Notes on Pronunciation
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
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| 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
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| 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)
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| 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)
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| 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:
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| 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
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| Klotz |
Litze |
Arzt |
zehn |
zwei |
zusammen |
| Sitz |
Münze |
heizt |
Zug |
Zwerg |
Zickzack |
| März |
Heizung |
putzt |
Ziel |
Zwang |
Zimmers |
| ganz |
Bolzen |
tanzt |
Zorn |
zwölf |
Zeche |