The German Alphabet and Spelling
Learn the names of the German letters, which ones sound different from English, and how to spell your name out loud in everyday situations.
Same letters, new names
German uses the same 26 letters as English, plus four extras: ä, ö, ü and ß. The good news is that you already know how to write them. The trap is that many letters have different NAMES when Germans say the alphabet out loud.
The vowels cause the most confusion. German A is named "ah", E is named "ay" (like the a in English "day"), and I is named "ee" (like the e in "be"). So when a German official spells a name and says "ay", they mean the letter E, not A — and when they say "ee", they mean I, not E. Train yourself on these three first; they cause almost all real-world spelling mistakes.
Consonants that surprise English speakers
A few consonants have both a different name and a different sound. J is named "yot" and sounds like English y in "yes". V is named "fow" and usually sounds like f. W is named "vay" and sounds like English v. Z is named "tset" and is pronounced ts, as in English "cats". The rare letter Y is named "üpsilon".
Listen to how these letters behave inside real words. Each of these sounds gets its own detailed lesson later; for now, just get used to hearing them.
ja
yes
j sounds like English y
der Vater
the father
v sounds like f
das Wasser
the water
w sounds like English v
zehn
ten
z is pronounced ts
The four extra letters: ä, ö, ü and ß
The letters ä, ö and ü are called umlaut vowels. The two dots are not decoration — they completely change the sound, and they get a full lesson of their own.
The letter ß is called "Eszett" or "scharfes S" (sharp s). It is simply a sharp s sound, like the ss in English "hiss". It never appears at the start of a word, so you will only meet it in the middle or at the end. If you cannot type ß, Germans accept "ss" as a replacement, and in Switzerland ss is always used instead.
die Straße
the street
ß = sharp s
fünf
five
ü is one of the umlaut vowels
Spelling out loud
In Germany you will spell your name often: at the doctor, on the phone, at the town hall. This is called buchstabieren. Learn the two key phrases below by heart.
Germans also use a spelling alphabet with first names, similar to "A as in Alpha": "M wie Martha, E wie Emil". You do not need to memorise it, but do not be surprised when you hear it. A practical tip: when you spell your own name, say it slowly, letter by letter, and remember that your "ay" will be heard as E and your "ee" as I.
Wie schreibt man das?
How do you write that?
Können Sie das bitte buchstabieren?
Can you spell that, please?
Mein Name ist Meyer: M-E-Y-E-R.
My name is Meyer: M-E-Y-E-R.
Check yourself
Quick checks on this lesson. Get at least three quarters right to mark it as completed.
A German speaker spells a word and says the letter name "ee" (like the e in English "be"). Which letter do they mean?
Practise what you learned
Sound and word recordings on this page come from Wikimedia Commons contributors and are used under Creative Commons licences. See the audio credits for authors and sources.