
- Do not soften.
- Voiced consonants are not as voiced as in Russian.
- At the end of words, stunning voiced sounds are possible: Hund [hunt], D ieb [di: p] - thief.
- Aspiration - this common term in medicine in phonetics means aspiration when pronouncing sounds.
- Double consonants are pronounced as one: Kasse [kasə], Lassen [lasən].
German Affricates
Combinations of sounds (affricates - that is, combinations of sounds that have a certain similarity in pronunciation):
- [p͡f] - similar to Russian "pf". The letter is indicated as pf. Examples: P flücken [pflykən] (pfluken) - choice.
- [t͡s] - similar to the Russian "mall", often read and pronounced as "c", however this is not true, although the sound "c" really dominates. The letter is denoted as z, tz, c, t. Examples: T rotz [trots] (trot) - despite.
- [t͡ʃ] - similar to the Russian "h." However, it sounds harder. On the letter is displayed by combinations of tsch, tch. Examples: Kutsche [ ˈkʊt͡ʃə] (heap) - trainer.
Once again, a brief overview of all the sounds is in the table below.
Using this material as a reference, you can easily master reading in German. From practice - 1-2 lessons are required to explain the theory. Most students read German well after a week.